My Mom...

If there is positive people in your life, then life flows much more smooth.  I have the best of the positive genes that come from the one woman who makes me laugh, smile and cry all at once.  that's my Momma.

I Decided I needed to make a post about my mom.  She has gone through a lot in her young and vivid life. Having my older sister and myself at a young age, took care of us, worked hard to provide us with the things young children need.  Food, Shelter, warmth and lots and lots of love.  My mom is one of those people that when you meet her, you can't help but love her.

She embraces all the things in life that i can only strive to be.  She raised 4 beautiful young daughters, who I have to say are pretty damn hot.  If it weren't' for the best of grandmothers in the world, whom I like to call Meme, we wouldn't be here.  I have positive ladies in my life.

Can you imagine being a young mother of a two year old, and having a new baby who isn't doing the normal things that babies do.  not eating, pooping like mad and well for being a happy baby, no one would have thought there was anything wrong with me.  a CF baby is something that in the 70's wasn't the best of results.  Being told your daughter won't live to see her fifth birthday.  My mom, pretty much told the doctors to take their pamphlets and shove it.  I am so proud that my mom ignored what they were telling her about my fate.

A chubby little monkey came home from CHEO, love that place, eating, laughing smiling and being that best of babies.  I can only remember my mom's positive thoughts growing up.  Encouragement to join gymnastics, she probably though seeing as I was doing cartwheels all along the house, that I might as well put it to use. did that for many years, then became a coach. 

ME: "Can I try dance Mom?"

MOM: "Sure honey"

That lasted 5 years

ME: "Heather does Synchro, can I try that too?"

MOM: "Sure Honey"

That lasted 5 years, skipped two levels in the first year, made the team to represent Cornwall in the Ontario Games.  Took Synchro in Montreal with Carolyn Waldo's coach for three weeks at the age of 13.  Oh the possibilities if I kept going.  No regrets!

ME:  "Mom can I try figure skating?"

MOM: "Sure Honey"

Lasted 2 years, skipped three levels in the first year, won best first year performance.  MVP I guess you could call it! Stopped that when my coach after the second year was 10, I was 12. I felt insulted.

ME: "Mom Allison and Crystal and I want to go into ARMY Cadets..."

MOM: "Sure Honey"

At thirteen this was the best thing i could have ever done.  I was so loved and respected there.  Partly because I had Cystic Fibrosis and they thought I was going to be a charity case, that I wasn't going to be able to keep up. But I proved them wrong and made my mark on the Corps.  I won Best Female first year cadet, and Cadet of the year in my first year. I was a member of the  Colour Party and the Drill team.  I was so excited to wear a quilt.  I was also a member of the Skill and Arms team my first year.  It was a blast, we were shooting rifles with live Amo. They don't do that now. I was told that because of my CF I wan't able to attend the two week camp needed by all first year cadets to be able to move up in rank.  I fought to go and I don't regret it for one minute.

I was able to get letters from my platoon leader, my school phys-ed teacher, my doctor and my family friends to show to the higher ups that this illness hasn't stopped me and won't.  I went to that two week camp in ipperwash, and it was the best experience I have ever had.  If I could I would join the army now.  Tried but was rejected because of my health issues.  That was something i couldn't get my high school phys-ed teaher to get me out of.  Oh well.  NO REGRETS!

I think of all the things I have done in my life, Gymnastics, Synchro and Cadets are my top 5.

Did my mother ever hold me back... NEVER!

Parents now need to keep their children with CF as active as possible.  I don't regret anything I have ever done.  I have the mom of all moms.  She never said NO to activities to keep me healthy.  

I get my positive attitude from my mom, my determination from my mom.  when someone says I can't I will prove them wrong and DO!

To my mom, my first best friend, my fashionista, my doctor, my mentor and my inspiration for living life to the fullest.

The best mom in all the world!

Kiss your mom everyday, call her tell her you love her and always remember she's got you in her heart all the time!

Love you Momma!

Ali

Ever listen to a song...

Hey everyone,

Just out of curiosity, but when was the last time you listened to a song and thought, holy shit this is so my life? Well, I can't say that it has totally happened to me, but I can tell you this.  Every song I listen to lately has something to do with an aspect of my life.  For instance, the memories that come with songs is pretty astounding.

Let me tell you about some.

When I was at St. Mike's in Toronto, I was listening to our local radio station to the very talented Traci Trottier, and there was a Jason Mraz song that I hadn't heard before that seemed to make a big splash on what was a very shitty day.  That song was "I'm Yours".  I emailed Traci and asked her about the song, and she gave me the skinny on it.  I was amazed that I hadn't heard it ever before.  Now when I hear it I think of Traci Trottier, and to make this story that much better not even two days later she graced me with her beauty and came by to say hello.  Email is such a wonderful thing.

Jason Mrax - I'm Yours

I am listening to my music on my computer as I am writing this and my BFF Mel is now in my head.  Two song have been played back to back, that reminds me of out adventures together.  One is DMX's Up in here a reminder of our Freddy's days, where they allowed smoking in the bars.  Now it's a reminder of my time working with the Cornwall Colts hockey club.  Driving to Ottawa and Kanata and Gloucester, and not to mention Brockville.  Mostly Ottawa passing Mann Road and saying to each other "Mann-Err" after my best male bud at the time Chris Mann, and the song is "I can love you better" by the Dixie Chicks, that whole album reminds me of Mel.  Her singing in key and me totally off, and she didn't say a thing.  Love her that much.  This ones for you doll!  Miss you daily.

