Today I woke up crying that I wasn’t a teacher. It always surprises me when this happens. When I was first ill, I would regularly think about my former job, and pine for the life I’d lost. But then over time, I slowly accepted it, and moved on, and found happiness again in my new … More I Miss Being A Teacher
I watched the Royal wedding from a ferry on the high seas. Excited and engrossed in the TV commentary, I thought little of where I was. However as the happy couple were eventually pronounced man and wife (incidentally in the exact same spot in Windsor, that Phil proposed to me, many moons ago), I suddenly … More Crossing The Sea
Before developing Pulmonary Hypertension, I’d only set foot inside a hospital a few times. Hospitals were not in my universe at all, not even in the far periphery. But after waking up seriously ill one morning, they swiftly become a central part of my world. And five years later, they still are. The reality of … More A Quick Check-Up
I’m a combination of both of my parents. I inherited my Dad’s short height and dark colouring, and my Mum’s ‘Mackness’ nose and straight hair. My musical ability comes from my Dad, and my athletic build from my Mum. And I inherited from them both -together- the gene to develop Pulmonary Venous Occlusive Disease. 😛 … More My Faulty Gene
If I win the lottery I’m going to buy a village. Yep, as well as a smart new campervan, an amazing off-road scooter, a house big enough for ten dogs… I’m going to purchase a whole village. Apparently for twenty million I could get a splattering of homes, an old forge and (most importantly) a … More Faraway Friends
Last Thursday my Dad had an operation. It was only supposed to be four hours long, so when the surgeon hadn’t reported back after four and a half hours… I began to worry. After five hours, I started googling surgery complications and other reasons why it might have been delayed. After six hours I started panicking … More The Problem With Worrying
We’ve recently returned from a hectic family holiday to the Peak District. Eleven chatty adults, two monkey toddlers and a dog. It was lively! 😛 But amazingly my body coped brilliantly- it was one of my strongest holidays since developing PH. It seems I have completely bounced back from my unexplained deterioration of last autumn. … More Putting My Body To The Test
We were only two months into 2018, but it felt longer. It seemed an age since Phil and I had welcomed in the new year with our friends. For the last eight weeks we’d been living life on a roller-coaster. Ups and downs and ups and downs… and even the odd loop-the-loop. We were ready … More A Break From The Rollercoaster
I’m no longer on the transplant list. It seems odd. For nineteen months, the wait for new lungs has been at the centre of my life. Not one day has passed when I haven’t been affected by being on the list, thought about it, or dreamed of the endless possibilities afterwards. So it seems strange, … More Taken Off The Transplant List
It was supposed to be an uneventful stay at the Brompton. A routine biannual checkup. I was expecting four days of tests and procedures and assessments. Four days of poking and puffing and prodding. Four days of Netflix films and tea machines and yummy three course meals. I wasn’t expecting a ride on an emotional … More Coping With Surprising Results
We Can Adjust The Sails 