tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30947171309983713672012-01-19T15:03:58.006-05:00Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-84819862834295861442012-01-12T01:16:00.000-05:002012-01-12T01:16:21.935-05:00

You know the week is starting out right when your oxygen -- your lifeline for the past few years and especially the past few months -- is carted away. And there you stand, breathing on your own, without aid, without hesitation and without struggle. Bon voyage 02 tanks! I have now graduated to clinic every two weeks, since I seem to be pretty stable. I still go to the hospital three times a

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-73556047802852618882012-01-04T01:07:00.000-05:002012-01-04T01:07:40.768-05:00

I've been procrastinating about writing this blog post because I cannot wrap my head around what a crazy year it has been, wrapping it all up in a pretty little post just seems like such a daunting task, but I'll try anyway! January 2011 started out much different. Friends and I gathered in Nathan Philips Square on a relatively mild winter night and counted down the final moments of 2010. I

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-33966476807312027212011-12-26T10:26:00.001-05:002011-12-26T10:33:53.280-05:00

Merry Christmas from my lungs to yours. Excuse the lazy eye, the photo shoot was a bit tiring! Pictured: 26 of 53 staples removed. The remainder were removed before I left the hospital. Lower down are my 4 chest tube incisions, the sutures were removed last week.  My gift to you: the rest of my documented transplant journey found here.

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-24201560633725673262011-12-22T16:43:00.000-05:002011-12-22T16:43:02.738-05:00

So what's this? I bust out of the confines of the hospital and stop updating? Pretty much, yeah. As of Wednesday, December 14th I am a free woman! Free to sleep in my own bed, free to roam without an IV pole (for the first time in many, many months) and free to work these new lungs. I must say, it's weird being home and not having to constantly adhere to a physio schedule (I still do nebs for

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-21672241803396985762011-12-11T22:08:00.000-05:002011-12-11T22:08:51.120-05:00

I have been feeling good great since my blood transfusion on Friday-- now I've really been able to work these new lungs! In fact, I felt SO good today that I was able to go home for a few hours on a pass (and home is literally up the street for me, so it was completely feasible). It was nice to sit on my own couch, lay in my own bed and rummage through my own fridge-- it's really all the small

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-28208716885541087052011-12-10T10:30:00.000-05:002011-12-10T10:30:03.621-05:00

A THANK YOU to all the blood donors out there too! I went to exercise yesterday and got through it, but it was very exhausting. I had to stop on the bike every 2 minutes because I was SO dizzy. I put this down to 'I'm only two weeks out of surgery' but my physiotherapist, knowing how driven I am, wrote a note in my chart and insisted I tell the doctors. Turns out my hemoglobin has been in the 70

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-66422715799915843552011-12-08T21:01:00.000-05:002011-12-08T21:01:12.651-05:00

Starting back to rehab tomorrow morning... duh duh duh! I really hope it goes well, as I seem to be an expert in suffocating myself. Like I mentioned earlier, my brain still thinks it working with diseased lungs and that, couple with the tightness of the incision, make the act of breathing hard. My friend M described it well earlier when she said it's like jumping right on the bike without any

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-84392528271250381702011-12-07T18:15:00.000-05:002011-12-07T18:15:47.480-05:00

Today I woke up with chills and sweats again (unpleasant) but my body seemed to fight the fever off by itself--telling me this new antibiotic, Vancomycin, is getting the job done. I am now medically stable enough to go home, exactly two weeks after my transplant (amazing what the body can do, eh?) but will be staying here to finish my course(s) of antibiotics since home care will not work with 3

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-42952267787947835012011-12-06T18:54:00.000-05:002011-12-06T18:54:07.048-05:00

Today we got to the bottom of things, literally. I had my very first Bronch around 12 pm that lasted about an hour (or so my mom says). The procedure was not nearly as scary as I thought it was going to be-- in fact, the most inconvenient part of the whole thing was fasting since midnight. Hungry Lindsay doesn't fair too well in public! I was taken back down to the second floor where my

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-54840080735983073892011-12-05T22:01:00.002-05:002011-12-05T22:07:24.533-05:00

Our blog updater, H, is now off in sunny Barbados (lucky gal)! So who more fitting than to fill her place than ME. That's right, right from the horse's mouth (I've never understood that saying). I was 'scheduled' to go home today, but over the weekend I had fevers and my exercise tolerance dwindled so I knew something was brewing. I'm already on two antibiotics, Ceftazidime and Meropenum, but

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-68805699031036862182011-12-02T12:21:00.000-05:002011-12-02T12:21:04.366-05:00

and she might be going home monday! Lindsay got her chest tubes out today. No more octopus arms hanging off of her. FREEDOM! Here she is out for a walk with her sister and mom...sans IV pole....she is MOTORING. She is up to 4 walks a day. Home time is soon soon soon soon! If Lindsay gets out of the hospital on monday it will be less then 2 weeks since she went in for her life saving surgery.

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-74520450253781548522011-12-01T16:08:00.000-05:002011-12-01T16:08:43.494-05:00

Lindsay has... 2 chest tubes left. Central Line out. New picc line inserted. (yes she had to get a picc line re-inserted. ugh how annoying) all these are steps closer to going home!

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-83247152494945086482011-11-29T19:55:00.000-05:002011-11-29T19:55:03.954-05:00

Lindsay is now on the ward and one step closer to going home. She is so excited to have new lungs for the holidays!

