Cluck Cluck Says the TBird

Ho Ho Ho! Merry . . . Thanksgiving!

2 lists: My personal Top Ten List of Things to be Thankful For, and
My CF List of Things to be Thankful For

Ten Things I'm Thankful for This Thanksgiving:

1. My family! They are truly always there for me. When I need them, they literally come running, flying, driving to get to me. My Dad would move a mountain to help me and my mom would beat up a WWF wrestler with her bare hands if she thought is was necessary for my health. My brother and sister are the best humans on the planet and accept me in all my different ways of being.

2. My friends! I am blessed to have a lot of friends. I am even further blessed to have a handful of friends that I feel so close to, I feel that they are family. I have been directed toward people who fit with me, and I seem to fit with them, from the moment I meet them.

3. My cats! I don't care who thinks it's silly, my cat Beckett has been by my side for 10 years. She has often been the only one with me in some very dark times, and she has also been with me during times of great joy. She literally helps me get out of bed every day and is a big inspiration for me to get my transplant, get well, and come home. My 2nd cat, Samuel, is also a love bug and reminds me to live more cautiously (as he is afraid of most... everything.)

4. My career as a drama teacher. When I was a kid growing up, because I had read Alex: The Life of Child, and then because I lost a godbrother when he was in college, and then because it became easier to read medical studies online - I, like most CFers, often thought, "maybe I'll live 'til I'm ____." There are many days when I'm driving home from rehearsal in my car, to my home that I rent with my very own money, to cook dinner and watch a show and etc. - that I am amazed that I have made it so far in my career and with my life and that I'm like, "Hey wow, look at my life. I live here. I'm doing this! Cool." I am thankful that all the things happened that brought me here.

5. My writing. I am grateful that writing is an outlet for me, for the better or the worse and that all of you people are willing to read it whether its funny or not, complaining or not, swear words or not, poems or not. Yesterday I found my blog mentioned on a site listing inspiring blogs for Chronic Illness and for a moment I thought, "Really?! All I do is bitch and moan on my blog!" -so I'm grateful that all my bitchin' and moaning and some jokin' is inspiring :)

(Ok, the next 5 will be more practical thanks...)

6. I am actually ironically grateful for my BiPap machine that boosts my energy and is allowing me to be at home and not in the hospital.

7. I am grateful for the Jelly Belly Jelly Beans that my friend E-Teach brought me.

8. I am grateful for Pudding Packs that I consume daily.

9. I am grateful for text messages as they are my fave mode of communication during this pre tx time. No talking!

10. I am grateful for my penguin flannel pajamas that CysticMommy bought me.

My CF List of Things to be Thankful For
(some overlap)

1. My BiPap Machine
2. Prilosec
3. TOBI
4. Pulmozyme
5. My great doctor, Dr. U-Bird and nurse N-Pregg
6. My great social worker, S-Happy.
7. The treadmill I saved to buy that allows me to exercise every day.
8. Prunes.
9. Gatorade
10. NAPS!!

What are you grateful for? Happy Thanksgiving! Have a great day!!

Love, CG