Ice causing more problems

This Toronto Star news article about the ice storm refers to my area. 

My apartment is on the corner of Gerard & Bay streets.

http://read.thestar.com/?
origref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.ca%2F#!/article/52bef036ec0691aa380403ee-downtown-streets-closed-due-to-falling-ice

Brad & Amory took me to my hair appointment this afternoon but we turned out of the parkade in the opposite direction & didn't even notice the street closure.

I'm feeling a little lighter after my haircut, it was just getting too long. I was nervous about finding a stylist here (I'm not good with change...& I've had a lot lately), but it was a good experience at Civello on Queen St. 

Home Away from Home Christmas

I love white lights!

May keep them around because they just make me happy. 

On the left of my desk I have a giant paper star. I like to think it looks dazzling in my window from the outside too, when my blinds are open at night.  

This was Christmas turkey dinner that Brad made....

...and he learned how to do lobster tails for Boxing Day dinner. 

I have also eaten about 5 pounds of delicious baking, sent by my baker sister, Diane and my Bombardier colleague, Wanda!

I'm really working hard to gain weight as my Transplant team has advised. (It will be all about losing or not gaining weight post-transplant - been there before).

Merry Christmas to all!!!

For Christmas, we'd like our warmer temperatures back in the south!

This just isn't right........

GTA Christmas Ice Storm 2013

Yesterday, a tremendous amount of freezing rain in S. Ontario caused ice laden trees & hydro lines to collapse & over 300,000 homes were without power for hours. 

Luckily, I was not one of them. 

I did prepare as much as i could for my power to go out, but happy to say I'm still warm & have power. 

My friend Bev Vandahl (part of my TO support team) called me in the afternoon to check on me, she is in one of the purple sections without power. She was happy to have her gas fireplace!

My building is in the small green area that was minimally affected by the blackout. 

Flights were delayed but most were cancelled altogether. 

My son Brad was supposed to come in yesterday for the holidays but unfortunately his flight was cancelled.:(

Airport is getting back to normal & Brad should be on his way shortly :) !

Busy week

On Sunday, my Goddaughter Carolyn Anderson arrived to hang out with me for a few days. It was a fabulous Christmas present!

Monday I had a rest day and Care got my apartment sparkling. My friend Joy Syncox (part of my TO support team) came to visit us for the evening. It was great for us to catch up on all of Carolyn's wedding plans and go over pics of some of her decor and fashion choices.  

Tuesday I had some early tests at TGH and  Carolyn wheeled me over.  I only had time for a few sips of my coffee while getting ready to go and hen I arrived at Medical Imaging for my Cardiac CT, the technician said, "so no coffee this morning?"..... Of course I admitted I had a couple of sips, so the guy says "oh & then you remembered?".....he said it would've been on the prep instructions because I was getting injected with a dye. (I just read my appointment notice, no prep requirements listed...hmmm. Guess it wasn't deadly.) 

After some other comical miscommunications between the CT checkin and chest X-Ray checkin, I completed both. 

Then it was on to my funniest appointment of the day. Simple blood work...nope...not when the lab technician is afraid of blood. This was a new experience for me.  After the tech in a matter-of-fact sort of impersonal way withdrew several tubes of blood, she slapped the cotton ball on me and walked away, saying I could go. I pulled on my sweater and almost instantly felt a cool wetness running down my arm. I gingerly pulled off my sleeve calling "excuse me ma'am" and I finally dug in the cotton ball container myself grabbing cotton to hold over the puncture. I heard the technician in next cubicle calling to me to bleed over the sink, but I was attached to my O2 tank so couldn't pull it over with me. My technician came scurrying back muttering "ew, ew, ew, I don't like blood". 

Anyone that knows me, knows that the more excited others around me get, the calmer I get, because I  feel I have to maintain some control of the situation. 

The tech was trying to get her gloves on, grab the Virox wipes to clean my drips all the while "ew, ew, ew, I don't like this".... I understand that it can be like a toxic spill for these healthcare people but it seemed sooo funny to me. She says she can take blood but can't see it outside the tubes?!  I hope she wasn't too traumatized. 

After this, it was a much needed stop at Tim Hortons for us, then Carolyn headed out to meet her friend Amanda for shopping.

I continued on to my physio for my regular work out and then walked home afterward. 