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-87691702659278324612011-11-28T16:45:00.000-05:002011-11-28T16:45:57.537-05:00

They are currently searching the halls of the transplant ward for a bed for Lindsay!! She has been texting me up a storm, sometimes they are a little off (she is super stoned today from the pain meds). She is having a lot of pain today, so they've upt those happy pills. She falls asleep mid text, mid meal, sitting up, reading a page, during physio...but she says breathing is getting easier, and

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-37504657932239424022011-11-28T16:01:00.001-05:002011-11-28T16:02:18.260-05:00

Lindsay is in step down now and making her self quite cosy. She has 3 personal massage therapists I think I owe my dad about a million and one feet massages after I got my transplant, and I can see Lindsay is going to be in the same debt of gratitude as well. Lindsay's legs are cramping up from all the water retention and laying around in bed. She is up to TWO walks a day. Walk walk walk walk

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-38288878700074096942011-11-26T20:58:00.000-05:002011-11-26T20:58:23.878-05:00

Lindsay is doing great. Her chest is a little congested, but they have her on lasiks to drain the fluid from her lungs. She was wheeled to step down unit today in a wheelchair! (I was wheeled in my bed, so you know lindsay is doing GREAT) All her electrolytes are good. Magnesium, potassium and phosphate doing good. She is enjoying popsicles and texting up a storm to me, I can barely keep up! Her

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-13297042887312623722011-11-25T13:59:00.000-05:002011-11-25T13:59:31.543-05:00

Lindsay is still in ICU. This new doctor is desensitizing her correctly to move down to step down unit. It's a really specific process which is why it's taking a little longer. Lindsay has finally learned how to cough! She feels a little congested no doubt from all the fluid which is inevitably around her new lungs. Her right lung is draining a lot she said (yes lindsay is now texting me, happy

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-14958776386552766292011-11-24T18:04:00.002-05:002011-11-24T19:40:47.969-05:00

Change of plans. Lindsay is now fever free since 4pm! Linds is staying in ICU one more night, to get desensitized to some antibiotics. She unfortunately is allergic to A LOT of drugs. She always has to have her body tricked in to taking the IV antibiotics. So as a precaution she stays in ICU to be watched carefully incase she has a reaction. Tricky stuff, this desensitization. She is staying in

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-81223181556121193042011-11-24T14:15:00.003-05:002011-11-24T14:24:08.367-05:00

you're gonna love this one. Lindsay's first walk with new lungs! She did one lap, with only a couple stops. Steph says she was also asking for her hair brush, A girl after my own heart, always the fashionista. Go Lindsayyyyyy! SO much love and positive vibes are coming at you from all angles over here. You got the twitter and the facebook world all in a frenzy, it even kicked me out from

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-46761853245557031382011-11-24T10:34:00.002-05:002011-11-24T10:37:08.508-05:00

...with a little help from her new friends (two healthy pink new lungs!) Lindsay is off the respirator and breathing on her very own. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! please note those AMAZING pink beautiful cheeks she looks stunninnnngggg! girl is gorgeous. oh linds wait till you can chew on those lovely ice cube chunks they give you...water in frozen form will never have tasted so good! -Hattie

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-50445278016723827942011-11-24T08:37:00.004-05:002011-11-24T09:02:51.153-05:00

sleeping beauty decided it was time to wake up! Lindsay is awake and writing notes. She's even being called a super star by the nurses. But we already knew that didn't we? She has a clip board where she is feverishly writing notes away, asking where her lungs came from? which province? telling her family that she had a long time to talk with the nurses before surgery. She is also OVER the moon

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-73780476527166884072011-11-23T22:20:00.000-05:002011-11-23T22:20:26.715-05:00

...and so we wait for lindsay to wake up. Her mom and pop went in to see her in ICU. They said she is looking well and nurses say she is very stable! 3 cheers for linds!

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-11022597115270529282011-11-23T20:57:00.000-05:002011-11-23T20:57:44.125-05:00

the doctors and surgeons said when they took out her old lungs out, they were badly scarred, diseased and incredibly infected especially her left lung. Dr. P said she probably had only a year left with these lungs. Thank you donor for being the perfect match for our linds! Thank you, thank you, thank you! -Hattie

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-58025974054591338922011-11-23T20:13:00.001-05:002011-11-23T20:15:13.390-05:00

Lindsay is all finished getting her new lungs. So far no complications. She didn't need any blood transfusions. The lungs are THE perfect match for her. She is now in ICU. There was a 20% chance of getting her lungs (so they were looking out for a match for her, hence why the lungs came out of province probably) that matched her unique antibodies and she got it. Hoping she gets off the

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-47428798017814879762011-11-23T19:02:00.002-05:002011-11-23T19:06:38.972-05:00

It is with great pleasure that I can write Lindsay is kicking bum! She is doing SO awesome. Those 7 months of hard work and gruelling exercise have made her heart in tip top shape. They are on to the second lung. The left new lung is now being put in Lindsay. So far she has needed no blood transfusions and no heart lung mechanism to keep her stable. She is doing this all in her own (plus her

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-75576869475107817812011-11-23T17:11:00.000-05:002011-11-23T17:11:55.753-05:00

Lindsay's right lung is now out and they are putting her brand new right lung in! Then they'll start working on the left lung. Breathe baby breathe. Lindsay is sleeping beauty right now, but keep sending positive thoughts! -Hattie

