Let the training begin

Two posts on the first day, I am fairly sure that this will be a one off!

Today I decided to test the water and go for a little walk. It may sound strange, but I hardly ever walk any kind of distance. Walking is extremely tiring, lugging a heavy O2 cylinder with me doesnt help, and so to allow me to live my life and do as much as I can, I use the wheelchair for any considerable distance.

I asked my sister to come round after school to be my oxygen bearer, and we set off for a gentle saunter down the road. Having someone else to carry my oxygen, I didnt find it too bad. I set off too fast to begin with (as I always do, it's impatience I think) and had to slow right down, but after a while found a comfortable pace, and managed to walk all the way down the close and back! WOOHOO!

I actually really enjoyed it, I havent gone for a walk in well over a year. Actually one of the things I am most looking forward to after my transplant is leaving the house, with just my keys in my pocket, and setting off down the road. No oxygen cylinder, no mobile phone, no one to assist me, just going for a walk. I cant explain how alien the idea is at present, and itwill be a very surreal and probably emotional experience, but I cant wait.

Back to the present...my aim is to gradually build up the distance I can walk, and I am very aware that this will be a repetative exercise, as every time I have a chest infection I will be back to square one. But today was great so yay for a good start!