1) What was a highlight from last year?

 

Fleur enjoying the beach

Last year was quite a tricky one. To be honest it was the hardest year I've gone through since 2016 when I had my lung transplant. I had sepsis and went into septic shock which is super dangerous for anyone but especially with my other health issues on top so thank goodness for the amazing people in the NHS who saved my life, again.

On the positive side, I think that it might have prompted my family to book a little break together after talking about it for years! Nine of us (or 10, including little Fleur who I'll introduce on here soon!) went to Suffolk. It was a highlight of the year for me but also a highlight of my life. We stayed in a gorgeous house with a huge, beautiful garden not far from the town and beaches. It was summer and warm rather than that sticky, heatwave nonsense thankfully otherwise I think we'd all have been pretty miserable LOL. It was still warm enough to get in the sea, even though I'm generally suspicious of the sea in England (@SouthernWater!!) but it made me so happy. Pre-transplant being in bodies of water wasn't a nice experience as the combination of salt water and the pressure of the waves hitting my chest made me extremely breathless and coughing a lot, so understandably it made me feel very vulnerable haha. But now being in the sea feels like freedom, a real sign of the power of organ donation I feel. Something that felt so frightening before now feels so glorious, obviously I feel my lungs working with every breath I take but being in water feels like the ultimate test of their power. One of the best feelings in the world I tell you! (But I still didn't put my head underwater this time, just in case haha!)

It was one of the most dog-friendly places I've been to, Fleur was allowed everywhere and it made my heart so happy to see her trotting along the beach, dipping her paws in the water. We visited Framlington Castle and she was even allowed in there, doing the wall top walk with us. She's blind so I wonder what she would have made of being so high up. She's a rescue so it might even have been her first holiday, who knows? We all had a really lovely time, maybe my favourite bit was when all of us were playing rounders. I can't throw, catch or hit a ball but luckily my family, even the kids, were very patient with me haha. 

The holiday was so needed from my perspective, something fun with the people I love rather than all hanging out in my tiny hospital room. I love my family, I know not everyone is as lucky to have big family who all get on and all care so much about each other. I know I wouldn't get through anything I go through without them, people call me strong but they're the reason why. They're the ones holding me up to keep me strong.