So April & May have been pretty manic in all respects.... June started off pretty busy but from the middle of the month we calmed down somewhat and now we're into July I can actually relax a little more and take time to do things a bit more leisurely!
April started with going to the Backstreet Boys concert, and VIP sound check/meeting them. This was an absolutely awesome day (see previous post for all the info) and I was so surprised I managed to do as well as I did considering it was only 5 weeks post transplant.
I had an assortment of transplant drug related issues the first half of April... mostly in the form of migraine type things (mostly affecting my eyes) but they were gradually increasing in intensity so they were making my head hurt, and wasn't even clearing after sleep. It culminated in having about 3-4 days solid of a horrid migraine type head. During this 4 day spell I went up to clinic and they wanted to do a bronch and biopsy, but I told them I felt like crap as it was, without putting myself through the stress and sedative etc. They weren't best pleased, but I didn't care, I wanted to get home and curl up on the sofa!! A week or so later, I had issues with my long line. By this point it had been the same access for well over a month, probably getting on for 6 weeks (I'd previously always had my port access changed weekly-fortnightly tops) It got to one day (day after the BSB concert) and it started to tingle a bit as I was putting through the drug... it had started to really slow down the rate of going in over the prior couple of days, but it was going through so I left it. After a dose of a slight tingle, it increased to an actual sharp pain even when putting the sodium flush through. The surrounding area on the wrist was also starting to feel majorly bruised and tender... so Glen and I took an afternoon trip to my local A&E for them to remove the long line and put in a small cannula so I could continue my IVs until my next clinic (3 days later). Having explained to them in A&E exactly what I had, needed and what was happening after etc I got the line out and cannula in. That evening the first dose through the cannula went in ok, just a bit slowly. The following morning I attempted to do a dose, I got less than 2ml of sodium flush through and it hurt... and I mean, make me cry out in pain and drop the syringe it hurt so much. Glen ran in to check what was wrong to find me almost in tears cradling my arm. At this point I told him to go get some bits from my IV pack, we were taking this cannula out and I was just not going to do any more IVs... I'd had enough! I gave him the option of whether he wanted to pull the line out, or be ready with the gauze to cover the hole once the line was out.... he opted for the 2nd option, so I had to get my hands sorted out right so I could logistically support and pull the cannula out safely. Fortunately it was only an inch or 2 inside the skin so was actually pretty easy to do, and Nurse Glen did a fantastic job with the gauze and dressing it after (as I was about 3 minutes away from going out for lunch! I went to clinic a few days later and told them the drama, and fortunately they agreed that I'd done the right thing as it sounded like there was some kind of infection brewing in the line somewhere. I was also kept off IVs after that, and just changed to nebulisers.
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| My dress, but the catalogue pic... not on me! |
The week after the cannula incident I could start focusing on some wedding things... starting with going for my first wedding dress fitting. I was really excited about seeing and wearing it again, but I was also a little concerned about how I would be putting something so restrictive on given my operation scars/scabs were still tender and only partially healed. We decided to go along, explain the situation to the dress shop and get their opinion. So, mum and I went along and entered the shop... queue major incident! As I walked in the door, I was confronted with simply the most amazing looking dress hung up right before my eyes. Although I knew I shouldn't I went to investigate it a little closer. It just got prettier the closer I got 'Mum, I like this'.... (turned the dress round to look at the back) ... 'I really like this! Would it be wrong to try it on?' After a minute or so of umming and ahh-ing we approached the desk and told them we were there for a dress fitting... but would it be possible to try on that dress as well? They were more than happy for me to do that, so got both my dress out, and the one off the rack. It was decided that a proper fitting would be daft given the fact I couldn't do the dress up fully due to the scarring, but I tried both dresses on. I put my dress on first and felt happy in it... I then put on the new dress and before I even came out the dressing room it felt good... I walked out and mum was speechless! Eventually I got a 'wow' from her (and the ladies in the shop)and I just knew this HAD to be my dress. I didn't want to take it off and walked up and down the shop, twisting to see it from every possible angle. Then I saw my original dress and felt guilty. I know it was only a dress, but I felt guilty for wanting a different one! Eventually the lady in the shop laid it straight 'forget you'd been in here before today is your first time trying on dresses... which do you prefer?' and that was it... decision made. I had a new wedding dress! A new fitting date was set up and we walked out- mum several more hundred pounds lighter (thanks mum!) and me with a new 'wow' dress! As soon as I was home I txd my best friend and gave her only part of the information... to see how quickly I would get a desperate request for more information! In less than an hour (considering she was at work) I had a manic reply begging for more info... but to see the pictures she had to wait until I got them off of mums phone. The wait must have been awful for her!
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| The picture we gave our cake-maker to replicate |
Next up on the wedding check list was fun... CAKE TASTING!! We had originally asked a friend to do our cake, but given the logistics of it all, this ended up changing. I spent a while googling cake makers in the area close to our venue, rather than our home as we figured that made more sense on the day. I found someone who made all sorts of different cakes and contacted her to see if she would be up to the challenge of what we'd seen and wanted. After much discussion we decided to go for a cake tasting session and talk directly. We arrived and made a fuss of her lovely doggies. Then we got down to business :) We had 3 or 4 different flavour sponges, 3 different butter creams and then she remembered she had 2 different ganaches too for us to try and decide what combinations we wanted. This was only part of her repertoire, we could have tried a whole bunch more had we of asked! After lots of backwards and forwards between different combinations we agreed on our 3 tiers, then we discussed the actual design. We left quite sugar high and very pleased that we would get the cake we wanted! Soo glad we chose Kelly, check out her website : http://www.kellyscakeboutique.co.uk/
I then had my make-up and hair trial. My hair was still a little short for what I'd thought of. Although I was a little vague on what I wanted, my hairdresser Heather did a super job to create something that should work with an extra couple of months of growth. She was apparently very worried that I didn't like what she'd done, but it actually gave me ideas of what I could do with my hair on a day to day basis with a few simple kirby grips. I had my make up trial with Cat of Lipstick Kisses (http://www.lipstick-kisses.net/), again giving her very little to go on as I'm not a make-up wearer normally. considering how little I gave her to work with, the end result was good... I didn't feel like I was wearing make-up, but from looking at me I looked 'pretty' (dare I say it?!) certainly made an improvement! All in all, a good couple of trials and I was pleased with how I would look on the big day!
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