* July 2013 * Not Quite A Blog But Too Long For A FaceBook Status - Very Important To Me None The Less !

 

This July is going to be a HUGE month for me. Not only will I be celebrating two wonderful years of marriage to my best friend, soul mate & whole universe, Stefan Stiffy Kneil, on the 2nd....

I will also be reaching a milestone age of 30 on July 6th. An age that many friends, family & medical teams never thought I would reach (& wouldn't have if my angel donor & the wonderful staff at Harefield hadn't given me a second chance at life)

Just a short ten days later, I will be celebrating my first year, my lungys 1st Birthday. On the 26th July, a tragic circumstance became a chance of hope to me all because one selfless person signed the organ donation register & became my hero. He gave me back my life - & to him & his family I am 1000% forever, eternally grateful. No thank you I can say think or feel will ever be enough. It is purely undescribable as I am sure many of my fellow txer's will agree with me.

I did have a plan to have a HUGE party at the end of the month to celebrate such a momentous part of my life. Not everyday you can say you've reached an age that wasn't thought possible & then just over a week later have your life saved by a truly amazing person.... The first year after transplant is the most critical & approximately only 40% of recipients survive, so I feel I will have a lot to celebrate & appreciate. However, with a lot of thought (being in Harefield seems to do that to you!) I have decided against the party for a few reasons;

Firstly, it is my pure luck that everything I plan in advance buggers up, that infamous 'sods law'. I either become poorly or something happens which means I have to cancel it all. I wouldn't want to have to go to all the trouble of arranging a party & then not being able to even turn up for it myself!

Secondly, The risk infection. As you will all know we are recommended to stay clear of crowded spaces, public transport & people with bugs. I know friends of mine wouldn't think twice about coming to the party poorly, but being in a close, sweaty pub environment still wouldn't be good for me. Don't get me wrong, I have been given this gift of life to actually 'live' & I don't intend to be a hermit for the rest of my days, but then again I am not in anyway willing to risk these precious lungys just for one night of fun. Every bodies different, it's their own personal choice, I don't expect people to follow my rules. I've always been extra careful when it's come to cross infection with fellow cystic fibrosis sufferer's (to the extent that I never see my own cousin) & I don't intend to stop now after been given such an amazing opportunity to have a better quality of life for however long that maybe...

Thirdly, The Pure Expense. Parties don't come cheap when you think about everything you need to have arranged & organised. Then usually half the people that say are coming don't turn up anyway & you have lots that go to waste!!

& Finally, the all important invitee list. Oh my god, I don't think I have thought so hard about who to invite. This event is hugely important & personal to me. I will be an absolute mixed bag of emotions, elated one moment & crying into my Burmese Python the next. I want it to be special & those who are special to me, to want celebrate it with me. Since transplant, even before that, friends have come & go. You have fair weather friends, people that seem to only want to be there for the limelight as it were & friends that have stuck by you through thick & thin even if you haven't seen them for 10 years. I have so many supportive 'social' networking friends via CF & transplant that have just been incredible, & many I never have or will have the opportunity of meeting. People around me however just don't seem to be as close. I'm not talking about everyone so don't read this & automatically think it's about you because I haven't seen you in ages, but over the months things have definatley changed. As I started writing my list I realised a few of them I had down were there because I felt like I 'had' to invite them not because I actually wanted them there.... It's been very difficult but it's opened my eyes immensely & I think this is the best decision I could possibly make I wouldn't want anything to ruin my special occasion & I just have an awful feeling at the pit of my tummy when I think about it going ahead that's exactly what would happen...

So those are my reasons, do you think they are valid?

Instead, as we have the momentous celebrations going through the month of July, I think I would much prefer a few special 'moments' to celebrate with those closest to me. Special days or evenings out;

Stef & I still have our trip to Shaun's Crocodiles Of The World in Oxford to do, which if we can, we would like to do around that time...

I will be setting off sky lanterns for my hero & his family on the night I had my transplant, this will be extremely personal to me.

I've thought about selected 'small groups' of friends outings for bowling / ice skating & meal's at my favourite restaurant's. Plus, if we get a Summer, your traditional picnics & BBQ's.

A good friend as already got in hand some cupcakes to be made for both my birthday & my lungs birthday so no huge cake will go to waste & I have something special to picture, treasure & get fat on from that particular day.

I am already feeling so much better about this, the more I think about it the more I get excited, things like the above don't have to be planned out for weeks or months in advance so if something goes tits up I can just reschedule until the time is better....

I love creating memories, with special people so hope that this is the way forward for what I can only describe will be an epic, emotional, crazy month.

 

Precious Lungs

If anyone has special suggestions or ideas you think I would like to do to celebrate my 30th or 1st Year Lungiversary - Please don't hesitate to comment - We wouldn't go away for any longer than a night because of the snake babies & I find day or evening occasions much better for me than an actual get-away especially with so many medical blips at the moment.

Got a few months to get through first but hopefully I can have lots of enjoyable things to look forward to when I'm on the mend again....

Thank you for reading as always!! xxx