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-57264516248896378562011-11-23T15:06:00.002-05:002011-11-23T15:09:06.677-05:00

L's sister Stef just gave me an update. Lindsay's new lungs have travelled a long way. The nurse has said they are from out of province so therefore they must be the absolute perfect match. They were waiting just for Linds. Lins was as always in good spirits, her bubbly, infectious, teasing the nurses, self before she was wheeled down to OR. Her first incision was around 2:10pm and the nurse

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-66693618574824538702011-11-23T11:16:00.007-05:002011-11-23T19:11:24.697-05:00

Lindsay went in to surgery today at 11am for her pretty pink healthy new lungs! Gah! I've been waiting seven months for me to write those words! Exactly seven months today Lindsay has been waiting on the transplant list! Last night at 1:13am she woke up to her phone ringing. She missed it and checked her voicemail. A woman had called her telling her they had a pair of lungs for her. Lindsay first

hattitudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09102166402432092809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-66999620738718955242011-11-09T00:20:00.003-05:002011-11-09T00:28:36.895-05:00

I'm a too little tired to give the most detailed account of today, partly due to the fact that my clinic went until 7 pm. I was at St. Mikes from 12:30 - 7 pm, so yes, a VERY long clinic! The details . . .I kind of got the impression today was going to be a long one when it took me 15 minutes to get an elevator... the first elevator car arrived packed full of people and a stretcher. The paramedic

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-69055894452936505312011-10-30T18:11:00.000-04:002011-10-30T18:11:16.155-04:00

Not much new to report. . . Went out for the first time in a long time last night to see Private Lives with a friend-- great show (I'm not one to provide detailed reviews of plays, sorry) though the ending was open to interpretation. What's more is I successfully climbed the 5000 billion stairs to our balcony seats (Royal Alexandra does not have an elevator)-- with my 02 of course, and sweating

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-63749310935064413132011-10-25T18:26:00.000-04:002011-10-25T18:26:22.086-04:00

Today, nature sided with my mood -- we clouded over, let ourselves be dark and released our inner frustrations. SO tired of the lack of sleep due to treatments. Tired of IVs. . . . of CF being my life and definition. . . . of being asked a million and one questions. . . . of being sick on special occasions or my birthday. . . . of temporary wellness. . . . of living in limbo. . . . of having

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-55834652610049404282011-10-24T01:19:00.001-04:002011-10-24T01:20:49.876-04:00

October 24, 2011 Tuesday's clinic (before my brief admission) brought me a warning of what was to come, one of the first sentences out of the resident's mouth was "What status are you?" to which I responded status one-- not really giving it much thought because "status" has been a flitting topic all summer long, with most agreeing that status 1 was still suitable for me. Next thing I knew, the

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-4342703268414974252011-10-22T01:11:00.005-04:002011-10-22T01:15:47.330-04:00

October 21, 2011 . . . part two continues after an extended delay, much like the second half of those two-parter made for TV movies that you never end up watching. I tried Cipro for two and a half weeks, but it seems that it lost it's magic. The only benefit? It cleared up my raunchy breath, and the city of Toronto celebrated this minor feat. Back at TGH, I learned that apparently no one at

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-85300379739539409382011-10-14T01:09:00.008-04:002011-10-14T01:19:06.705-04:00

October 14    I have a confession to make . . .I found a more attractive option than this blog, and it has distracted me for the past few months. That distraction was summer, and for someone on the transplant list it was a relatively 'normal' summer, in fact I'd stretch the headline to read 'A Great Summer' relatively speaking. It's all so very relative.  Now that I'm approaching my sixth month

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-66136133607207337472011-07-27T00:37:00.001-04:002011-07-27T00:41:15.305-04:00

July 27 It's been just over three months since I've been listed-- that's the first trimester of listing, gone. Now the real fun begins, right? This is the part where I get (acceptably) fat and walk around with an energized glow about me, excited by the thought of my new arrival. Scratch that, this is the part where fantasy wilts under the shadow of real life. That 'glow' is really a sunburn

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-40784158581774864292011-06-06T12:41:00.002-04:002011-06-06T12:44:05.766-04:00

June 6, 2011 Limbo has become a little boring as of late, every week is devoted to what seems like treatment-filled days and physio. I've transferred to a physio/rehab place closer to home, so that has helped free up a little bit of time. I was feeling great for two weeks, so I developed the hopeful/cocky notion that I would be able to go on 'hold' on the transplant list (exactly what it sounds

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-45076028894621722032011-05-30T21:54:00.003-04:002011-06-06T12:15:11.419-04:00

May 30th, 2011 Most of you know the drill by now--lack of updates is good news (usually). I've still been keeping busy with exercise three times a week, and then clinic appointments at St. Mikes in between--it's absolutely riveting stuff. Clinic on Tuesday was nothing overly remarkable, my PFTs stayed put at 25% (.72 L), weight dropped a tad (which isn't surprising since my appetite is nowhere

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-66863008252888437282011-05-14T21:17:00.000-04:002011-05-14T21:17:07.898-04:00

May 14, 2011 Next week will bring me to two milestones: I will have been out of the hospital for a month and officially listed for a month! I haven't really had much energy to blog since I've started my pre-transplant exercise program at Toronto General. I'm required to go to the hospital three times a week to condition my body for such a huge, dramatic, surgery and it's no walk in the park:

