And now we play the waiting game

After six weeks I have made it back to Calgary for a good, for now. WE packed up the apartment, stored the things we were going to use when we return for the transplant, dropped off the modem at the providers office and made it home with only a minor incident. That being a truck blowing a tire directly behind us on the highway. We were unharmed, as was the everyone else on the road, but it was pant-crappingly loud.
I am glad  the program is done, this means I can move on to the next step, but I have noticed a few things that are less pleasant since being home. One being that I am feeling the same way you would feel at the end of the school term or after a race; spent and ready for rest. That "time to sit and be merry" feeling, which in some cases is fine. But now it is more like momentum killer. I tired doing a work out on Friday and I got through most of it, but I did not have near the same push I did before. This may be the switch from machines to free weights, the 500 meter rise in elevation, or having to stop and re-set up the weights every time I switch exercises but it just wasn't there like it was before.
Now this could all be just due to me being sick. Yes Peter has the sniffles, and by sniffles I mean I have been coughing up yellow stuff for a few days now. I knew by about Thursday that something wasn't quiet right, Friday after the workout I saw all the writing on the wall. So I got up Saturday had breakfast, showered and got dressed and headed over to the PLC. I called ahead to Lung doctor on call, like I was told by the team in Edmonton, and she said come down to the emergency department and tell them to page her when i got there. Total time from me getting there to leaving with what I needed...four hours. I got admitted, x-rayed, did blood work, saw the doctor, and got the prescriptions I needed in that time. I have had scheduled appointments that took longer than that. They do an amazing job getting you in, getting you where you need to be, and getting things ready for the next person when you're done. Really can't say enough good things about them right now. Yeah I destroyed my(and my mom's) Saturday, but I am out ahead of a possible lung infection before it can get a foot hold, so i would throw this in the win box.
My back is still bothering me. I should go get a massage or something to loosen it up. I got a heating pad and it seems to help a bit, though the problem it more likely something that needs time a rest to heal. If that was it I would just skip the upper body part of the work out and focus on the legs(which i am probably going to do anyway). The issue being when you have a sore back it can make it painful to take deep breaths. So even without realizing it to keep you from hurting yourself you body takes smaller breaths. This shallow breathing means that deeper airways don't open up and clear out the goo that can build up, and you get place for bugs to grow. Hens the issue I had to deal with this weekend.
Thus the landing back on home turf wasn't as bad as going from a pickup truck onto a gravel road, but it didn't feel like bouncing into a swimming pool full of teddy bears either. As long as I bounce back from this slump quickly I don't see it impacting my overall progress

Rider

Quick add on here, my phone was slightly buggered the last month or so, not receiving emails or text messages. Should be straightened out now. So please forgive me for any communicables I might not have returned, it is my provider being a tool department.

LAST WEEK!!!

It's my last week in Edmonton, I'm excited. So far I'm keeping busy getting things closed down here: getting the final walk through for the apartment set up, canceling the internet(for after I leave), having my oxygen provider come get the concentrator on Friday. In clinic this week I have one class and the ICU tour. The doctor today seemed to think I have nothing to worry about (possibly some issues with thrush/yeast in the throat, they gave me some anti-fungal pills), and just keep doing what I'm doing.
My new support person gets a passing grade for the first day. Didn't take too long to get him broken in, and he only had to be told once that the water bottle gets a little warm if you carry it under your arm. But didn't deliberately try to embarrass me, which is good behavior for him.
The last five weeks have definitely paid off looking back. It is all just numbers on a page when I'm in the gym comparing how much longer I can walk on the treadmill, or if I increased the weight on your vertical row. It is another to be able to say I can go up the long, steep staircase to the comic store and not have to stop part way, and only take 10 seconds to catch my breath. Or that carrying my bag(loaded with my water bottle iPad and lunch) and not have to ask someone to carry it for me. Those are the good days, and there are ones when I'm feeling like a sack of crap, but I know that when it comes to the surgery I'll be bouncing back faster than I would be without the program.

Week five: continued ass kicking

Well week number five is wrapping up, and I am ready to come home. The program has been great, and the time has passed rather quickly, but I would like to be home for more than a weekend. To be able to not need to look up direction whenever I leave the house, to not have to web-conference for game night, to have access to larger social circle than my mom and the chatty clerk at the corner store. I'm not miserable, or incredibly discontent, I just feel that the time has been put in and I ready to move on. It would be better if that was moving on to new lungs, but I'll take my own bed for now. We did have a lovely dinner last night with the people who housed us for the first two weeks we were here, so nice to see them again. I may complain about having no friends up here, but I do in fact have several wonderful people to visit with and see during my stay,and they have all be super to me.
The classes this week were a little tougher mentally than any of the other ones. Where as the doctors have not been sugar coating the information and being straight forward, these speakers were straight up blunt. They scared the hell out some people by quoting the rather grim statistics. I, having heard all of these numbers back in May, was...just as scared, cause hey this is scary shit sometimes. THESE ARE THINGS I NEED TO HEAR. No matter what I have to be informed, and aware of whats ahead to me. To plan my way physical trough training, mentally by knowing whats coming at me, and spiritually by hedging my bets with all the applicable deities. Five years out, ten years out, maybe some of the people in that class room won't be there. But I know that ten years ago it was science fiction that I could instantly watch a movie on a 1/4 inch thick piece of plastic. In a few years medical science will advance and those number will improve.
As usual I'm in Calgary this weekend, then my dad will be coming back with me for the last week. I think I celebrate the last week by dressing a pirate on Monday/

Sup?

