Surprise...We Made It.

To be truly honest, it's been a really tough week. It started out great. I was going on 2 mile walks with friends and feeling stronger than I had for a long time. I started thinking my luck was changing and I was getting the results I planned from the beginning of this process. The joke was on me.

On Tuesday, April 30th while riding in the car on my way to my eyelash fill appointment, I started feeling funny and my head kept pulling to my right. I heard my mom say, "Are you okay?" Then my head jerked even harder to my right and I was in full seizure mode. My mom immediately called 911. (I should mention it is very helpful to have a retired nurse for a mother). I was laying on the seat when the paramedics arrived. I couldn't answer their questions.

I was loaded into the ambulance and transported to the UofU in Daybreak. Sadly, the medical staff know me well and I was among very familiar faces. They asked me if I knew where I was. I paused and then said, "October." I could understand what they were saying, but I couldn't respond. We figure I was trying to tell them my birthday. While being hooked up to monitors and IVs, I continued to have 2 more seizures. The second seizure I rocked toward my right side and the third seizure I rolled to my right side, almost to my stomach and shook.

The Daybreak UofU ER doctors brought in a computer and conferenced in the Salt Lake UofU doctors. They asked me questions and I was unable to answer them. Shortly after that I fell asleep and I do not remember waking up until the next day.

While I was unconscious I had tests done and was transferred via ambulance to my Downtown Salt Lake hospital quarters and hooked up to the wires pictured below. As a side note I do not remember taking this pictures. Plus it takes forever to get the glue or paste out of my hair.

I was released Wednesday. I went home and slept for 2 days.

Now on to more exciting and uplifting news. This morning I woke up with plans to get together with our friends, Michael and April. I'll be honest I was not in the mood. I was really discouraged and frustrated with the past few days events and wanted to ignore the world.

Knowing I have said I wanted to run a race, Michael and April arrived at our house with this shirt. I was going to run, actually walk my first post transplant race. It was a perfect 0.5K, LOL. We started walking when I noticed a small crowd on the walk trail. I couldn't believe people actually participated in this. Then the crowd started cheering and I realized they were all familiar faces. They were cheering for me. I burst into tears and was overwhelmed with love. My day went from feelings of dread and disappointment to overwhelming joy. I have the coolest friends.

One year ago today I received my call that my life would be saved because there was a donor who was willing to share a part of themselves. I was matched with a heart and lungs. They could not have come at a better time. It wasn't until the next day, May 5th that my new organs were transplanted.

I want to thank everyone for their love and support. We've made it. I've needed everyone of you and your strength. Thank you for turning my day around and giving me the hope and motivation I needed to keep going. I look forward to many more races, even if they are "just" 0.5ks.