Dixie Chixks - I Can Love you Better

Ok so now brings me back to living in Kingston where i worked as a Hostess at East Side Mario's on Division, living in the heights.  I would have the Fly FM on the radio.  This song is one of many from that time that I love, this one right now is Shawn Mullins Lullaby.  Beauty of a song.  I think in all my life, I have never stayed ina city that i loved so much.  Kingston, I think I was born to live there.  It's like Cornwall, only bigger, but not like a big city.  Transportation is available anywhere you go. It's beautiful, oh did i mention that the thunderstorms there are AMAZING!  Now my BFF of over 20 years lives there with her family.

Shawn Mullins - Lullaby

Ah the amazing magic that music has on our minds. I LOVE music!

Peace and Love Music People!

More Happy News

Not even less than 24 hours that our good friend Kim went under the knife to save her life with a liver donor, my DLTx buddy got her new lungs.

CONGRATULATIONS goes out to Alice Ferguson who was waiting for some time to get her lungs has been blessed with a new set of shiny pink lungs.  My theory is that Kim and Alice have the same donor.  In Double Lung Transplant we have to wait until the lungs go through what's called the X-Vivo machine, created by Toronto's very own Dr. Shef Keshavjee, a brilliant man and mind.

This is the Beautiful Alice before transplant

Shannon on the Left is Alice's daughter.
That's Alice on the right.

Unfortunately I don't have one from post transplant like I did for Kim, but I'll find one, and when I do I will put it up. 

GUESS WHAT I FOUND!!!!

Please be advised this is day 1 after surgery
We all look like we just walked into a door.
But isn't she beautiful!!!!!!!

Alice this is one of the best post transplant pics I have ever seen.  You look marvellous, simply marvellous.

I first met Alice at her fundraiser.  We had spoken on Facebook occasionally, but it was her event that brought us close together.  She was beautiful, dashing and none more than the perfect candidate for transplant.  She was positive, upbeat and didn't let anything get in her way.

Alice to me is going to be one of my new besties.  We will have coffee together, or water.  We'll talk about how transplant is changing lives every where.  Imagine if these pink lungs Alice received are from the same donor as Kim.  how cool would that be. Really Cool!!!!

I couldn't' be happier for Alice today.  When I found out she got her new lungs, I was too busy to put the wonderful news on my blog.  Well Alice my darling, here's to you and the new girls.

Our home town of Cornwall did a nice article on Alice, here's the link:

Alice Ferguson Lung Transplant

Special Note:  Alice darling, from on DLTx to the next, it's party time!

Love one another, and sign your organ donation wishes on-line.

Recycleme.org

Thank you all, 

and have a wonderful, 

light inspired day.

Forever

Moi 

Why wait...

This week has been a very special week for our family.  

On my birthday, my 35 th birthday as very good friend of our was given a second chance at life.  she is not a cystic fibrosis patient, but she is a very dear friend.  He name is Kim MacLennan, and she is a trooper.  She had been called and pushed aside three times already and this being her fourth time, came with a special blessing, not only was it "THE" call is was also my birthday, and God listened to me when i said make this one work, she's hurting, she needs to have her life back.

Today she walked in her walker, and it's the most beautiful thing i have ever seen.  i only sigh I had more photos of my transplant than there are floating around out there.  Only thanks to my cousin, and a couple from my father.  i don't know if Kim reads my blog but I am going to tell you a little bit about the amazing woman.

She is a teacher, a mother, wife and daughter.  not to mention someone's best friend.  She has been in pain for so long that this surgery was so needed.  Now she won't be in pain, she won't look like she is 8 months pregnant, because that shitty lives and mass that was living in her body has now been removed, and replaces with a stronger, healthier liver, that has now taken up the proper amount of space in her body.

This is my great friend Kim pre-transplant:

Isn't she gorgeous!  Love that hat!

This is my dear Kim, post transplant, walking like it's no ones business:

Run Run as fast as you can, you can't catch Kim, she's got a new liver man!

Every day I wish I knew who my donor was, what he/she is like, the day doesn't start without a hello dear donor in the morning, and a Good night dear donor at night.  I don't know if Kim's donor family will be more accepting than mine, hopefully they want to see where their loved ones parts are heading.  i wish on a start every night that my donor family will want to know a little bit more about me, but i can't press a hot button issue now can I.

This blog is a reminder of how important organ donation is, where is leads, the difference it makes and most importantly the lives they change. One life two families, now it's two lives 4 families.  Amazing what can happen.

Remember to sign off on your organs when you don't need them any more, it's only going to make your family bigger and bigger in the end.  Look what it has done to my family and Kim's. Do we need any more explanation?  I don't think do!

Be a Donor

Recycleme.org

God bless the current organ donors, 

future organ donors and all those who are recipients of organs, 

like me and my good friend Kim!  

Blessings to you all!

LOVE LOVE LOVE
Me