Note from Stacey

Stephanie, it will be nice to see you when you’re in town! Thursday was full of surprises. Clinic did not go so well; the PFT showed a drop in performance even though I feel like I am getting stronger. Isa just got back from Japan, and she and I met to go to Ryan Park. There is a great walkway around the lake that we used to open up our lungs. The water was gorgeous, (a deep blue hue)and the breeze felt good because the day was so hot. After the walk, which was about a mile long, we played tennis! It was very fun, and rather amusing since neither one of us have played for five years. We had technical difficulties because we only had one tennis racket, and whoever had to use the short racquetball racket would have extreme ball control problems. Isa used the short racket first, and after a while we switched. After five minutes, I attempted to run to a backhand shot but ended up falling all over the court! My legs just collapsed when I tried to sprint, but I am sure things will improve with time. Nevertheless, we ended up getting in a few good volleys and were delighted to find a new way to exercise. Of course, after falling, I knew I could not run to the ball so I just hit the shots that came within a step or two. We played for an hour and it was good aerobic exercise for us transplant patients. The added challenge of hitting the ball and keeping the ball in-bounds added a lot of fun. Who knows? Maybe we will get good at this if we practice more. Life other than exercise sessions is mostly based on trying to shop and eat correctly to gain weight. Unfortunately, I am still having trouble keeping food down every day, so it’s a real problem. It worries me at night, over the long term, but there’s nothing I can do except try to keep eating properly. The doctors said to gain weight so I’m doing my best to cook good meals for Dave and me, and any of my other friends who can tolerate my non-fat diet. Stacey, from Belmont