I am so excited you came by!

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Chosen


My favorite Ladies of CF!
Anne (From CHEO), Ena (From Adult Clinic)
& Lyne (my physio in Adult Clinic)



I have been chosen.. for many things this upcoming year. If I don't let the little things bother me, maybe it should be that way all the time for everyone.

Each year I fight the fight with Cystic Fibrosis, and each year gets a little more intense than the next. This year is going and is turning out to be great. Not only am I celebrating the one year anniversary of my new lungs, but I also get to represent my country as a volunteer for the Olympics in Vancouver.

I was asked to lend my speaking skills to the Community Service Counsel assembly in February of this year. although I will be in Vancouver I have volunteered to video tape my speech and they will play it at the meeting. I have also been asked to enter a Speakers Contest with the Kinette club in my home town, to which i hope to become a member of. I can win this one, I know I can. I already know the title of my speech,. and when it's finished I will post on here for you all to read. Same with my taped video for the Service Counsel thing. You can all see what I now look like.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. And the Annual General Meeting will be held in our nations Capital of Ottawa. I will be there, as I am almost every year. This is going to be an amazing year. Not only is it the 50th Anniversary, but the whole event takes place on my 31st birthday. Yeah Baby.

I am however missing, again, the 65 Roses Gala held by the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club. This is an amazing event that i took part in two years in a row. The second year I attended, was in 2008 when i was the guest of the head table. I was able to sit with Daniel Alfredsson and his beautiful wife, met with Mike fisher, who is now engaged to Carrie Underwood, Chris Neil, Chris Phillips, Dany Heatly came one year. It was awesome, here are some pictures from a few years ago, this was the 2007 gala, my older sister Erin, was my companion and buddy for both times I went to these events. It was our thing.



Me & Wade Redden (Now plays for New York Rangers, and was the Senators Chair person for the gala for many years. Miss you Wade)


Me an Patrick Eaves (Now plays for The Detroit Red Wings, miss you Pat, hope all is well.)


Me & Mike Fisher, before he was with Carried Underwood.


Me & Chris Neil, what a great guy.


I missed 2009 because I had my Double Lung Transplant only one week before the gala, so I ended up missing it, but my picture showed up and my name was mentioned. Yeah me.

Well, have to head our folks, gotta work on that video. I'll keep you all updated as i travel to the other side of this great country. Vancouver I'll be there in 10 days. So very excited. I'll celebrate my country, my CF, and me of course.

Ciao or now!
Ali

Sunday 17 January 2010

My Sisters Keeper

Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why,
when I am in special need of help,
the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim.
~ William Feather


I have just finished watching the movie, after having read the book about 2 months ago. and it made me cry. There are some aspects of the book that were left out obviously, but some things that were left to the imagination.

Watching this movie, made me thin of my donor, and how fortunate I am to be here today, living and breathing like there was never anything wrong with me in the first place. But there was, and now there is not. I felt the pain in the Kate's voice, knowing that sometimes, that was how I felt. When I was alone, the thoughts that ran through my head were like daggers digging into my heart. I didn't want to go, but I was tired of fighting. I didn't want to leave my family behind, and see them all suffer without me being around. Some things you cannot control, and then some things are left to chance.

My donor's family, were gracious enough to donate. their lungs, make me a stronger person today than I have ever been. So see my family laughing and playing and just being as wonderful as they are, I couldn't imagine being ready to leave them. But i was.

When I was in Toronto, and thinking the worst was coming, I was preparing myself to go. I was ready for God to take me to heaven and let me live the rest of eternity by his side. But he had other plans for me. I can't thank him enough for giving the donor family I got, the lungs I got and most importantly, my family and husband. Because without them, there is not reason to go on.

I have to much to accomplish int he next little while, that I want to be here, to tell you all about it. I think, that sometimes I dream about my donor, there are these people in my dreams that I have never seen, and dreams I would never think of having. Being a part of someone else, or having them a part of me, is like living in a whole different world. A world that no one really knows how you feel, or where you are coming from. i think of things that i haven't thought of before, like thing that i never liked before. Maybe these were things my donor liked, or maybe it's just me being stupid.

Everyday is like a new experience, and new adventure. I have this new found energy. Maybe it's because I am watching what I eat, or maybe it's just because i am totally aware of what gift I have been given, and what to take advantage of everything I can. Not too sure if my donor will ever get back to me, so I have sent them another card, just to let them know that i am thinking of them all the time. Maybe some day I'll get to meet them, and see what kind of person they were before they passed away.

"Thank You: Two small words to convey the infinite feeling in my heart"

Life is like that sometimes. You get the good the bad or the ugly, and i am fortunate enough to get the good. Not only will these new lungs be on a trip of a lifetime with a new body, but they will also experience a Olympic life for a month. I am taking to them to Vancouver this year in about 12 days, I am not packed, but my meds are definitely ready to go. I have my camera charged, by memory card ready and the experience of a lifetime coming my way.

I will so be blogging about that, when i can, and attaching pictures too.

"I would thank you from the bottom of my heart,
but for you my heart has no bottom."
~ Author Unknown

Monday 11 January 2010

Thinking of you!





When I think of you, i think of our wedding Day.
When I think of you, i think of the songs you play.
When I think of you, I think Raindrops on Roses.
When i think of you, I think of tacky poses.

When I think of how much I love you, i think of summer sunsets
When I think of how much I love you, I think of daisies in the meadow
When I think of how much I love you, I think of a newborn baby
When I think of how much I love you, I think of my new life with you.




