As we all go through the preparations for celebrating Thanksgiving, I get teary eyed thinking about Thanksgiving this year. This is the first Thanksgiving in 3 years that I am well enough to enjoy the holiday and BE with my family. That's all I ever thought about when I was sick and waiting for my life saving lung transplant - more time with my family.
To have that time now, just brings tears to my eyes when I think about where I was the past two years and where I am now. Last year I had gotten my transplant but had only been home from the hospital for about 10 days and stairs were still off limits so, while the family was in the house and they all brought my tray up to me, I had to eat alone and spend a lot of the day alone as they all worked to prepare our dinner.
This year I get to be with everyone and spend precious time with my family. I treasure that time more than I can say.
I have so very much for which to be Thankful that I will be thinking about tomorrow. I am thankful for a family that stood by me, supported me, encouraged me (still does) and STEPPED UP to help out while I was sick and recovering after I finally got my transplant. Without my family, it simply would not have been possible. I am blessed to have such a loving and supportive family and I am so grateful for each and every single one of them.
I am so grateful for my organ donor and donor family. There really are no words that properly express how grateful I am that they believed in organ donation and gave me the ultimate Gift of Life. I would not be here without such generosity. I hope to meet my donor's family one day so I can thank them in person. But tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, I will have a quiet and special moment of thanks for my organ donor.
I am thankful for how well I am doing one year post transplant. It's really hard to believe it has been one year since my transplant and to be doing as well as I am is a blessing. So many transplant patients struggle with so many complications. I have had some bumps in the road, but my lung is doing well and any of the issues I've had to deal with are medication side effects which my amazing transplant team always manages to get straightened out.
I am thankful for the many doctors, nurses, and medical staff that took care of me pre-transplant, during my transplant and stay in the hospital and the post transplant team as well! Each and every single one of them has been wonderful, caring and literally life saving. Without them, I would not be here.
I am thankful for all my wonderful friends who stood by me when I was sick and waiting for my lung. Many driving long distances to spend time visiting with me, keeping me company and doing their best to cheer me up and distract me for a period of time. It's a short list of people, but it's a high quality list. My friends called, visited, emailed and stayed in touch and supported me through the most challenging time of my life.
Thanksgiving is a special holiday where we are supposed to take the time to acknowledge the things in our lives for which we are grateful. Being a Lung Transplant recipient really puts an added dimension to the holiday for me. I am thankful for the Gift of Life every single day, and I think of my donor every day, but I will really take time tomorrow to think about all the things I wrote about above and acknowledge what they all have done to help me get where I am!
So tomorrow, when I am with my family just hanging out, having dinner, there will so very much for which I will be grateful. I likely won't be able to get words of thanks to my family out without crying (I cry at the drop of a hat!), but they will be tears of joy!
Thank you to everyone mentioned in this Blog; thank you to everyone who reads my Blog, follows me on Twitter and social media. I am SO grateful for this wonderful and special day.
May you all have time with loved ones and take a moment to let those people in your lives know how important they are to you.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING one and all!
To have that time now, just brings tears to my eyes when I think about where I was the past two years and where I am now. Last year I had gotten my transplant but had only been home from the hospital for about 10 days and stairs were still off limits so, while the family was in the house and they all brought my tray up to me, I had to eat alone and spend a lot of the day alone as they all worked to prepare our dinner.
This year I get to be with everyone and spend precious time with my family. I treasure that time more than I can say.
I have so very much for which to be Thankful that I will be thinking about tomorrow. I am thankful for a family that stood by me, supported me, encouraged me (still does) and STEPPED UP to help out while I was sick and recovering after I finally got my transplant. Without my family, it simply would not have been possible. I am blessed to have such a loving and supportive family and I am so grateful for each and every single one of them.
I am so grateful for my organ donor and donor family. There really are no words that properly express how grateful I am that they believed in organ donation and gave me the ultimate Gift of Life. I would not be here without such generosity. I hope to meet my donor's family one day so I can thank them in person. But tomorrow, on Thanksgiving, I will have a quiet and special moment of thanks for my organ donor.
I am thankful for how well I am doing one year post transplant. It's really hard to believe it has been one year since my transplant and to be doing as well as I am is a blessing. So many transplant patients struggle with so many complications. I have had some bumps in the road, but my lung is doing well and any of the issues I've had to deal with are medication side effects which my amazing transplant team always manages to get straightened out.
I am thankful for the many doctors, nurses, and medical staff that took care of me pre-transplant, during my transplant and stay in the hospital and the post transplant team as well! Each and every single one of them has been wonderful, caring and literally life saving. Without them, I would not be here.
I am thankful for all my wonderful friends who stood by me when I was sick and waiting for my lung. Many driving long distances to spend time visiting with me, keeping me company and doing their best to cheer me up and distract me for a period of time. It's a short list of people, but it's a high quality list. My friends called, visited, emailed and stayed in touch and supported me through the most challenging time of my life.
Thanksgiving is a special holiday where we are supposed to take the time to acknowledge the things in our lives for which we are grateful. Being a Lung Transplant recipient really puts an added dimension to the holiday for me. I am thankful for the Gift of Life every single day, and I think of my donor every day, but I will really take time tomorrow to think about all the things I wrote about above and acknowledge what they all have done to help me get where I am!
So tomorrow, when I am with my family just hanging out, having dinner, there will so very much for which I will be grateful. I likely won't be able to get words of thanks to my family out without crying (I cry at the drop of a hat!), but they will be tears of joy!
Thank you to everyone mentioned in this Blog; thank you to everyone who reads my Blog, follows me on Twitter and social media. I am SO grateful for this wonderful and special day.
May you all have time with loved ones and take a moment to let those people in your lives know how important they are to you.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING one and all!
Me and my Amazing Family!
"The Thanksgiving Song" - Mary Chapin Carpenter
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