Alive and feeling damn good!

The summer is officially over, and so is my holiday too. And I can tell, it must have been the best summer for years! I doubt if I've had such a good time in years and never in such a short period of time have I realised that I can do so many (crazy) things if I only try. I travelled, I hitchhiked. I spent time with my friends and family, I spent time on my own. I met new people, I made new friends. I felt good and healthy, I challenged myself and succeeded. I'm so happy about my summer, that instead of working or practical training, I'm going to spend next summer on a holiday as well.

One of the best parts of my holiday was that hiking trip to Koli with other heart young and -adults. I remember I had just gotten out of hospital in the mid of June and was on my way home from Helsinki when I enrolled to that meeting. I felt so broken and weak after that horrible May (read here, here and here) I wasn't sure if I can hike at all. But I enrolled anyway, as soon as I could, for I had been waiting for that trip since last november. And luckily I got better during the summer.  Physically the Koli trip was a bit trying but it was so easy to be there with other likehearted. I didn't need to explain myself to anyone if I needed to take a breather. Neither was I left alone in the end of the line puffing, but someone was always there with me. And we catched our breath, laughed, took a picture and continued hiking. We hiked bit over seven kilometres on the rocks and hills of Koli on one day. Some hiked about ten kilometres, but I was pleased with my seven. We also got to crawl and climb through the longest natural cave in Finland, tried running on water in a Zorba-ball and swam in the lake Pielinen. I and other two of us also attended a clown jump competition in the Koli harbour. During the trip I had truly realised that I regret things I didn't do more than things I've done. So by the end of Saturday I was quite exhausted and extremely happy, for I had tried everything possible. Except eating worms.

The Koli trip was a home run. There were twenty of us, aged between 15 and 49. Some of us had attended Synja-meetings before, others attended for the first time. My first time in a Synja-meeting last November was very important to me, and I hope that those who attended for the first time at Koli, catched the same feeling of peer support, understanding and sharing as I did back then.

-Tiina

Some photos from Koli, all taken by Ville Ikkala. Many thanks to the photographer =)

At the top of Ukko Koli

The lakeshore in the evening

The woods of Koli

The cave Pirunkirkko

Ready for the Repokallio-cave challenge

Group of congenitally heart defected people climbing another set of stairs =)

Peer support. I love this picture

Trekking fever!

Yesterday I went to see my therapist for the first time in weeks. After I told her what I´ve been up to for the past few weeks, and what I´m looking forward to in the future we decided that I´ll start training again. 

From Inari, summer '09

I don't know whether its a good decision or not, but I have a goal and I want to reach it: next autumn Synja is arranging a hiking-meeting in Koli, and I want to take part. For years I've dreamed of going hiking in the summer in Lapland, but I´ve never managed to do that. When I was "healthy" I was always working and then last summer went by while recovering from the heart surgery. But this year, if my heart´s with me, I'm going trekking! And the best thing is, that I would be going with others who can't stride so briskly. So I wouldn´t have to saunter alone in the end of the line, calling for others to wait for me while I take another break. We´d be taking the break together.

Today, I came across an inspiring article about a blind lady who climbed the Pyrenees with the help of her dog and a man who scuba dived even though his legs were palalyzed. Truly nothing is impossible.

Tomorrow I'll call my physiotherapist so that we could plan my training together. I don't want to train too hard and end up in hospital after the first two weeks. It wouldn't be good for my plans.

Have you ever been hiking? Did you enjoy it?

-Tiina

Back home

I got back home from Helsinki late last night. It was a short but good trip even though I lost my calender and catched cold..

Anyways it was great fun to see friends and the meeting was very useful. We had lectures about different topics associated with congenital heart defects (CHD from now on). One lecturer, heart-surgeon Markku Kaarne, told us about hearts' re-operations. He operated my heart last May and finally now I understood what he did  almost a year ago. And I must say it was pretty wild! Of course he explained the operation to me several times back then, and even draw pictures, but I must have been wrong in the head too, 'cause I just couldn't get it. Well, to my defence I can say none of the general practitioners that I've met afterwards understood it either.

When the lectures were over, I had few hours to chat with the others. Then I hopped in a train to Kuopio and the others went bowling. As for Helena, I had a piece of red yarn with me, to mend my mittens, but I was too exhausted after our rummaging through several flea markets.

Today it was warm and sunny enough to go out in leather jacket and a cardigan. I'm afraid this blog'll turn into a weather blog =)

-Tiina

Heart me, Heart you.

Yay! Today I'm going to Helsinki and this time not to hospital! I´m going to a Synja meeting with other young adults with heart condition in Pasila, Helsinki. Synja is a division of Finnish Association for Heart Children and Adults, meant for young and adults with congenital heart defect.

I joined the Finnish Association for Heart Children and Adults last summer after I got ill last spring. My family had been a member before, when I was little, and we used to go to these weekend meetings at Rovaniemi with my mum and brother. Last autumn I attended one of these meetings in Suomenlinna, for the first time in more than ten years. I remember I was so nervous and excited about the trip I almost cancelled it. But I'm so glad I went. I met people who had gone through the same I had and I made new friends. We had information about heart-transplantations but also lots of entertainment. We held a Christmas party and Santa Claus visited us and there was a magic-show. I think the best part though was to spend time and chat together among other activities. And I have to say that humour between gravely ill people and normal people is VERY different =D

It was such a good weekend and now I get to meet with my new friends again. I´m so excited!

Also, I´m staying over at my old classmate from Oulu. I shold take my knittings with me, since everytime I'm staying at Helenas' and see all her lovely yarns and handcrafts and knitting magazines I get this huge urge to start knitting immediatly.

But now I gotta start packing. Happy weekend to y'all!

-Tiina