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-34881814873172469182011-04-20T01:59:00.001-04:002011-04-20T02:13:26.716-04:00

Tuesday April 19 After weeks of flirting and flip-flopping, transplant and I are hand-in-hand: It's official. Today I signed the dotted line and, following a few inappropriate jokes about diseased lungs and death, was listed. Let the wait begin! It was quite the day of build-up, we arrived at Toronto General around 11:30 and didn't see my Coordinator until around 12:30. We briefly chatted about

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-57958795607987906112011-04-11T01:19:00.002-04:002011-04-13T21:44:18.966-04:00

Last week I turned the corner, finally: my WBC inched below 11, meaning my infection was under control for the first time in months, wheezing nearly vanished, and shortness of breath decreased--all good things. I embraced this positive news with a practiced sense of caution, and sure enough hours later was served up another challenge: I had to change rooms... to a semi-private. No one likes a

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-64965271789701684312011-04-03T00:16:00.004-04:002011-04-03T00:21:37.994-04:00

I was rather surprised when I noticed I had a missed call from 'unknown' yesterday morning, although it  should surprise no one that I didn't pick up since a) I rarely pick up my phone, and half the time my cell refuses to work anyway and b) Unknown, really? Do I want to speak to you? Not talking to strangers is a golden rule in life. However, these days 'unknown' usually means a phone call from

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-66952972854980941052011-03-31T00:06:00.002-04:002011-03-31T00:08:52.261-04:00

Tomorrow is the big day, the day where my entire health team (Physiotherapists, Doctors, Social Worker, etc.) gather with the transplant team at Toronto General and present my case Dr. House-styles. Initially, I looked at this day with a sense of dread: it meant this was it, I was giving up on these lungs once and for all and officially taking a giant leap of faith into a world unknown. But as

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-4752404680610897542011-03-30T00:01:00.002-04:002011-03-30T00:12:47.519-04:00

It's hard to tell now if I'm in the eye of the storm or if it has passed by me completely. Those last two posts were written during some rough days; my infection was raging and by WBC was hovering at 17. By Tuesday (March 22nd) we decided that it was pretty clear the IV antibiotics weren't working and we would add a third (Cipro IV) to see if that would help move things in the right direction. IV

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-86978364497038123752011-03-29T00:59:00.001-04:002011-03-29T01:01:13.853-04:00

Backtracking: The following was written March 18th. WBC was 20. These past three days have been hard. During the day I need my mom here all the time because the act of just sitting here leaves me breathless, my chest is constantly heaving with effort and things that I took advantage of a week ago (like reaching for my pills an arms-length away or walking to the washoom) have all become such

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-30743492762701399522011-03-29T00:54:00.001-04:002011-03-29T02:02:34.893-04:00

Backtracking: The following was written on March 15th. WBC up to 16. PFTs dropped from .82 to .70 in 48 hrs (Between March 8th and March 10th). These past two days have been rough. Ever since last Wednesday my lungs have taken a sharp decline; the shortness of breath has been growing and the lethargy caused by every little movement is intense and troubling. I must admit, it is quite scary and

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-79543574293699076552011-03-29T00:27:00.000-04:002011-03-29T00:27:26.711-04:00

Backtracking: March 9th If March 8th was encapsulated bliss, March 9th was a flood of nightmares. It started off with the ever-so-tasty fructose syrup from diabetic hell in my cup--this was the OGTT test I was required to do to prove once and for all that I was not diabetic. The good news? I wasn't diabetic. The bad news? The OGTT appeared to set off a tantrum for my recovering, temperamental

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-37975303908975864552011-03-28T23:23:00.001-04:002011-03-28T23:55:26.965-04:00

Backtracking: February 25th-March 8th I finally got a bed on Friday (the 25th) and was started on my dream-team med combo (Meropenum and Chloramphenicol), the very combo that saved my lungs from being permantly fired in 2009. Within 24 hours I felt great, my voice had returned in full-strength and my shortness of breath had lessened... I hopped on the exercise bike daily and didn't require

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-61377797003268628392011-03-28T22:18:00.002-04:002011-03-28T22:24:57.679-04:00

Backtracking: February 16th-24th I write out the word 'calm' with slight amusement tonight, as I realize my definition of calm is and was anything but. Needless to say, home IVs were not the cakewalk I'd hoped for; I woke up with my usual start-of-IV-fever, and coughed up streaky blood two days in. After one week of IVs not much had changed, if anything I felt worse on my insane schedule coupled

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-548707263483049132011-03-26T00:16:00.001-04:002011-03-28T22:23:31.005-04:00

Backtracking: February 15th Procrastinators take note: it is never a good idea to fall behind on documenting your own health record. First, you may notice I've changed my blog around a tad (ok more than a tad) in order to avoid the actual 'work' that needed to be done. I realize Grandparents will be sending me evil e-mails regarding this change so let me try to make this transition easier: 1.

