Transplanted: The book trailer

I made a book trailer for my book! I spent a long time messing around on iMovie trying out different iterations and templates. I kept sending versions to the family asking for their opinion which I'm sure they enjoyed but after the 5th send of 'is this better? Do you like this one better than the last one?' I think they got tired of the emails.

I hope you enjoy! I feel like it captures the spirit of the book fairly well. A month to go!

Sewing!

I've been sewing a lot this winter, some cards for friend's birthdays but mostly I've been on a bag making kick. It's been fun, although frustrating at times. It's nice to have projects for days when I've been too sick to do anything active (I'm on aerosol masks now which I'm hoping will clear my chest for good) and there is only so much I can read at one time.

The bird fabric is a piece Mom brought home from New Zealand for me that I had put in a drawer and forgotten about. I'm always scared to use the fancy fabrics but this bag does it justice.

A messenger bag that's practical.

This is more of a gym bag that I've been using to tote my stuff back and forth from pickleball.

And a pic of my 'weather quilt'. I hope we're moving onto more yellow days!

I posted this on my author facebook page (which you should follow if you aren't already - look up Allison Watson - Author page and there will be a smiling picture of me). I think it bears repeating because I find this article and the pilot project of allowing people to fly to Toronto when lungs are available so interesting.

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There is a new pilot project that Nova Scotia is trying where people waiting for lung transplants are able to wait in Halifax and fly to Toronto when lungs become available. It has been successful for one woman, profiled in this article. The risk of not getting a flight due to fog or not being allowed on the plane due to low lung function seems high to me - airlines are allowed to deny you a flight if you are too unhealthy - but clearly it can be worth it for people with a low, but stable, lung function.

Before you ask, it's unlikely Amy would ever be eligible for this program due to people with CF having a tendency to have their lung function dramatically crash. Unless she somehow has access to a private jet that she's never told me about.

The ex-vivo machine discussed in this article is an amazing technological breakthrough. My donor lungs, four years ago, were in the ex-vivo machine for a time. The machine is beneficial, not only for allowing lungs to survive longer outside of the body but also to be scrubbed of any infection before transplant. Last year the Toronto team successfully started transplanting lungs infected with Hep C which would have been unthinkable years ago. The more lungs that can be used for donation, the less chance there is of people dying while on the transplant list.

Link to the article:

https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/the-breathing-machine?fbclid=IwAR1DXt2Xwrn3jZhDJodNtaDRaT0mqhjpCYfp392BzOoIogRL6hCia2lXvjU

Five Feet Apart Movie

A lot of people have been asking me what I think about the new movie Five Feet Apart, about two teens with CF falling in love. The girl likes to control everything she can around her CF and the boy is all about living carefree. They are hospitalized at the same time and fall in love. But they can't be within six feet from each other due to the risk of cross contamination. Will love conquer all!?

I haven't seen the movie or read the book so don't have an opinion on the movie or book itself but I think that it's beneficial for CF awareness to have a popular teen movie in theatres. If people are more aware of what CF is, and are willing to help financially with CF research, I'm all for it.

I know some people are upset about people with CF being only portrayed as 'tragic' with people spending all their time in the hospital but that's what happens with there is only one mainstream movie about people with CF. It's not possible to tell everyone's story in one movie or one book.

If anyone has seen the movie or read the book, I would love your opinion on it!