DAD

As most of you know, but for those of you who don't, my dad passed away on February 18, 2010.  Everyone keeps telling me that it gets easier but it's still really hard on me.  I miss him so much!!!  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't want to talk to him.  I was use to talking to him 2-3 times a day.  I am so happy that he is not suffering anymore but I wish he would have had a little more time here.  He was in so much pain with his back and his legs, from the LEMS, Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome.  He got really sick on January 17, the day we had to put my baby (dog) Prettydurl down for congestive heart failure, and we didn't think he was going to make it through the night.  Chad and I went to Amarillo and I stayed for about a month.  My dad was in the hospital and a physical rehab hospital the whole time but he got to feeling better and we got to spend quality time together.  When I left and gave him that last hug I started to cry and I will never forget what he said "Don't cry squirrel!!  I'm going to get better and come to your house and we're going to cook something good"  He loved to cook!!!  I had a pretty good feeling that, that hug was going to be the last one and let me tell you that was the hardest thing I ever had to do.  My dad and I were notorious for wanting to get the last hug or "I love you" in.  That was something we had done since I was a little girl.  I am so THANKFUL that I was able to go and spend a month with my dad before he passed away.  I love and miss him very much!!!  So if you are reading this right now be sure to tell your loved ones that you love them because you never know when you may not be able to tell them anymore.

It's Really NOT That Bad!!!

Have you ever met those people that all that they say is something negative.  They never have anything good to say.  Their situation is the absolute worst.  I've come into contact with a few of those kinds of people.  I try to steer clear but sometimes it doesn't always happen.  Many people don't look at LIFE as a gift.  It is truely a GIFT from GOD!!!  Some people aren't thankful for what they do have ie: sight, hearing, legs, and even the gift of breathing.  Even though my lung function isn't that good now I'm still here and without the transplant I wouldn't be.  For about 6 months, after the transplant in 2004, I had really good lung function (90-100%) and I am so thankful that GOD let me, even though it was for a short time, to have the experience of breathing so freely.  It was awesome and one day I will have it again!!!  So be THANKFUL for everything.  Even the (what some people say are small things) they really are something to be thankful for!!!

For the Love of PIZZA

Let me start off by saying that I love pizza.  I always have.  Well when I became diabetic it was harder to digest and made my blood sugar go crazy.  I got on the insulin pump about 4 years ago and it has helped my blood sugars tremendously.  I could eat pizza but afterwards it felt like I had about 20lbs of concrete on my stomach.  YUCK!!  I have started going to the diabetic doctor more since I started on the insulin pump so I could get my blood sugar more regulated.  One appointment I was talking to the doctor about how much I loved pizza and told her about how it made me feel afterward (like 20lbs of concrete on my stomach) and she said that pizza has alot of fat and fat slows down your stomach.  Which I already have gastroparesis (slowing of the stomach).  Normally food stays in ones stomach about 30 minutes and my food stays in my stomach about 4-6 hours depending on what I eat.  The gastroparesis was caused from the transplant surgery and the diabetes.  Anyway, the doctor told me that day that she makes her own crust and puts healthy toppings on the pizza.  So I tried one recipe and it was ok, I won't try that recipe again, LOL.  Then the other day I was at Barnes and Noble and was looking at the magazines and on the cover of Diabetic Living there was a pizza and it looked very good.  So I bought the magazine and came home and made the pizza.  It was the best pizza I have ever had and I didn't feel sick.  I made the crust (and it used yeast), made the sauce, used ground turkey, baby spinach, onion, and low fat cheese.  The serving size was 1/4 of a 14in. crust.  It had half the fat, half the carbs and twice the fiber.  It was the best.  I have finally found a pizza that I can eat and I love.  Thanks Diabetic Living!!!

Masked

On September 21, 2010 my brother Charlie had his double lung transplant.  He got out of the hospital a week ago.  After transplant the doctors suggest you wear a mask for a while after the surgery just because you are on so much anti-rejection drugs.   I only wear mask now during the flu season and on the airplane, but he is wearing one all the time.  Today a mother and her children were in Target and they saw Charlie and the mother pulled out her hand sanitizer and gave all 3 kids some as they stared at Charlie.   If the truth be known he is more likely to catch something from them, then they are to catch something from him, but they didn't know that.  When I had my transplant in April 2004, SARS was a big thing, and in December 2003 they had seen the first case in the United States.  I got so many people starring, thinking that I had SARS.   One lady at Wal-Mart ran her cart into the aisle and knocked off a whole shelf of shampoo because she was starring so hard.  For the longest time I would just smile at everyone but then I realized that they can't see me smiling through the mask.  I really admire the children that look at us (with the mask on) and just look away.  So if you see someone with a mask on, unless it's in a hospital, it is probably that they have had a surgery or are on chemo or something.  More than likely it's not that they have something contagious.

Don't Judge A Book by Its Cover

If you were to look at me I appear to have nothing wrong.  Today, like usual we went to Wal-Mart and I rode a jazzy scooter.  Since I've had so much rejection I can't walk very far without getting out of breath.  I always get so many looks, dirty looks for riding the scooters.  I always get dirty looks when I park in a handicap parking space.   I just smile back at them and forgive them because they don't know my situation.  I have had people cuss me out,  watch me get out of my car and follow me to see if something was wrong.  I have had people call the cops on me because I parked in a handicap, when clearly they didn't look like they needed to be in one either, but I didn't know their situation either.   Years ago I had someone key my car because I was parked in a handicap parking spot in my apartment complex.  Really.  I am just so thankful that I have legs and can walk, even if it isn't very far.  So the moral of the story is "don't judge a person by the way they look because you don't know their situation."

As I Start this blog

As I start this blog I have so many things running through my head.  First of all I want to say thanks for reading my blog.  At least I have one follower.  LOL  Really I wanted to start this blog because I have always thank'd God everyday for giving me life and I wanted to let everyone know it.  I truly love living!!!  I had a double lung transplant in April 2004 for cystic fibrosis.  I was born with cystic firbosis.  I have had several bouts with rejection but I am stable now.  I am so thankful for the "second chance" at life.  I hope you enjoy reading my blog.