Happy Birthday to Me!!!!!!

Yes today is my birthday.  My brand new birthday!  And today I am 1.  Not 41.  Just 1.  Alright it's not my real birthday but my new birthday.  Exactly one year ago today I had my Stem Cell Transplant and patients and medical staff alike consider this your new birthday.  Now being one for me is really quite nice and is a great excuse for me to pretend I am young again.  I don't think it would really fly on official documentation but in social situations (other than going to the pub) I think it is pretty cool.

However, just like a real one year old the last twelve months have been a real learning experience for me.  Every single day I have to relearn exactly what I am capable of as it is still increasing everyday, just like a real one year old.  The only difference is I am much more aware of what is happening.

So what has changed over the last twelve months?  The list is almost endless.  There has been so much improvement.  I guess the first thing to go was the nerve pain.  Almost instantly it disappeared, but it did return when my nerves started regenerating.  Fortunately it was easily treated with minor surgery.

Other more notable improvements are that I have started swimming further and faster, my balance has improved so much I have been able to ride a bike and I have started running.  Maybe I should do a triathlon.  But it is the little things that make a world of difference.  I can now sleep through the night without getting up to go to the toilet and if I need the toilet I have no trouble getting there. I used to have to crawl.  I can easily walk up and down stairs, I can unscrew my own bottle tops, I can kick the footy with my son and dance with my daughter.    Standing up for long periods of time is not an issue any more and I can walk much further too.  All in all it's way better.

On a completely different note you have probably noticed (if you are a regular reader) I have changed the look and feel of my blog.  I would love your feedback on what you think.  It has been over three years since I first started writing this blog and since then I have chalked up nearly four hundred posts.  I have really loved the way it looked but change is always good.  I have also had feedback saying the black on white is hard to read.

On a last note I would also like to wish my fellow patient and stem cell transplant recipient Cory Smallegan a happy birthday as he had his transfusion on the same day as me.  To Bob and Wendy who were at the hospital as the same time as us I hope you too enjoy your birthdays next week and just remember, from now on under my new formula for age I'm older than you both;)

Well that's it from me today.  I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it and I will continue to do so for a while yet.  Stay well:)