Busy bee

These past few months have flown by and this is probably due to me keeping myself busy. Even though I need to rest and family and friends tell me not to push myself, I feel like after missing out on last year I have to do everything I want to do NOW. Well this isn't the way forward as I have realised my body tells me to stop. In August I had this urge that I wanted to go back to college. As some of you may know that before I was diagnosed I was in the middle of completing a business apprenticeship....that went down the drain as I was too poorly to complete it. So this year I have had a new change to heart and now would love to be a nurse. I think part of wanting to do this is due to the fact I spent a year in hospital last year and the nurses who looked after me have inspired me. I went for an interview to start a full time access course in September and luckily I got accepted for a place. I was super excited to get back into education and start getting back to a 'normal' life. 

I was really busy in September. The second week of September, me and my auntie took little Esme away to Hendra holiday park in her camper van for a few nights. I had a lovely time and had a nice relaxing weekend. We took Esme to Newquay zoo and she loved it. I think me and my auntie enjoyed it as much as her as we were allowed to feed the penguins! It was my first time at Newquay zoo and would go again as it wasn't too big and hilly as our local zoo in Paignton. 

 The week after coming back from Hendra,me and the girls went to Newquay to celebrate Ash's 21. We had a great weekend! It was nice to spend time together before everyone went back to uni and college. 

After these eventful few weeks, It was time to start college. I settled in pretty well, made a lot of friends and already started a Biology assignment. Unfortunately I started to feel really tired and my mouth flared up in ulcers. I booked a clinic check up with my consultant and she said that my mouth ulcers were a sign of my body telling me to slow down. She said my immune system is still new and not even a year old. For this reason I have decided to defer my place at college and continue with the course next September, my health is more important right now. I think that being out of hospital I want to rush and get back to some normal life but this is going to take a while and I wasn't expecting this. The college were really understanding and said I can 100% continue next year. Even though I was only there for a month or so, I made some great friends who support and understand I still stay in touch with them and wish them all the luck that they complete the course and gain their chosen course at university. 

After my recent clinic appointment I have been told that I have to have all of my baby injections again. As I now have a new immune system all my previous jabs are no longer there. I have to have some of the jabs a year after transplant and the live ones two years after. I am also still having venesections for my iron overload and am not sure of the ferritin level but I am guessing it's still high because my consultant said it will most likely take months before it starts to drop. Due to the level being extremely high this affects my tiredness and my joints and bones aching a lot. Thank god for co-codamol pain killers, even though they make me super sleepy, they ease the pain. 

Since leaving college I am now focussing on MYSELF and health, I have returned to swimming once a week and do get tired after swimming a few laps of the pool but I am determined to regain my strength and increase my energy levels. I am looking forward to the future I have and although I want to rush and get back to normality, it will take time. I need to keep reminding myself that I have my whole life ahead of me. 

Always smiling x

 ♥