Today is day 16 of me being a North-Wester. You may even say "'n draad sitter" for I find myself in two worlds. Where I physically reside and where I long to be. The saying goes, "never say never!"
I am where I am because my lungs are giving up... 35 years of chronic infections with associated damage has brought me to a point where my lungs need to be replaced for me to continue living in an unrestricted manner.
Roughly a year ago this is how I felt when I was told that it was possible to replace my lungs and that my breathing could be normal:
Dreams are made of running and running is for my dreams. by GJO
“Lately when I sleep, I often dream I am running, which fills me with joy when it happens. There must be something very special about running. But then I would suddenly realise it’s only a dream and I am left to yearn and crave for it.
There was a time once, when I could run you know! Now the only running I do is tears down my face when I think of those times or when I see something beautiful happening, and my spirit cries with joy. Strange thing hey… I have cried and smiled at the same time, have you? Experienced the melancholy in life.
Yesterday I did a 6 min walk test at Mill Park Hospital, I walked 480 meters in 6 minutes and was completely exhausted. On the last stretch my body felt cold waves, my mouth was dry and throat burned, it felt like I was breathing huge gulps of flat (oxygenless) air, my blood oxygen levels were 63% and my heart raced at 170 beats per minute - from walking! Strangely, I was quite satisfied with my accomplishment.
But looking back a few years: I ran 2400m in less than 8 minutes, 400m in 54 seconds, played marathon squash for 12 hours with only intermittant rests. I walked 40km in one day with 20kg on my back. I climbed mountains, rode bicycles and worked hard in the sun, feeling perspiration stream over my skin, tasting the salt after it had dried. Tasting the salt on my skin..."
