Back to Blogging!!!

Well it has been a while since I updated this thing so I apologise to anyone who has been logging on to read any updates and there hasn't been any.

Things are going really well for me healthwise and I have been able to enjoy the summer holidays. Once again the Barr clan packed up and headed to Center Parcs for ten days and a good time was had by all, with lots of fun competitive game playing and coffee drinking. I went into hospital prior to our holiday so that I would be well enough to travel etc etc and thankfully I managed the whole trip and felt as good as I had in a long long time. Even when I came home I was still really well so God really does answer prayer cause I was worried that I would come back sick and having lost alot of weight like I normally do but this time it was quite the opposite.
So as of now I am still on the transplant list and am still on IV antibiotics but to be honest they are keeping me well so I'm happy enough to stay on them. Also my weight is up to nearly 46kg (I have never been anywhere near this before lol) and my infection markers in my blood are really low as well so everything is going fantastic we just need that phone call to come.

Unfortunatley things haven't really moved forward on Hidden Treasure. There have been lots of phone calls and e-mails back and forward between Uganda and Ireland and right now we are just waiting on them purchasing the rest of the land that is required to build the school. However once this has been purchased the school will be built in no time so we just need to overcome this slight problem and then we can get the ball rolling again. I cannot wait to see Hidden Treasure built and all the children going into their brand new school. I also pray that I will be able to make it out there to see the school in person.

Right now we are just enjoying the last few weeks of "summer" it is so nice just having everyone around home and I'm going to miss that when everyone starts back to uni/school. Becks is in Swaziland at the minute and its hard getting all the texts back from her cause it's bringing back all the memories of Uganda :) but she is in her element out there and is having a fantastic time but please keep her and the whole Elim team in your prayers as they reach out to the people of Swaziliand. Thanks again everyone for your continued prayers and support.

Long Overdue Post

Sorry I am only updating this blog now but I have been quite busy lol. I got home from hospital on Wednesday and seriously with the amount of stuff I gathered after a long 14 weeks I nearly needed a removal van. Things have been going really well since I got home and I have just enjoyed sitting out in the back garden sunning myself :) (long may it continue). I was kind of worried coming home becasue before I would only last a couple of days and I would be back in hospital again but this time I have been out nearly a week and am still feeling great and even have the energy to go out for wee cups of coffee and even a driving lesson. Yeah I know they told me to take it easy when I got home but when did I ever listen to sensible advcie :) )
The cyclists are due to finish sometime today and what a scorchr of a weekend they got. From updates and photographs on facebook they seem to have gotten on well but we will hear the full story soon I'm sure. Please if you would like to support them in their efforts please visit www.charitygiving.co.uk/timothyalexander. Thanks
We are still waiting for the beginning of the school build but hopefully this will happen soon. This week we had Barbara over from Uganda and it was lovely to have her over as I haven't seen her in 2 years and it was nice just to experience a wee bit of Uganda again.
The Barr house is now getting into full competiton mode with the World Cup only days away. We have all picked teams to support out of a hat (yes we are very competitive) so strangely enough I am really looking forward to the World Cup starting. Just as long as England go out in the early stages :)

Yet Another Update

Thought it was time I updated this thing. Finally I have the news that I am getting home from hospital (after 13 VERY long weeks)it was getting to the point where I really was as well as I am going to be and therefore I was feeling frustrated because I really wanted to be home.I have coped ok being stuck in there the last 13 weeks but to be honest I think last weekend was really the straw that broke the camel's back I had been out home on the Friday night and after waking up to such a warm Saturday I really was aware that I was going to be stuck inside while everyone else basked in like 23 degress of pure sunshine. To say I wasn't happy on Saturday driving down the motorway is the understatement of the century.

Things are stable I am going home on IVS and have to go into hospital for 3 days every two weeks just for a change in antibiotics and some physio, but I can live with that. With my bloods being at 29 (the lowest they have being in like FOREVER) I am feeling great and cannot wait to be released properly.
This weekend they are letting me stay home both Friday and Sunday night so I can't really complain. So tonight I just enjoyed a chinese with Bethany and Serena and it really is lovely just to be at home doing normal things with my wee sisters (well sitting on the sofa)
Things have been held up with the building of Hidden Treasure but we are hoping to start building soon. Fundraising is continuing to go well and I think we have hit in and around the £90,000 mark which is just fantastic. Also a big Thank you to the three boys who are in their final stages of training for their end to end cycle next weekend. Please encourage them by visiting their website www.charitygiving.co.uk/timothyalexander
Thanks folks
Charlene
x

