Tuesday 24 July 2012

My birthday Wish

Some people hate theirs.

Some people hide from theirs.

Some people won't admit it's theirs.

Some people hate the attention.

Me? Not so much.

Tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY!

MY BIRTHDAY!!!! And all I want is...

Shiny new lungs!!!

I'm turning 33, so that's got to be lucky, right?

Hilda told me that her daughter saw a double rainbow and we all know that means double-lung transplant, right?

I'm okay with never getting another birthday present for the rest of my life if I can get new lungs tomorrow. I promise to treat them real good, as if they were my very own. I will love them, nurture them and protect them from all bad things (like smoke and people who lurk in the shadows waiting to abduct lungs).

I will never take them for granted and never forget that they come at a price. I will forever think about the person whose lungs live on inside me. I will think of them every day, as well as their family. I promise to do them proud and live life one miraculous deep breath at a time.

However...

If the new lung thing doesn't happen, I will take one of these as a consolation prize:



20 comments:

  1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear Jessica HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you . Wish i could send you your new lungs today ,I pray every day their on the way soon. Wishing you a GREAT BIRTHDAY. Love forever and always Aunt Heather xo xo

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  2. Thank you!!! It's such a great day! I'm so lucky! Can't wait to celebrate another year and maybe new lungs???

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  3. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    3 is my lucky number so today must be the day!!! <3

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  4. Happy Birthday my beautiful princess. I love you!!

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  5. Shannon: AKA Red25 July 2012 at 09:39

    Happy 33rd Birthday Jess. Oh did I mention that you are the same age as me now. U finally caught up to me. I can hear you talking to me and telling me know, "Shannon, you are still older." I pray that your new lungs come for your bday wish. That would be the best. love u. xoxo

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    1. You ARE older than me. When are you going to do something about that??
      Love you!

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  6. Happy Birthday Jess! I have been following your posts and thinking of you constantly (I am one of those people who haven't had the nerve to comment until now I guess :)).

    I have also been sending bossy, impatient vibes out to the world that it's about time you got your new chunky lungs. It has been a while since our HR days but your dry sense of humor and your love of all things dessert don't seem to have changed a bit :)

    Thinking of you, cheering for you, praying for you, whatever will help speed up to the day you hear that beeper go off!!!!!

    Love Erin

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    1. Thanks Erin :)
      I'm glad you worked up the nerve to comment ;)
      Thanks for reading and thanks for praying!

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  7. Hey You!!!

    Happy Birthday, Jess!!! I'm glad you were born... I'm glad you grace this beautiful planet... I'm glad that you're a little part of my life. I hope that both of us are around for me to be wishing you a happy 44th birthday!!!

    I celebrate five "birthdays" now!!! I figure I'm obligated to celebrate the birthdays of my lungs and kidney. And I'm entitled to celebrate the days I got them, or my "rebirthdays". And then, there's the day mom squirted me out that I've always celebrated... And with our CF, so many of us were told we wouldn't make it out of our teens or twenties - so, while everyone else seems to have a problem getting through 30 or 40 or 50, it's a huge celebration for us!!! Relish it.

    I love your paragraph starting with "I will never take them for granted"... I completely believe you - I feel the exact same way. It's been 12 years with my beautiful lungs, and now 2 months with my beautiful kidney. I think about the girls who gave them to me throughout the day, every single day... You will too... I'm proud of you, Jess... I'm amazed at your strength. I can't wait to hear about you running...

    Happy Birthday, Jess!!! I hope to meet you and Brad someday... Love, Steve

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    1. Aw Steve, you definitely have a way with words! I'm glad you were born and reborn :)
      I'm so grateful for you and all your words of advice and support. Brad and I would love to meet you someday!!

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    2. Oh gawd.....can't stop crying over this post.

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  8. Happy Birthday today, Jess! I hope & pray for your new lungs, and a day when things will be like they used to be in high school, when you could kick anyone's ass at all things athletic. Love Laura : )

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    1. Thanks Laura! I can't wait to challenge every thing that walks to a race post-transplant. After some hard core training; luckily I have coach Brad!

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  9. Happy Birthday Jessica (aka squeegy),
    Shannon tells me its your birthday, She was looking for gifts but they were all too big to send so......she will bring when she comes up again. I hope you are feeling better. Shannon is still sitting here taking up space, she calls it work but the phone and her lips are not moving. LOL

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    1. Shannon's lips are not moving?!!?!? She must be deceased!
      Thanks for the birthday wish :)

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  10. Happy Birthday Jessica!!!

    Here's hoping there will be a set of lungs in your near future-keep the positive attitude girl-love reading the posts and hearing updates from Shannon. She is so proud of you and the daily fight you have to deal with.

    Eat as much cake as you want and dance like no one is watching on your special day!!

    Jen

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    1. Thanks Jen. Glad you're reading and enjoying!

      Check out my next post to get a glimpse of my fantastical birthday cake!

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  11. hey jessica
    just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. we are thinkin of you all the time. you are such a strong woman. as i said before such an inspiration to everyone. we love you

    tracy, katie and paul
    xoxo

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