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-25367804700492811162011-03-16T01:22:00.001-04:002011-03-28T22:29:32.714-04:00

Backtracking: January 30th-February 14th Remember that time I promised to 'continue tomorrow' only to bail like a bad, deceiving date? Yeah, I apologize. Please take me back and grasp onto my good qualities after reaching past my less desirable (unreliable?) qualities. Where was I? Oh yes, once upon a clinic day... First off, I barely made it to clinic day. After arriving home Sunday night I

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-86640722721212813092011-03-09T02:04:00.002-05:002011-03-28T22:32:39.790-04:00

Backtracking: January After a long four-month pause,  I think I'm ready to type: fingers are stretched, brain is as alert as it will ever be, and the cloud of denial has lifted enough that I may peek out from under it. Since my last update my DIOS issues subsided and my lungs decided that it was their turn to creep back into the spotlight. I use the word creep with intention, as things have so

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-217726507297850622010-10-22T01:04:00.000-04:002010-10-22T01:04:23.212-04:00

The lungs have settled, they know how to behave and bob playfully between the range of 25-28% without anymore than the usual supervision. But my stomach is not so settled. Rather, it's restless and unsatisfied, grumbling miserably about it's current state.  Just over a year ago I started suffering from my first DIOS episode, which is both unpleasant and--well, actually that's about the only

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-92038300302189227372010-09-09T21:23:00.001-04:002010-09-09T21:23:38.411-04:00

I recieved an e-mail today from the CF representative that spoke at our fashion show fundraiser. Apparently, he and his wife were talking and realized that I was the little girl who did a national campaign with their son benefiting the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. I remember doing this Frightlite Campaign years ago (I think I was 12 or 13?). I was the oldest participant, so I suffered

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-82574006487030483252010-09-08T00:51:00.000-04:002010-09-08T00:51:25.484-04:00

The days of routine are back and I welcome it. It has been a very busy summer between working on the fashion show (which raised over 30,000 for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation), a fulltime internship at Canadian Family, and weekend-long trips in-between to Collingwood, Buffalo and Montreal. But as autumn creeps closer, we say adieu to the summer: goodbye apartment in Toronto, hello

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-65482719209931250392010-08-18T20:09:00.001-04:002010-08-19T01:16:59.292-04:00

I realize that, yet again, I have not written in a while, but I apparently have commitment problems. More importantly, I have been doing far too much running around to stop and give an update... is this a sign I should be hiring an assistant? This update is prompted by my clinic visit yesterday, which went FAB. My bone density increased-- though in the words of the nutritionist they are still "

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-79442959410407608842010-06-09T21:46:00.005-04:002010-06-10T00:10:29.378-04:00

I'll just come out and say it, I'm not a fan of the ran. I enjoy watching fantastic lightening storms from my bedroom window (esp. the first one of the year, when snowstorms have ended their shift), and the pitter patter of rain drops is a soothing sound, but my lungs hate rain. My version of singing in the rain involves high-pitched wheezing as I walk through the soggy streets of Toronto. Last I

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-929038944602796452010-06-09T00:04:00.000-04:002010-06-09T00:04:30.285-04:00

I am officially 'free' today! I had my picc line pulled (which is like a giant iv--I had left it in to make sure my infection was completely gone). Which means I can finally shower, stretch and wear a jacket with ease! My pfts dropped slightly from 27% (.80 L) to 25% (.73 L), but I'm feeling great and have no infection symptoms, so we decided I was done with IVs. Apparently I'm a little bit of a

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-38107632363417668212010-06-07T22:56:00.002-04:002011-01-24T01:04:09.197-05:00

Today, hopefully (and probably) is the last day I will have my PICC line in. Tomorrow I have clinic at 8:30 am sharp (the way I like it) and I will review my pfts and make sure everything is a-ok before getting this lovely contraption removed from my arm. Showering is about to get a whole lot easier. In the meantime, I have improved immensley over the past week. It's quite shocking how much

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-30635439870110620652010-05-25T23:40:00.001-04:002010-05-25T23:44:21.174-04:00

I was settled in for a quiet night, ready to go to bed early, when I decided it was time to flush my picc line (you have to push saline through it once a day to avoid getting a blood clot). I still have my picc because I decided to leave it in for two weeks to make sure I'm infection-free. First, let's flash back to yesterday... I was discharged in a rush and forgot my heparin (which thins your

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-29107294695350844932010-05-25T19:02:00.000-04:002010-05-25T19:02:50.334-04:00

Well, who would have known, there is such thing as good surprises! Today I went down my clinic appointment at 9, it was supposed to be 8:30... but since I was up until 1:30 finishing IVs, and just had NO willpower to climb out of bed. I was ready for the big moment: pfts. The ultimate verdict. And to my surprise, after 10 days of intense physio, IVs, stationary bike (and eating out?) they were

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-12092375073662311992010-05-25T00:43:00.000-04:002010-05-25T00:43:51.584-04:00

It's hard to distinguish what counts as "home" lately. When you are in the hospital and out on a day pass /get out of jail free card, going "home" means going back to your hospital room. Downtown this summer my "home" is my apartment, but for now--in my limbo days between IV and no IV--"home" is back at our family home. Today, quite quickly, I was discharged from the hospital. Last night, when I

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-77417192578762046682010-05-19T00:51:00.001-04:002010-05-19T15:07:19.980-04:00

Not too much to report, at this point it is very much a 'wait and see' period. Wait and see if these drugs work, my lung function improves and my oxygen dependency decreases. And hope that all of the above does not take too long, because I have plans to get back to! So far my appetite is slowly creeping back into existence. I was able to go out for lunch today (at a nearby 50's diner--very cute!

