Inspiration

Yo!  Sorry for the delay since my last post.  I’ve been out and about living a “normal” life 🙂 Birthday parties, fundraisers, weddings, dinners, lunches, moving children into apartments, movies, family reunions, etc.  So grateful that I’m able to do all of it!  As I celebrate Day 250 Post-Transplant, I’ve been reflecting on the past year and a half, and it seems like a blur, like it was someone else who went through all that sh*t.  Because of all my super supporters, I have absolutely rolled through all the poking, prodding, transfusing, transplanting, extracting, testing, injecting, barfing, balding, masking, gloving, shaking, scarring, numbing, infecting, medicating, etc.  I have been so very inspired by all of you.  Here are some of my fave inspirations you have sent my way:

“Fight On!” – Kathy F., Susie B., Debi P., Tracy M., Mychaela M., Luke M., Tom and Rennette C., Shane G., Cynthia C., Linda B.

“Hope believes anything is possible.” – Maggie and Jon P.

“I wish you joy with all my heart.” (By Jane Austen)  Amended with “and I wish you no more Shulman’s Syndrome with all my ass!” – Erin OB M.

“Live like you’re a rock star.” – Kara S.

“This too shall pass.” – Patti and Julie I. and Pam P.

“The sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness.” (French proverb) – Mary M.

“Walk among Nature’s glory and celebrate the color of Life.” – Emilie and Bob B.

“May the sun shine all day long, everything go right and nothing wrong.  May those you love bring love back to you, and may all the wishes you wish come true.” (Irish blessing) – Hilde G.

“I hope Dad’s transplant works good.”  Leason P. (the 5th)

“You are loved with His everlasting love and are in His everlasting arms!” (Jeremiah 31:3  Deuteronomy 33:27) – ElizaBeth C.

“Tomorrow will take care of itself.” – Celia H.

“Hope is the thing with feathers, That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all.”  (Emily Dickinson) – Caron and Dana K.

“Keep warm, drink plenty of fluids, and don’t forget to accessorize.” – Asa and Pat H.

“A lion beats in every human heart – yours is now roaring!” – Lynn and Carolee P.

“May God bless you and keep the wind at your back on this journey!” – Alison and Bob D.

“Have only one rule:  Be your wild, courageous, brilliant self every single day.  No matter what.” – Erin OB M.

“Love light and prayers surround you.” – Cheryl and Roger S.

“Go Pokey, Go!” – Leason P. (the 3rd) (Dad)

“The age of miracles is forever here.” – Terri and Blake Q.

“I tell you we are here on earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different.” (Kurt Vonnegut) – Mary M.

“Hope holds up the head.” (Scottish proverb) – Maggie P.

“The force of the waves is in their perseverance.” (Gila Guri) – Patti, Pete and Julie I.

“Look for the small miracles happening around you everyday.” – Cathy K.

“One small positive thought can change your whole day.” – Laura T.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) – Marlene P. (Mom)

“Friendship is one of the sweetest joys in life.” (C.H. Spurgeon) – Sue and Greg B.

“We take on the strength of that which we overcome.” – Marlene P. (Mom)

“Let your faith be bigger than your fears.” – Jeri and Danny M.

“We are all in your corner as you fight.” – Scott, Esme, Haley and Alana E.

“Positive positive thoughts.” – Kathleen M.

“I’ve got one bad ass momma!  She’s taught me that attitude truly is everything.” – Mychaela M.

“Health and healing.” – Jae M.

“Do not go where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) – Todd M. (Hubby)

“Keep on keepin’ on.” – Stephanie P.

“Never never never give up.” (Winston Churchill) – Mary M.

“Stay strong.  This sh*t can’t touch you.” – Rex M.

“The most wasted of all days is that during which you have not laughed.” (Nicolas De Chamfort) – Todd M. (Hubby)

“Soar high!” – Andie P.

“May you always have courage to take a chance, and may you never find frogs in your underpants.” – Alison D.

“Hang in there.  Sometimes the prettiest flowers grow in the biggest pile of shit.” – Amina, Tarek, Ahmed and Khaled M.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass.  It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” (Vivian Greene) – Courtney K.

“A bad day is all about perspective.” – Todd M. (Hubby)

“Laughter is the best medicine, unless you have diarrhea.” – Erin OB M.

“When you get into a tight place and it seems that you can’t go on, hold on – for that’s just the place and time that the tide will turn.” (Harriet Beecher Stowe) – Marlene P. (Mom)

“The one who falls and gets up is so much stronger than the one who never fell.” – Laura T.

“Whatever doesn’t kill me…. had better start running.” – Mary M.

“FTFO” (Fight the F On) – Alyssa P., Todd M. (Hubby)

“She worked many hours in order to graduate from FIDM while staying up-to-date on relevant sports statistics… She once rode an ostrich just to see how it rides…She climbs exotic mountains just to get her heart rate up.  She is… the best mom in the world!” – Rex M.

“When you’re going through hell, keep going.” (Winston Churchill) – Julie H.

“Anamatatizacotcommapaniake!” (Swahili saying – can’t translate, even on this foul mouthed blog) – Guy K.

“God gives us only what we can handle.  Apparently God thinks I’m a bad-ass.” – Monica F.

“What a wonderful spring this will be – a true rebirth.” – Susie, Steve and Stefanie B.

“Walking the beach and writing your name in the sand by the water so the waves can dance around and send you those strong healing vibes!” – Rose R.

“If you can conquer Kili, you can conquer anything.” – Lauren B.

“Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principle unto death.” (Leonardo da Vinci) – Laura T.

“Hair today?  Gone to marrow.”  Susie B.

“We are in it together and we are in it to WIN it!” – Todd M. (Hubby)

“Big time happy thoughts to you for much success.  How’s your burger?” – Guy K.

“Today you set foot on your new path to recovery.”  Marjorie S.

I also went through some of my photos and videos from the earlier days of my brawl, and I have to say, my chemo brain has done a great job of fuzzying up my memory of a lot of the worst parts.  (CBIART – Chemo Brain Is A Real Thing.  It’s widely recognized by the medical community and usually lasts about 4 years after chemotherapy.  Fan f-ing tastic!  Another delightful side effect 🙂 I’m apologizing in advance for forgetting your name, forgetting an appointment, not being able to carry on a conversation with multiple syllabled words, and lots of other stuff that I can’t remember right now.)

I’m also apologizing in advance of spitting on you while having a conversation using only single syllabled words.  My mouth moves a little funny now, with all the sores and scars from Graft vs. Host Disease, and I’ve given several friends and strangers saliva showers.  Sorry!

I recently had ONE glass of cabernet at a party – I’ve had very few adult beverages in the past year – and I woke up feeling like I had a pissed off honey badger with a thorn in his butt trapped in my head.  I’m such a f-ing lightweight.  Embarrassing.  A mere shadow of my former self.  Well, actually, I AM a mere shadow of my former self, being that I am 99.75% my bone marrow donating life-saving hero little bro now, so that should explain why I can’t drink like before, but considering Leason’s skills in that area, it explains nothing.

Remember me telling you about my eyelashes that were growing backwards INTO my eyeballs?  Well, it’s happening again.  I have 2 little f-ers that are twin lashes, each growing in the exact same location of each eye.  Lots of blinking.  Lots of tearing.  Lots of annoying.

My numb feet are also annoying, but now they are also cramping quite often, which hurts like a mofo.  I’ll be out in public somewhere and suddenly I’ll grab a foot, utter a 4 letter word (usually with spittle), and look around to find people staring.  What ev.