Please have a look

I will update the blog more indepth later but just wanted to ask you guys to have a look at this link and to please give what you can.
These three men are going to cycle a total of 387 miles from one end of Ireland to the other in 4 days for Charlenes Project. Please show your support for these guys. Thank You
www.charitygiving.co.uk/timothyalexander

A Wee Update

Just a quick update to say that finally starting to feel better. The last two weeks I haven't been feeling great and my bloods shot up to over 100 but now my new IV antibiotics have kicked in and my bloods are down to 50 (still high for a normal person but as we all know by now I am far from normal and so they are good for me :)) Last weekend was my best in ages with me managing a trip to Nandos(i'm beginning to see a trend throughout this blog!!!) and then home for my first BBQ of the year on Sunday. It was MUNCH. So they are now happy to let me home for a few nights a week. SO excited!!! I am getting home tomorrow night until Thurs and so get to sleep in my own wee bed again. :) The only thing I have to be careful with is that I don't make myself sick again because when I am at home I find it SO difficult to sit there and do nothing and then I get tired and as a result make myself sick so I am just going to have to take it easy, something which I find very frustrating.
Also for all you facebook addicts out there, Charlenes Project has now got its own cause page so please search for it and join and get it around as many people as you can. www.causes.com/4883303?m=266f5cf . Anyway that is all I have to update you all on now
God Bless
Char

A Quick Update

Just a wee quick update to let you know where things are at. I am still in hospital 8weeks and counting :) but things are pretty stable and I am still on that list which is good. They aren't too keen to send me home cause me being me likes to try and do too much when she goes home and shall we say maybe pushes the limits a little bit, and they are worried that if I go home for good I will just detoriate and end up back at square one which I so don't want to happen. Whereas being in hospital I am forced to sit here and do nothing. I don't like to admit this but I do kind of see their point. So we reached a compromise and I'm going to stay here as long as I get home one or two nights a week and then maybe we can look at being home long term. So pretty much I get out for good behaviour lol.
This week has been a good week with me weighing in at 42kg(can we say OBESE!!!!) and then on Tuesday night I was allowed to get out for the evening to go and see my boys (Westlife) I even took Dad along but secretly I think He really enjoyed it (though he would never admit that :)) It was a brilliant night and I must say Shane just gets better looking every time lol. Also my inflammatory markers in my blood went from being like 200 to 42 in the space of a few days which is really good. So that pleased us all. Lets hope it stays there!!
Got home overnight last night and slept in my own wee bed for the first time in weeks. AMAZING.So Im looking forward to my next wee outing home.To be honest its what keeps me going. This morning we had our first Newcastle scare. Mum, Dad,David Poppa and me went out for coffee and didn't mums phone go off with a witheld number, sure enough it was Newcastle so there was Dad and me looking at each other trying to piece together what they were saying to mun on the phone. Turns out they needed a blood sample from me and that was it. To be honest thats ok cause at least it means they are working at my stuff over there and keeping me in mind, and anyway it wouldn't have suited me anyway I was out enjoying coffee thank you very much :)
On Hidden Treasure front things are going really well and we are now up to about £94,000 which is awesome but keep it coming people cause I have an orphange to build afterwards. Also Dad was talking to the folks at Fields of Life yesterday and they are going to start building within the fortnight how awesome is that. God is just amazing and I am so excited to see the things that are achieved through this wee school and all the little kids that will hopefully get the chance to get to school thanks to all you guys. Thank you all so much. You are all legends. God Bless you all <3
Char

A New Chapter Begins

Ok so as you guys know I have been working to get my weight up to the necessary 39kg so that I could be placed on the transplant list.Well yesterday was weight day and I am pleased to say my weight is 39.7kg( I know Im a wee Fatty but aw well) I know this probably sounds strange but I am actually thrilled, I know this probably doesn't say alot for my faith in God but there was alot of time between September(when I was first placed on the list for all of...a week) and then with the stupid abcess and me losing a load of weight I honestly doubted whether or not I would actually get to this stage because for months and months the weight just wasn't going on. Although I was sick when I was away I only lost like 0.4kg which was really good(probably all the good food at Center Parcs) so if anyone from the NHS is reading this Center Parcs trips are fantastic forms of treatment lol :).

Well anyways as of now although I am still in hospital I am on the list and the only thing we are waiting on now is THE CALL which really could come at anytime, which means for once in our lives the Barrs will have to be organised and once I get home I'll have to pack that bag ready to drop everything and go once the phone rings.

I swear people God truly works miracles. To consider that I have went from having a lung abcess(which is pretty serious) to being placed on the lung transplant list all in the space of 6 months is pretty amazing and something tells me He is not done working miracles just yet.

God Bless you all and thank you for your continued prayers
Char
xx