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-51334130117036876142010-05-16T13:26:00.000-04:002010-05-16T13:26:15.163-04:00

The past few days have gone by really quick! It's Sunday afternoon and I'm just finishing up lunch from my room in 6 Bond. I am happy that I have a private room, washroom, HUGE fridge and possibly a flatscreen tv being installed today... hello jackpot, nice to meet you. The doctors decided it was best I do IVs in hospital, and I disagreed at first. Even sitting here when I was admitted on

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-73195584856309262772010-05-12T23:06:00.000-04:002010-05-12T23:06:00.396-04:00

So remember that time when I said I will "kick this cold's butt"? Well, it beat me to the kick. I woke up with a tad of a fever yesterday morning (and a grotesque swelling under my ear to boot!) so I decided there wasn't any harm in going to clinic (since I literally live down the street) and making sure everything was A-ok. Here's what I fully expected: pfts: the same, weight: slightly down,

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-17029514533046573922010-05-10T19:29:00.000-04:002010-05-10T19:29:44.800-04:00

Welcome to my monthly update! I think it's fair to stress that a lot has happened in the past month, but most of them are good things. I finished school (until the fall... three more courses, woo!!) I got a great internship at CanadianFamily.ca  I moved into my very own bachelor apartment downtown (until said internship is complete) Needless to say, I'm pretty thrilled that these pipe dreams

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-17878154850570628222010-03-13T00:24:00.000-05:002010-03-13T00:24:31.369-05:00

I slipped up this week and paid for it--big time. On Tuesday I ran out of Losec--a medication that prevents the production of stomach acid--and failed to refill my prescription right away. Instead, I found a bottle of zantac and--feeling thrifty--thought that might tie me over for a few days. Boy was I wrong, VERY wrong. Anyone who has ever experienced severe heartburn will sympathize. For those

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-32059816915900492012010-03-10T00:27:00.001-05:002010-03-10T00:29:12.350-05:00

Since I'm on a roll here, I thought I would provide additional tidbits. I went for my follow-up appointment at TGH last week and it went quite well. I really do like the fact that I arrived at 8:30 and I was home by 11:30. PFTs and a visit with the doctor all done before noon! My PFTs are exactly the same (holding steady at .80). My weight is pretty stable also, which is always good to hear

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-38083471799927159022010-03-10T00:03:00.000-05:002010-03-10T00:03:26.477-05:00

Once again I have abandoned you, dear blog, for better and brighter things (well, if you consider school and skiing as better and brighter). But I know you will always take me back and maybe I shouldn't take advantage of you. Maybe it's unkind and rude and slightly selfish, but I will try to be better and give you the attention you deserve. All I can do is try. So, where were we? January went

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-71619522587181147122010-01-11T22:53:00.000-05:002010-01-11T22:53:02.114-05:00

Today was my first day back to school after being off for over a month. I actually welcomed the routine again! The only drawback was that my body does not appreciate early mornings and I required a 2-hour 'nap' once I got home... Good day overall, this is my first semester officially being a part-time student, so I'm going to have to adjust to the reduced workload. Not to mention that there is a

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-22441779196619605582010-01-08T21:18:00.002-05:002010-01-10T00:58:30.376-05:00

I have a confession to make. I have become an avid Dr. Oz follower--a shameless habit I developed since it first aired.  At the end of the show Dr. Oz, who always wears his blue scrubs (to add credibility? or auditioning for Grey’s Anatomy?), reveals his three prescription for health tips. With experience, we have all become experts in tailoring our own prescription for health. We are constantly

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-76233574495088978992010-01-06T13:16:00.000-05:002010-01-06T13:16:56.729-05:00

Well, I made it! Yesterday was my first 3-month clinic appointment in ages and I made it. What a boring clinic appt. That's the way I like it. My PFTs are holding at a steady 27% (.80 L) which--for those keeping track or taking bets--has been the same since April. My weight is also steady and all-in-all I am a boring, unchanged gal. The physio therapist who is always enthusiastic and upbeat,

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-70069452941799805072009-12-31T18:04:00.001-05:002010-01-06T12:43:19.767-05:00

2009 was quite an interesting year, to say the least. It really tried our patience and, as is the nature of CF, kept me humbled. I like to plan and to follow that plan as closely as I can but as I learned, plans cannot always follow a linear path. December 2008: I had started IVs on December 15, after a record-breaking 3 years without them. With this in mind, I felt grateful I had gone so long

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-33853998637110607262009-12-24T02:11:00.000-05:002009-12-24T02:11:39.402-05:00

I have not been skiing since last year before I went on my 14-week stint of IVs (around this time). My lung function was hanging around 35% so I needed a little tune-up (which ended up being a big tune-up). However, when I was admitted the doctors were surprised to learn that just days earlier I had been skiing at Blue Mountain (not actually a mountain as the title suggests). I was able to do 8

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-57480739264017017572009-12-24T00:26:00.000-05:002009-12-24T00:26:02.536-05:00

Airplane travel is amazing, isn't it? One morning you could be strolling along a tropical beach, with the rolling waves reaching up to stroke your bare feet. By the evening, you could be bundled up in layers, trudging through mounds of snow as you venture from the airport terminal to a heated car. This sets the scene of what I experienced less than a week ago. My Mom and I decided to go to

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-3310731340236697502009-11-23T21:27:00.001-05:002009-11-25T10:39:30.760-05:00

