Three month Milestone!

My dearest friends,

I hope you had the most amazing Thanksgiving week!  We have so much to be grateful for! We are ALIVE and BREATHING!  If you are reading this, you have access to communication and some sort of electronic device.  We have a roof over our head and food to eat! Friends, family and loved one we cherish.  Most important, we have the knowledge that we are never alone.  Regardless of our journey here on earth, God is always with us and he is always faithful.

As we finish up the month of November, with gratitude in our heart, I know there are many who have a struggle during the holidays.  I want you to know YOU are not alone. Please know that you are loved and there are many who would love to be here including myself to help ease your pain.  This can be a lonely time for those who have lost a loved one.  Please know your grief and your loss do have a purpose.  I know it is difficult to see the bigger picture sometimes, but you are truly part of somebody else's puzzle.  I pray that your time is filled with love.

Today, November 27th, 2016 is a milestone for me in my recovery from my heart transplant.  Today marks three months post transplant.  To some of you, this is probably getting old, me sharing all of these milestone, but to me, this first year is all full of milestones.  It all started when I was told I would need a transplant , when I woke up from surgery, to removing the breathing tube, getting out of the hospital etc.  

Three months, is the day where some of the restrictions are slightly relaxed.  Although I went out and about last weekend, this is the day I should be cautiously allowing myself in crowds, going to church and restaurants.  Places where there may be folks I don't know and won't ask "Hey, You're not sick are you?  cause if you are, I better stop breathing" LOL! 

Let me explain a little bit of the why this restriction is so important and the reason for the auto-immunosupressants.  My new beautiful heart is a "foreign object" in my body. Your body is so smart, it wants to get rid of any "foreign object"  even if it's a life saving "foreign object"   It thinks it's some sort of an illness.... be it virus, bacteria, fungal etc. etc.  Therefore, right now, I don't have much of an immune system. I do take other medication that is in effort to give me protection against those ailments (fungal, bacterial, viral infections).  I may bend rules often but the one rule I will NOT bend, or break is my medication schedule! Those are non-negotiable in my eyes.

Needless to say, I didn't do any Black Friday or Thanksgiving Thursday shopping.  I have never been a fan! Everyone is out and about SHOPPING!  I am doing my best to stay AWAY! I think I will be doing all my shopping via internet (THANK GOODNESS FOR AMAZON.COM). I went out with my cousin, mom and aunt (aunt and cousin are visiting from Australia and they LOOOOVE to shop and I love spending time with them ;) and I spent my time outside the store because when there were more than 15 people in the there,  it felt super crowded. My hubby's favorite places to shop are KSL.com and Amazon.  I wish it was more of Amazon and less of KSL.  HAHA!  

My fears are a little weird at the moment.  When I have to touch a door handle to open it, I am concerned, when I shake hands, I am concerned, when I see kids around me I am concerned and a little nervous and anxious (they are full of little germs those darn cuties! hahaha!).  

As I am out visiting with friends and family, I know they are wondering what I will be like, will I be weak, frail, sick?  Do they have to be different around me etc.  I want you to know I am still ME!  I know that I had the same thoughts before, and it's ok to have those thoughts.  I know people are curious, and I am ok telling my story, but I really don't want it to be all about ME!  We ALL have something going on in our lives!  We ALL have a story! I sometimes feel like I am the elephant in the room.  (LOL!  Can it be a more attractive animal?  HAHAHA!).  Please feel comfortable, it's ok.  I know I am awkward at times too, just not knowing if people are sick of hearing about this or if they want to know the entire story.  I love you either way!  It's ok to ask or to move on....I am so ok with your decision.

Three months and LIFE IS GOOD and more importantly, GOD IS GREAT!  My next visit with the doctors, I will be doing what is called a "baseline".  This is a series of tests in addition to the Biopsy, blood work and echo they have been doing post-transplant.  I will share with you what it all entails!

LIVE LIFE OUT LOUD!  EVERY DAY IS A BLESSING!  Don't take anyone or anything for granted!  I heard this song on my way home from working out today and I LOVE THE SONG and I really, really hope you will listen to it and enjoy it!  It's called "IT'S GOOD TO BE ALIVE!"  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!   
https://youtu.be/4omFQJEAAVc

“I believe that when you do unto others, blessings come to you as well. If you don’t have a friend, be a friend. I you are having a bad day, make someone else’s day. If your feelings are hurt, heal those of another.”
Nick Vujicic, Life Without Limits

https://youtu.be/4omFQJEAAVc