The summer sun shining on the water front
The summer sun rising in the morning fog
The summer sun shimmering on the lake each morning
The summer sun warming every inch of my being

The winter moon glows bright and blue
The winter moon turns the world a different hue
The winter moon so high in the sky
The winter moon I love to watch with my eye.




This was how I looked one year ago, this past June. Before the surgery, before the oxygen, and before the worst and best day of my life. This is my wedding day, I live it over and over again, every time I look into my husbands eyes. He makes me laugh, he makes me smile, and we even get on each others last nerve. But in the end it comes to love, for the one person who has put up with me being sick for 5 years.

To him I owe these new lungs, to him I owe this new life. To him I owe everything. he is my everything, he is my soul, he is my love my one and only true companion.

Friday 8 January 2010

Almost Time!

OH MY GOD, I have bought my ticket... I have somewhat all my accommodations in gear, I have sent my schedule to the radio stations here in Cornwall, I have packed my meds and ordered all the ones I need, I have my letters for the flight/airline about my meds, and why I have to keep them on me at all times. I have booked the time needed to pick up my uniform and my training sessions. I am getting so excited, that the anticipation is killing me.

I hear a song on the radio that I like, and all I want to do it dance. Right now I think it's Pink on the radio, and i am standing and dancing while I write this. I am totally going to love this. Not only am I going, but my cousin Jim, is coming along for the experience. He got accepted during the Christmas holidays, and we will be the two Wilson's (my maiden name) who will kick ass in BC. YEAH!

I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about this trip. Although a little bummed that my hubby won't be with me, and that is sad. But at least I am not leaving him for a month to be in the hospital. Things are definitely looking up, not that they were ever down this year!

I will be spending my one year anniversary in Vancouver, and luckily for me, I am off that day. i plan on taking my Aunt and Uncle out for dinner, and my cousin if he isn't working. Well I have to get back to work, and then make an appointment to get my Team Cornwall card picture taken next week. I am running out of time!!!!!!

I will miss you all, and will blog about it as much as I can.

Cheers to you all
Ali

Saturday 2 January 2010

Christmas & New Years 2009 - 2010

I had the best Christmas ever this year. Not only was i healthy and excited about it, i was enjoying my time home for once. for the past 3 years, i had been really sick at Christmas, not being able to enjoy my friends and family like I had wanted to. Last year I spent Christmas and New years in the hospital. Welcome to 2009, cause it sucked.

But then it all looked better when I was the proud new owner of a brand new, to me anyhow, set of lungs. What a great welcome to 2009. and this year, a the same time I get to spend my one year anniversary of new lungs at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. It doesn't get any better than that. Well it would if I could bring my whole family down there with me. That i am not looking forward to, but I will be with family, and that's what's important. This family, my Uncle Brian, Auntie Sue, Aunt Sue and cousin Steve and his wife Vicki, will be there to celebrate with me, the anniversary of my new life. WOOHOO Vancouver 2010.

I also just found out that my cousin Jim will be in Whistler whilst I work in Vancouver, yep he's been accepted to the Olympics to volunteer also. So excited for you cuz, imagine 2 Wilson's in one Olympics, it's a miracle darn it. And freaking awesome at that!

So you are probably wondering who the character is up on the screen here. Well let me introduce you to Miga, he's my favorite of all the mascots in the Olympics this year. He's cute, here's his BIO:

Miga is a young sea bear who lives in the ocean with her family pod, beyond Vancouver Island, near Tofino, British Columbia. Sea bears are part killer whale and part bear. (Miga is part Kermode bear, a rare white bear that only lives in British Columbia.)

All summer long, Miga rides waves with local surfers. But during the winter months, she often sneaks onto the shores of Vancouver to seek adventure. When Miga discovered that humans were ‘surfing’ on snow, up in the mountains, she knew she had to join the fun. Snowboarding soon became her favourite winter sport. Her dream is to land a corked 720 in the half-pipe one day…It will take lots of practice, and a few falls along the way, but she’s sure she can do it.

The sea bear is inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. The Kermode bear is a rare white or cream-coloured sub-species of the black bear that is unique to the central West Coast of British Columbia. According to First Nations’ legend, Kermode bears – also known as Spirit Bears – were turned white by Raven to remind people of the Ice Age. Orcas are also honoured in the art and stories of West Coast First Nations, as travellers and guardians of the sea.

You can take the quiz to find out which mascot you ate lost like. i was Miga, hence why Miga is there. D-uh.

http://www.vancouver2010.com/mascot/en/game_mascotquiz.php

I had the best Christmas, my wonderful adoring husband bought me a new TV for our bedroom, and DVD player. i like to watch TV in bed, kind of a hobby I acquired from many a hospital visit, that it is like a way of life for me. So he was kind enough to thin of me that way. 22 inches of HD TV, and a DVD player to watch all my DVD's on. Criminal Minds and Paranormal State, his favorites... NOT! But they are mine.

I am also hoping to meet up Eve Markvoot, a girl from West Minster BC who had a Double lung transplant ans is in rejection right now. I hope to meet up with her, and share our stories, and let he know that it's not always bad. She's waiting for new lungs right now, and I hope she doesn't have to wait as long this year as she did before. you can see her story at this website:

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/The_Passionate_Eye/ID=1333883430

Please watch this documentary, it's awesome and real!

Cheers
Alison

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