This weekend, Natalia Ritchie--who's blog I follow and attends the same clinic as me--finally recieved new lungs at the 11th hour. The timing was truly a miracle, had it been a few hours later her brother, father and husband would have been finalizing the living-donor process (and permenantly losing part of their own lung function). OR Natalia would have been too sick and removed from the

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-81308058274963598762009-11-17T18:09:00.001-05:002009-11-18T00:14:38.846-05:00

Not much to report lately. School is winding down, I have time to workout again and I PASSED my thesis proposal. In case you didn't catch it last night, 65_RedRoses--a documentary (very well done, I must add) about three young women with Cystic Fibrosis can be viewed be here. It won two awards in Canada and will soon go internationl. It is candid and a very real potrait of Cystic Fibrosis and I

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-47776834849586670792009-11-07T14:42:00.001-05:002009-11-07T14:43:10.492-05:00

In case you didn't catch Natalia Ritchie's article in the Star two weeks ago, CBC is doing a series on her wait for lungs. Check it out: http://www.cbc.ca/connect/2009/11/on-a-mission-new-lungs.html

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-7501123958492830782009-11-07T14:18:00.000-05:002009-11-07T14:18:26.942-05:00

I finally got my H1N1 shot on Monday--swine has already been making its sweet way around my school--so it was quite a relief. I did not have to line up either! Despite the horrible looking line-ups on the 6'o'clock news, I went to Guelph University and waltzed straight in. Now, I may have made a terrible decision at this point, they asked me if I wanted to get my seasonal flu shot at the same

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-68784605725536334002009-11-03T20:13:00.000-05:002009-11-03T20:13:31.166-05:00

Introducing my innocent little article that got blown out of proportion by a certain Chair/bully at Guelph University. It was never published in our modest school paper as a result, but I thought I'd share an article which caused so much commotion and unnecessary stress this week. I will not go into details, because I'm too tired and frustrated to rehash the 'learning experience' (which I could

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-9262312633666852822009-10-17T00:03:00.000-04:002009-10-17T00:03:02.716-04:00

Today at 4:30 (on the dot, I might add) I dropped my 24-page thesis proposal into the submission box and (quite literally) skipped out of the doors of Guelph-Humber with the first hint of relief I have felt in a week. I hope I pass, I'm not sure I did the best I could--I put tons of hours into it--but admittedly my heart was not always in it, so we'll see what translates on paper! Most of my

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-51734520410350467532009-10-11T11:54:00.002-04:002009-10-11T23:43:35.758-04:00

The drop in mercury and colouring leaves signal that fall has arrived. And my favourite thing about the fall is eating all the yummy fall foods... including the best feast of all: Thanksgiving dinner. Part of my family has rounded up at our chalet in Collingwood and as I type this our 19 lb Turkey is being prepared for a day of baking--and temptation. I will soon go pick our carrots out of our

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-104843531528082772009-10-06T20:27:00.000-04:002009-10-06T20:27:07.041-04:00

The dust has settled... and I am still alive! Okay, a tad dramatic, but the side-effects were plentiful and not fun from the Twinrix shot! Though I do very much appreciate the future protection from hepatitis A and B, I will appreciate it more when the side-effects have finally worn off. To start: I did not make it to my three-month appointment. I decided to go back to clinic today to make sure

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-33552021251182274382009-10-03T00:17:00.000-04:002009-10-03T00:17:41.391-04:00

When you take a look around at other people's blogs they show you pictures of awesome transplant incision scars, or never-before-seen reactions to drugs or a step-by-step of a picc line insertion. Sadly, I have none of that interesting stuff to share with you today. BUT I got bored enough to actually take photo evidence of what the Twinrix shot has kindly left behind... a sore, red, hard--did I

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-83718300700136816202009-10-02T18:25:00.004-04:002009-10-02T18:31:20.194-04:00

Ok so this show looks like it is extremely melodramatic/corny and accelerates the transplant process at warp speed. But it has good-looking actors and raises awareness about organ donation, so I'm all for that. Starts this Sunday on CBS.

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-13725427013382756932009-10-01T17:37:00.000-04:002009-10-01T17:37:48.841-04:00

Day two... still sore, woke up with huge headache (I think a migraine?), spent the day on the couch under piles of blankets watching Canada's Next Top Model re-runs. P.S. Did I mention I have a giant thesis proposal due in 16 days? Yes, I'm on my way to success. But the remedy for a feverish day is a simple one: Tylenol. Takes a while to work, but it eventually kicks in. When I have a

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-91191450488802614402009-09-30T17:03:00.001-04:002009-09-30T23:48:23.418-04:00

This week has been much better than last week, in a sense that I made a conscious decision not to let stress get to me. Yes, I will get stressed with a heavy workload--and naturally everyone has a little bit of stress in his or her lives--but I will not let it allow me to lose sleep or any of the like. However, my body enjoys taking the opportunity at moments like this to see what it can get

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-25413420489752485492009-09-24T19:10:00.001-04:002009-09-24T19:12:12.385-04:00

I apologize for the lack of posts, but I re-entered the life of a University student/hard work, no play OR pay for that matter. This Tuesday I went back to clinic and was not looking forward to my visit. I was feeling pretty awesome and not dreading test results, but I had an ultrasound at 8 am and--to add insult to injury--my mom was unable to attend for the first time in a long time, which

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-48737746550487602992009-09-15T23:48:00.008-04:002009-09-16T18:44:16.413-04:00

