THREE YEAR LUNGIVERSARY!

IT'S MY THREE YEAR LUNGIVERSARY!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!! Three years since a family made the decision that their loved one would be an organ donor and because of that, I'm alive today. Thank you donor family! Thank you also to everyone who has supported me over the years! Whether through sending me supportive messages, or playing games at the hospital with me, or feeding me, or sending Isaiah and I to plays, we appreciate all of it.

This last year has been fantastic. I ran a 5km in May, spent the summer hiking and camping all over the Maritimes, and was able to leave the country for the first time in years! And, unless something happens in the next month, this will be the first year in eight years where I haven't spend a night in a hospital!

Talking to someone on Twitter yesterday about my lung transplant experience made me realize that the trauma of three years ago is never going to leave me. I still remember waking up from surgery disorientated and panicked. The confusion and my crippling anxiety attacks during my recovery will always be a strong memory.

While the emotion behind the memories have softened over time (writing about it has been the most therapeutic thing I could have done), I hope I never forget how far I've come from before and immediately after my transplant. Nothing about a lung transplant is easy but everything I went through was worth it.

Before my transplant, I never dreamed that I would be now three years out and physically stronger than I have been in a decade. Or that I would be excited about buying a treadmill so I can exercise inside during the cold winter days. I will never be able to thank my donor and their family enough.


We're off to Toronto tomorrow for my three year assessment! It is one full day of appointments and no bronchoscopy (woohoo!). Just a lot of blood work, full work up of lung function tests, walk test, x-ray, and doctor appointment. Nova Scotia has stopped sending some people to Toronto for follow-up assessments after the two year mark if they've been stable. However, with my complications I guess the Toronto doctors wanted to see me, so off I go! I'm not complaining, it's a trip to Toronto!

My lungiversary present to myself was to drag Isaiah out in the cold to the middle of Elgin last week and have a photo shoot under the stars with the talented Alyssa Martin of Alyssa Martin Photography. The pictures turned out even more amazing than I had been hoping.

We're so tiny in this vast ever-expanding universe.