Hi, It’s Ana writing in Isa’s account. It’s 11 pm, and in one hour my birthday will be over. I spent the evening at Isa’s house celebrating our birthday quietly together with our partners. I’m wearing a pin from the musical Spamelot that I wear annually on my birthday that reads, ” Not dead yet.” Right now, our partners have fallen asleep on the couch after we all stuffed ourselves with a traditional Japanese New Year’s feast called “Osechiryori” for dinner.Isa and I are looking over my 2008 Power of Two book tour photo album/scrapbook that I finally completed almost 18 months later, as we reminisce about the happiest memories of our lives. After visiting a transplant support group today and seeing the struggles of so many post-transplant patients, Isa commented what a true miracle it is that our bodies, minds and spirits have survived and thrived the rigors of the last two years of our fulfilling lives. Today, we turned 38. This officially ends, in my opinion, the mid-thirties , and starts the late 30′s. I have to say I’m finally feeling the aging process. Either that or the 10 pounds I’ve lost over the past year due to incessant severe gastrointestinal CF problems has gotten to me. I’m finally starting to say things that I have heard my elders say all too frequently such as ” when I was young … ” or ” remember when…” or “I used to be able to … ” . Just this week I received notice from my high school about my upcoming 20th reunion in August. All of these signs blow me away. It seems surreal. There’s just a very obvious message lingering with me today saying “I’m just not supposed to be here” so truly it is a huge miracle that I can celebrate my 38th birthday today. Today, I pay tribute to my parents who are also quietly celebrating the miracle of our survival at home in Los Angeles with champagne and sushi. I pay tribute to my two donor families who gave me this gift of life and to my health care providers and pharmaceutical providers who helped preserve my donors’ gifts within this body that fails to say no to life. I thank all of my friends whose love and support has given me a reason to live and love life as much as I do. Most of all, I pay tribute to Isa whose mutual love is the oxygen that keeps my fire burning.
Thank you to all who celebrated my birthday with me, who wrote cards and emails or called or sent facebook messages. I appreciate all of you and thank you for remembering our birthday. I wish many birthdays ahead to all of you; together let us celebrate the aging process, and rejoice at our wrinkles, forgetfulness and flabbiness.
To end, I’d like to quote my wisest friend, Nahara who said, ” You’re still here”. That sums it up.
Oh and by the way, happy birthday, Elvis.
Good night everyone. I love you all, ANA
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