Garden update

The garden has exploded with green! Our carrots keep being eaten by something, either a carrot-loving critter or child, I'm not sure. But everything else is doing very well, we've been eating lettuce non-stop and we had our first pea! The poor tiny tim tomatoes are being overgrown by everything else. Perhaps next year, they'll need their own patch of garden.

A giant tomato plant that's also taking over everything.

The poor tiny tim.

Our first cucumber!

So not from the garden but from the woods during the walk to and from the garden

Sad carrot.

So much green!

Hiking the Kenomee Canyon Loop (Economy falls)

We survived our back-country hike around the loop! We made it 21km and now we're both very tired.

We didn't see any of the waterfalls though as it turns out that the campsites/waterfalls are around 1km from the trail, mostly uphill. We tried to find the first one but after hiking for awhile and not finding anything, we turned back. I was determined we would walk down to see the 'Economy Falls' as it's the waterfall near the entrance but by the time we got there, I didn't have any energy left to climb back up the giant hill and just wanted to get to the car.

The trail itself ranged from a wide four-wheeler trail to climbing over giant boulders to leaping over streams (by leaping, I mean, half-falling into the streams). It was better marked than I had anticipated after reading reviews online. There were a few points where the trail crossed four wheeler paths but because we knew to look for the markers, it was pretty easy to follow. The worst part of the trail was getting to the actual campsite by the lake as it was clearly less used than the main trail and we were both tired.

The campsite was nothing more than a slightly leveled patch of ground with a door-less outhouse nearby. But it was a nice slightly leveled patch of ground.

My only real concern was once we ran out of water from home and had to drink from the LifeStraw or the boiled lake water. The people on the intense facebook transplant group would not approve. I understand the risk and while some people only drink filtered or bottled water (not that bottled water is regularly tested), there wasn't any way to carry in enough water for a two day hike. We boiled the water according to all the guidelines I read, so if there were any parasites in the water, I'm pretty sure they died. I think I'm okay but I guess I'll find out in a few days.

All in all, it was a good hike and I think I'll be quite sore tomorrow.

Off we go!

Stopping for a water break.

Tenting time!

Cooking supper.

The lake!

The stone step part of the trail.

Almost done!

Yay made it!

Off hiking!

Happy August!

Isaiah and I are off on a backwoods overnight camping trip in Economy. It's not the best timing as I'm on the aerosol masks which means I'll be skipping tonight and tomorrow morning's mask but I've been wanting to do this loop for months and I now feel physically fit to carry a heavy backpack. So, I'm going.

I had a portable aerosol machine with a battery that I used during David and I's cycling trip across Canada for when we camped in the woods but both the battery and machine have long since died. I've thought about buying a replacement but seeing as I'm on aerosol masks infrequently now, it doesn't seem worth it. Although it would be nice for trips like this so I wouldn't have to skip masks.

Maybe it would be worth it for camping too so I wouldn't have to sit in front of the bathroom with an extension cord doing my mask (like Amy and I did last week while camping in Amherst Shore). On those occasions, I also wish I had a battery operated machine but seeing as I have found a work around to non-powered camp sites, I've done nothing. I guess it hasn't annoyed me enough to the point where I'll buy one so that is basically my decision made.

Just chillin by the bathrooms...

Wish us luck on our hike! I hope I don't get carried away by the mosquitoes!

Weight recovery!

I realized two weeks ago, when I was weighed at my lung function test, that my weight has hit my pre-cancer amount. Hurray! I lost so much last Nov-Dec but now it's recovered.

People with CF who have transplants often have to watch what they eat after the transplant as, after years of being told to eat a high fat, high calorie diet, if they stay on the typical CF diet, they end up gaining too much weight. Like the normal population would if they ate a high fat, high calorie diet. Post-transplant, the anti-rejection medication and steroids increase one's appetite so it's important to watch how much I eat. While all the weight gain is good for a population that is generally chronically underweight, it can be an adjustment after surgery.

Last year, I was just getting to a good weight when I got cancer and then immediately lost it all over the two months I was in the hospital. I'm now finally up to a good weight again and I don't know what will happen now. This is basically new territory for me. Will I shoot past my target weight and have to cut back? Should I just keep eating as I always have and maybe I'll maintain the same weight as now I'm exercising a lot more?

I have stopped drinking Boost every night and my palate is very happy about that. But maybe I'll soon have to cut back on the nightly chips as well.

20 Month Transplantversary!

It's my 20 month lung-versary today. Yay!

I've had a great month. Besides spending the week at the cottage kayaking and playing games, I've been to the beach, hiking, and cycling around Springhill.

Yesterday, Isaiah and I hiked a trail in Cape Chignecto. I thought spending the day on the coast would offer some relief from the heat and humidity. I was wrong, it was just as hot there.

What has been fantastic is being able to really push myself and not feel as thought I'm going to throw up or get lightheaded. I had that experience last summer but it, unfortunately, didn't last as I started feeling faint from the cancer when I pushed myself. I really hope it lasts this time.

Yesterday when I was struggling up the "hill of torture" - a one km incline with a 30% grade and loose rock -  I wheezed and sweated but I never once felt as though I was going to throw up or have a coughing fit.

It's been 20 months since the transplant so maybe I should be over it by now, but I still find it surprising that I can breathe so easily. I may only have 63% of expected lung capacity but that 63% is still amazing.

Some pics from the past month:

My bike chain is well oiled.

Kayaking down the River Philip with Mom.

Made it to Heather's Beach!

Hiking at Five Islands.

More Five Islands.

Beautiful sunset walking home from watering the garden.

Beach Day!

Cape Chignecto - on the way back we, for some reason, decided to go up that hill on the right instead of walking along the beach.

Torture hill. It doesn't look that steep in the pic, but it was.

Grumpy/tired face climbing torture hill.

Yay! Made it to the top!

Amazing views.

It's been a good month.