THE 100 DAY ODYSSEY

November 14th marked Dan’s 100th day in the hospital. Typically, 100 days is a celebration. It is an achievement of great proportions. It demonstrates perseverance, commitment, and the passing of time. For Dan, it demonstrates his resilience, his determination to live, and a transformation. Over the past 100 days many changes have occurred. At times …

Day 1 – 6: Gallbladders make bad Salad Dressing

Gallbladders make bad Salad Dressing The sequences of events that have landed Dan in the ICU really have no beginning. One could argue that the day Dan came screaming into this world would have been the starting point. However, this particular spark that ignited the significant changes started when Dan arrived at TGH on August …

A timeline

37 Days That is how long Dan has been in the hospital. In that time, his normal has changed dramatically. 40 days ago, he waved farewell to me as I pointed my car back to Calgary. We had spent the month of July enjoying the summer, cooking, eating, and taking in a bit of normal. …

Immunocompromised Vs COVID-19

My views living as an immunocompromised individual towards COVID-19. “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” I try to live as much of a “normal life” as I can, however define “normal”. Normal is an illusion we as a society have created to …

The Little Things In Life

TRANSPLANT UPDATE (18 YEARS)!! “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things in your life.” In my mind I’ve been trying to navigate around the labyrinth that currently surrounds me. I am in need of a transplant yet I am hiding from the world …

A WARRIOR CAN STILL BE MADE OUT OF ME

    “Life is like a wheel, sooner or later it comes around to where you started, reliving old challenges facing loss and once again rebuilding.” The heart of the question is simply this, “Are you strong enough to take the chance and spin the wheel one more time”? I've always wanted to be that …

Mental health

  "Everything will be alright in the end. If it's not alright it's not the end." The end of May approaches warmer weather greets us which means more outdoor activities. Let me set the day for you. After a cold long winter, there are many people taking advantage of these summer-like days in May by …

A Gift of Eight Letters

  Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; But remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Yesterday, (March 21st, 2010) and today, (March 22nd, 2002) are extremely important days in my life. In fact, they are more important than my birthday; I …

CAN YOU SEE ME NOW

You didn't cause it. You can't cure it. You can't avoid it. You can't ignore it. You can't control it. You try to manage it while concealing it from the “normal world”. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is often called the invisible disease. Invisible illnesses are conditions patients have that are not obvious when looking at them. …

BREATHE

INHALE, EXHALE, now again INHALE, EXHALE, and REPEAT, it’s easier said than done for some. Breathing is an involuntary act which most people do not think about and take for granted. To someone with Cystic Fibrosis that breath you just took would be a gift! Many people have asked me what’s it like living with Cystic Fibrosis, does it …