This week has, so far, been one of those weeks where I find myself in a constant state of shock from the ignorance people are capable of. Yes, there are lots of decent people out there, but there are also a lot of people who just don't seem to give a damn. Kanye West actually symbolizes this week quite fittingly.First, there is the annoying fact that for the first time in my four years at

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-27691425744251829262009-09-14T23:18:00.005-04:002009-09-18T21:26:21.174-04:00

I was going to publish something completely different tonight. But I heard this story on the news and then came across this article (extracted version below). It emphasizes two points: one, we never know when we have seen our last sunrise, had our last lunch with a friend or watched our last favourite comedy. And two, organ donation is very real. Lungs do not come from "Lung Mart"--though that

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-38142314389251604372009-09-09T20:38:00.002-04:002009-09-09T20:41:36.996-04:00

MUGA, GERD, and PFTs All are written with such easeBut if their meaning you want to know Then to GOOGLE you must go. Love Gramps

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-22565088221414759122009-09-09T20:18:00.003-04:002009-09-09T20:36:49.377-04:00

Today was my first day back to University in half a year. Back in December I started IV’s literally a couple days after my last exam of the first semester. I was pretty confident I would be off them and able to return by the start of our second semester in January. However, that was not the case and what started as “holiday IVs” turned into “I’ll be back soon IVs” and finally “extended leave IVs”

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-19040580587719815802009-09-08T16:43:00.005-04:002009-09-10T00:45:49.545-04:00

Drum roll please... When I came home last night from a weekend in Collingwood there was a message on my phone from the Transplant Coordinator at TGH, Michelle. She said they had the meeting about me (which I originally plotted to send a spy to) and had decided that it is too early for me to go on the active transplant list. Also, all my tests looked great and I would be a suitable candidate for

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-43228121712548716152009-09-08T00:02:00.003-04:002009-09-08T00:19:40.007-04:00

This is a couple minutes late for Media Monday but I had the day "off" to enjoy a nice little holiday we call Labour Day.Talk about Labour, this girl Jessica is living with a lung function of 11% which makes tasks like getting dressed in the morning or putting on socks feel like the equivalent of running a marathon. Despite this, Jessica is participating in a 5K to raise awareness for organ

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-27828356694654067172009-09-07T00:52:00.008-04:002009-09-07T11:56:23.841-04:00

If you know someone with CF you are guaranteed to experience the potentially awkward situation of being rudely interrupted by a coughing spasm. AKA a string of coughing that does not seem to come to an end, effectively turning one’s face a shade of colours ranging from red to purple, robbing them of air and the ability to speak. Sometimes they last a few seconds, usually they are a few minutes,

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-84041070870077280292009-08-31T17:10:00.004-04:002009-08-31T17:47:02.423-04:00

I have referred to this site a number of times and it is usually successful in answering most questions you have thought of (and never thought of!): Cystic-LIt is actually a free e-mail service/support group for patients, families, friends and health-support workers of PWCF (people with Cystic Fibrosis) that started up in 1994. I used to subscribe to it, but then my inbox got increasingly crowded

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-68148875605260790122009-08-28T12:08:00.003-04:002009-08-30T17:52:30.840-04:00

My favourite part about going back to school is stocking up on necessary (and unnecessary) supplies. What can I say? White out, pens, file folders, notepads, sticky notes and binders all lead to my uncontrollable excitement. Maybe this is why I always end up with office jobs—the post-its get me every time.So today I went to Dollarama with the intention of purchasing a few birthday cards and—as

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-12322606156442076172009-08-26T20:43:00.000-04:002009-08-26T23:50:34.870-04:00

Let’s start this Wednesday night off with the “c” word: compliance. It’s the word you hate to hear and it means you have to do what you are told when are told, no matter how much you bitch and moan about it.I’ve never really had an issue with compliance, we’ve been pretty steady from the get-go and we are hardly ever separated. Sure, there are minor blips here and there, my leash gets a little

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-6474042807924698512009-08-25T23:39:00.000-04:002009-08-26T00:00:59.831-04:00

Tonight I decided to sway from my regular holiday routine of eating, shopping and otherwise acting like a poster child for half of the seven deadly sins, choosing instead to hop on the treadmill and sweat like a pig.It is important for everyone to exercise, but when you have infection-hungry lungs it is even more important. You would think that a transplant assessment hanging over my head would

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-80249796282580026082009-08-24T23:43:00.000-04:002009-08-25T23:48:54.553-04:00

I come across quite a few interesting websites and blogs regarding CF from time to time, so I will start sharing them here.For today, I found this site called Club CF. Sounds oh-so-exclusive, but there is a section for caregivers too. I liked this site because it had a section for all ages (20+, 30+, 40+, etc.) and it had some inspirational stories. It seems a little bare right now, but I think

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3094717130998371367.post-71646493797985211952009-08-21T20:15:00.000-04:002009-08-22T10:24:35.466-04:00

I may not be a marathon runner, but I imagine the most satisfying part of running a marathon would be triumphantly crossing the finish line to the cheers of slightly less-athletic folk—not all that exercise crap in between. After a marathon week (which flew by much faster than I anticipated—I guess I made good time?) I have finally crossed the finish line. I grabbed a Tim Horton’s right

Lindsay Bishophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16080878532540278188noreply@blogger.com1