On Wednesday, Carolyn and Amanda planned a day of shopping and skating at City Hall, while I headed off to my  1:30 pulmonary function test to check my lung function.
I must say, PFTs are more difficult now that I'm on oxygen. When they disconnected me to do the puffing in the sealed closet, I felt like a fish out of water!

Next I had my Lung Transplant Clinic at 1:30pm.

I was an hour early so grabbed a high protein Booster Juice and waited in the wait room. Word in the waiting room came around that the team was running late (in the old days that meant there was a transplant surgery happening, but not sure if that's still the case). The assistants came around to make sure those of us filled our O2 tanks for the long wait. When I was finally put in an exam room at 3pm, they gave me another backup tank so I wouldn't use up my own. This should've been my sign.....I was going to be there awhile. 

For the long wait, I was only entertained by my Booster Juice & figuring out that I have had my phone on "Roaming" since I came to TO. (explains my extreme mobility bills lately....)

At 5pm, staff was walking out with jackets and dimming some of the lights. One lady offered me some Christmas cookies and assured me the team was still coming. 

I texted Carolyn to tell her I was still waiting for docs. Without asking me, she said she was coming with my chair. What a life saver!

The Doc finally came in at 6pm. It was a good meeting. My kidneys are still doing well, my lung function has continued to deteriorate as expected, but I have gained 2 pounds and I am physically stronger. The results for my Chest CT were not in, but he told me the lung and heart surgeons had ordered the CT to follow up on the cardiovascular flows and the fistula issues in my heart. I was happy to hear they are studying up for my surgery. Again I am extremely fortunate to have the top surgeons at TGH taking an active interest in my case. 

By 7pm when we headed outside to go home, it was cold, dark and ICY. I was grateful for the ride. 

It was another very long day, I was happy to get home to the apartment and especially glad to have nowhere to be in the morning. 

Stay warm and safe everyone!

Getting ready for the big snow in TO

It's been cold in the city. 

Not Thinder Bay -38 cold, but still -18 with the wind chill here. 

There is a snow forecast for 10-15cm overnight tonight. I'm prepared to stay in my cozy apartment with a blanket and my iPad in front of the TV. 

Below are some photos I took on my chilly walk over for physio this afternoon. 

Looking back towards my apartment building from my walk to TGH

Elizabeth St. The white stuff on the street and sidewalk is not snow.....it's salt in preparation for the snow

CN Tower Blue

The CN Tower lit up in blue to honour constable John Zivcic, Toronto Police Officer,  who passed away following an accident while in the line of duty. 

A hero in life and a hero forever, he left the gift of life so that others would live. 

Keep John and his loving family in your prayers. 

Blue CN tower from my bedroom window

A better photo (not from my window)

TGIW!

Been a long time since I appreciated the weekend so much. Physio has become a full time job for me. 

It is amazing how much energy it takes to get myself ready, my equipment filled and loaded, do the 1 block outside walk on the sidewalk (including 2 traffic light crossings) and then the 2 block walk INSIDE the hospital......all this before I start my 2 hour workout.....

By the time I get home and get to my couch or bed, I sleep so hard for an hour, I feel as if it's the next day when I wake.

When I'm not going to physio, I'm thinking about my next trip there and if I'm going to be able to do it. 

Again, it's more mental strength that I need to maintain. It would be so easy to make excuses not to go  or cheat on the times or number of exercises, but I know I'd only be cheating myself.

For healthy people that have a hard time sticking to a physical regimen, you can only imagine the determination required.

The Thursday and Friday back-to-back days finish me off . Saturdays and Sundays are so exciting, so for me it's TGIW - Thank God it's the WEEKEND!

Gotta be some perks....

I'm just about to leave for walk to hospital, checked the temp to see what jacket to wear.....

Sorry, Thunder Bay! I'm feeling for you. 

Old friend?!

One day last week after a vigorous and tiring session in the "treadmill room" at the hospital, I was on my way back to my apartment. It was cold, windy, getting dark and I was just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, trying to decide what I was going to warm up for dinner when I made it home. In the blur of strangers on the sidewalk, a smiling dirt-bronzed face popped up in front of me. "hey, you look way better than last time I saw you!" I did a double-take and wracked my foggy brain trying to remember who this dishevelled, bed-headed man could be. Then he quickly added "you were paler than a ghost before"......when it dawned on me, I didn't know him but he sure thought he knew me....  I smiled in my head and just kept pushing my walker down the street. Some days I think I am in a a time warp and feel like I've been dropped into a weird and surreal situation, like some sort of strange Hunger Games arena.