Back in Eddy's town, I have to say the drives to and from have gone swimmingly thus far(knock on wood). Now I haven't been the one driving (my night vision is rather poor), so I maybe out to lunch completely on the last comment, but no speeding tickets so far.
The doctor today, and it was a new one I haven't met before, said everything is still looking good. No new tests to run, and he answered all my questions. Turns out that once we are done the boot camp I only have to come back up to Edmonton every three months or so, until I get the transplant that is.
This weekend was productive. I managed to get out have a good Saturday out with friends, had a birthday dinner for my mom with family, acquired a weight set/bench/squat rack used for a very good price, and did a blood test for the docs. The dinner was nice, and having the whole family together really adds a feeling of normality to my life. With the weights and the coming of a treadmill I won't have any problem keeping up the fitness routine that I have started up here when I return to Calgary. I doubt I will get Conan strong (everyone needs to go waste two hours of their life to see that movie btw, its awesome) but if I get my heart in better shape, and build up my legs more, I will feel much better about going into surgery. Oh also, funny story, if I need a blood test for vitamin D and E levels it is better to wait a week and do it in Calgary rather than Edmonton. Know why? The results will get to my doctor faster. Yeah, I'm unimpressed with some aspects of the health care system.
This week is slightly busier week, lots of classes, so I will need to make the most of my down time. Today I had a nap and watched netflixs, tomorrow we are going to tea. After that I might do some shopping (I need new socks), but I will have to play it by ear as the work outs still leave me feeling like a beaten dog till around lunch time.

Workouts are getting longer

Whats long and hard on Peter? Second grade...and the morning workout. My physio guy added in two new stations for me today(both arms, which had be somewhat lacking before), putting me up to ten total. With me doing 3 sets of 10, 20-25 minutes of cardio, and stretching I am fairly tired by the end of it. The whole thing takes me about an hour and half to do, depending on how busy the gym is. I'm going to start increasing the cardio part on daily bases now, either by the amount of time, speed or grade. That is an easy way to make gains, just 15 more seconds everyday, or just 0.2 more on speed. I have increased the weight on some of the stations, but like I said in a few post back, I would like to see them all farther along from where they are now. I have however noticed some improvements body wise. Calves and arms are toning up a little more, a little less jiggle then before, so I'm happy about that.
The classes this week were light, stuff I'm old hat with, but I go to anyway cause I want my gold star for attendance. Emotional/spiritual well being and Nutrition: hand holding, crying, and the four food groups...anyone else flash back to kindergarten. Much of the Nutrition stuff seem rather obvious, I can't think of anyone out there who hasn't heard "eat more vegetables" or "reduce your salt, and don't eat junk food", but they say they are out there. I was good to hear about body mass index and that stuff, and everything in general is good review so I can say for certain that I am doing it correctly. Emotional well being....meh. Everyone who knows me will tell you that I am 100% emotionally and spiritually fulfilled at every waking moment of everyday, for all time. But again I go because it is on my list of things to do. None of the patients wanted to go, and two out of five didn't, so things went quickly. I like knowing that the resource is there if I want it, and that the group of people I'm with feel the same way about touchy feely stuff as I do.
The rest of week is just physio, so I'm going to leave for Calgary right after my workout on Friday. Got a few things going on, but if you want to hangout or see me, you know to get in contact with me.

Back to the wheel of death

So we made it back to Edmondchuck alright. Thanks to the people who paid me a visit and took me to a movie(shark on my junk yo). I do feel recharged, just seeing my friends and family in person was so great, and sleeping in instead of doing a work out was nice too.
It looks like a light week, which will be nice, some of my muscle groups are still sore from Friday. Will be in Calgary again this weekend if all goes according to plan.
Also does anyone get the reference from the title?

In Calgary for the weekend

I made it back down to Calgary okay, the traffic was light because we left right after physio. I'm going to be in town till Monday night, that should be enough time to see people, get a few nights sleep in my own bed, sit on furniture not designed for a baboon. Really there no place is the apartment to sit or rest that feels comfortable, all the chairs are too low, or too small. The bed is excellent though, even if it doesn't help me sleep. That makes stuff all the sweeter when you get home and all the TV stations are back on the right channels, there is ample counter space to prepare your lunch, and you can blame the random things on a golden retriever who can't say anything in her own defense(ahh Sidny, how many times have you covered for me).
Physio this week was rather hard all around. I think the first two weeks caught up with me, and I have just been sore and very tired since Monday. I should be back up and running by Tuesday if i taken it easy for the next three days. I want to start increasing the weight I am using, but I had to hold back this week because of how I was feeling. I trust that the people there know what they are doing and that they wouldn't have just waste my effort and go through the motions with no benefit. I just think That I should be farther along, or more that I want to be farther along.
I am only part way through the program, so I do understand that results are not going to be apparent yet. And they may not be apparent even after six weeks. The main point of this program is to prepare me for the surgery, AND so that after I'm done boot camp I can keep up what I have learned back here in Calgary while I wait for delicious organs. But...I feel less confident going into the surgery because I am so out of shape. If I could see something definite (like weight lose, visible toning, a larger increase the weights), this would be off set significantly. So the only solution is to keep at it and not slack, keep it low key this weekend and hit back hard on Tuesday.