Of All the People in all the World...

Wow, I am such a bad blogger.  I am so sorry to my readers for not providing you with vital information about what has been going on.

On February 16th, 2014 I celebrated my 5th Lungaversary. That means I had my transplant 5 years ago, and one month and 2 days.  WOW for me eh?

So what happened on my 5-year assessment you may ask, well all the usual suspects were there.  The whole assessment procedures were done in Ottawa, I had a CT scan, chest x-ray, Blood Work, 6-minute walk, PFT and Gastric Emptying too.  always fun... NOT!

I also had a Colonoscopy done in November, that was something to experience.  You feel nothing, literally nothing.  The drugs are amazing I tell you simply amazing.  I would do it again just for the drugs, but let me tell you, the road to getting there... NOT SO PLEASANT!  The stuff they make you drink is like drinking poison, it's supposed to be fruity, but it tastes like rotten fruit.  All you taste is the chemicals.  I think next time I do this for science, I am going to ask for the stuff that doesn't taste like anything.  Little did I know, I could have mixed it with orange or apple juice, Thanks for telling me that Doc!

Another friend of mine has lost his battle with CF.  I don't know if I spoke of my Fibro Marc who passed away in September of 2012.  I went to visit him, just after my sister had the most beautiful baby in the world, Olivia.  I had stopped in to say to him, he was in the room I was in when I got the call and was transferred.  He was so sick, I wanted to stay all night, but I couldn't.  His wife was battling Breast Cancer at the time, and sick herself, they got married in the hospital, right there in his room.  A week later he was gone.  Christina told me in a text message that he had passed on a Thursday night, this was Friday morning. I cried for the whole day, I went to see Christina and we cried together, she was comforting me, when I couldn't possibly have been good company to her.  It hits close to home when the one person you considered a brother dies, and you didn't say goodbye to him.

BELANGER, Marc - At the Ottawa Hospital - General Campus on Thursday, September 13, 2012. He was 36. Loving husband and best friend of Christina (Archambault). Special dad to Christian and Dominik. Loving son of Richard Belanger (Diana Laframboise) and Francine (Richer) Belanger. Dear brother of Chantal St. Jean (Shawn) and Scott Sicard (Michelle). He was also survived by his Papa, William Laframboise, and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Friends will be received at the M. JOHN SULLIVAN FUNERAL HOME, 341 Pitt Street (across from city hall) Cornwall on Friday from 2 - 4pm and 7 - 9pm and on Saturday from 8:30 - 9am. Funeral Mass Saturday, September 22, 2012, at St. Peter's Catholic Church at 9:30am. Rite of Committal, at a later date. Memorial donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Canada appreciated. Condolences may be left at www.mjohnsullivanfuneralhome.com.11957771

I knew he wasn't going to make it, I saw the signs that I had before my transplant, can't lay down without choking on your own phlegm, can't sit up cause your back hurts from coughing so much.  Can't eat cause your teeth hurt, and your jaw hurts.  The only thing keeping you going are the shakes they make you drink.

This past year, I lost the mentor I had before my transplant.  Tim Hobbins was a great guy.  He was waiting for his second set of lungs.  His first set couldn't keep up with him I guess.  I had his parents send me his funeral card, I am still waiting on Marc's but his turnout was so huge that there probably aren't any cards left.

Tim Hobbins passed away peacefully on October 15, 2013 at the age of 28 with his mom and dad by his side. He will be dearly missed by his fiancee Amanda Millar (Braden & Regan Millar), Da Puppy Lux, his parents Jamie Kress (Kim Sali) Darryl (Lori Hobbins), sister Danelle (Jon Cameron), niece Hanna Cameron, nephew Ty Cameron, stepbrothers Bruce and Daniel Morrison, grandparents John (Sonia) Kress & Leonard Hobbins. Also many aunts, uncles, cousins & friends. Tim loved life and never took a breath for granted. 

He will live in our hearts forever

A celebration of Tim's life will be held at the Austrian Club on Saturday, October 19, 2013 @7pm. All are welcome to come celebrate his beautiful life with us. In lieu of flowers/ donations please give the most generous gift of all and be an organ donor.

I also lost a Cyster this past year,  Meg was a bright shining star, that was snuffed out too early.  so it's hard to say I have faith in medicine when it can't help the people I care about.  Meg had the cutest little boy named Aven, who looks just like her.  Here is my favourite picture of Meg: she had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. I miss you Meg, your beautiful spirit guides you!

When my time is up, I hope I have made an impact like they have.  I want to have a memorial service for myself, so I can hear what people say about me, and what they thought about me.  Do you ever wonder why people don't do those things while you are still alive?  Maybe if we hear stuff like that now, we would want to live on longer, so we can keep living up to those stories.  A lot they do us when we are gone.  My next blog might not be so nice and refreshing.  I have a lot to say about negative things that will happen eventually.

Live is like a box of chocolate, right Forrest!  You never know what you're going to get!

With Every Breath
Moi