Just Because

For some reason the people in my life like to give me salt and pepper shakers. I'm not a particular fan of salt and pepper shakers, but I suppose it's better then being given candy dishes or sugar bowls and honestly, I've come to appreciate them for the gifts that they are and the thought behind each odd pair that I now own.

My most recent set are two love birds. They stand about 3 inches tall and my parrotlet seems to think they're pretty cool. He sat there and chattered at them until he got bored and went off to play with the parakeet.

He's a goofy little bird.

Bank Of America Shamrock Shuffle / Chicago Marathon 2010

It's that time of year again.

If you're thinking about running in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k Sunday, March 21, 2010 or in the 2010 Chicago Marathon, October 10, 2010 please consider joining CellmatesOnTheRun in running for a cure for diabetes.

You can find information about CellmatesOnTheRun and the Chicago Diabetes Project here, and for a personal look at the work the CDP with diabetes research and islet transplantation feel free to peruse my blog or email me at parrotletzoo@gmail.com.

Oh and by the way, my liver biopsy was all normal like. I haven't heard if they found any islets in the tissue taken during the bipsy yet. I'll keep you updated as soon as I hear anything more.

Yayhealthylivers!

Home Again, Home Again, Riggity-jig

My gallbladder is out, I'm home, off pain meds and all is well.

Sounds great but the road was rough getting here. Because I have Situs Inversus or more accurately Situs Ambiguous. along with vascular abnormalities, my surgery took longer then normal. Four times longer. The surgery went well, the healing is also going well but the first few days I kept having muscle spasms in my abdomen that left me gasping for breath and well, crying, which really is not like me. I usually can handle pain. Not this time. I was a whiny blubbering baby about the whole thing. But damn, it hurt like hell!

Once one of the doctors figured out I was having muscle spasms and gave me a muscle relaxer the whiny blubbery-ness went away and I went home. Yay!

I also consented to having a liver biopsy done at the same time. I have tumors on my liver two of which have already been determined to be hemangiomas and another was one of those things no one is really sure about, so yeah, good times. I also gave permission so the researchers could look for islets in the liver tissue and all such happiness. I'll let you know what the results are as soon as I find out.

Keep your fingers crossed for tumor - benign, and islets - many.

Thankyouverymuch!

Robots and Gallstones.

The gallbladder is coming out. Thursday. It's the one organ in my abdomen that's in the right place and it's jumping ship.

I've known for a while that I have gallstones but they've finally gotten annoying enough that my gallbladder needs to come out.

So tomorrow I'm off to Chicago for my quarterly appointment and surgery on Thursday. Dr. Transplant is going to do the surgery robotically and all I can think of is Logan's Run, because that movie seriously warped my impressionable brain way way back in the 70's when I first saw it. Now every time I think of robotic surgery I think of this scene and the machine going all bazerkers and shit.



So anyway, yay robots!

Maybe I'll tell Dr. Transplant he can give my gallbladder to someone that needs it more then me.

It's all about giving this year.

btw. this month's donation goes to Leader Dogs For The Blind.

Holidays and Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again and I've been thinking about holiday giving and New Year's resolutions.

Every year my siblings and I, along with our spouses do a gift exchange. I had a difficult time deciding what to buy this year because lets face it. Most of us, by the time we are the ages of myself and my siblings, don't really need anything. This year we already bought gifts but we've also decided to give a donation in someones name in addition to gift giving.

And my partner and I have decided to keep on giving this year as our New Year's resolution. Every month a different charity, each month giving in honor or someone we love.

We actually started the donation of the month club in October with Cellmates On the Run, and the whole Chicago Diabetes Project/Chicago marathon thing that I wouldn't stop blogging about. November, we donated to a local shelter for victims of domestic violence and this month Heifer International.

Diabetes and Organ donation aren't the only passions in my life and I'm an annoying blogger like that, so you know I'll be posting monthly links to each organization. If you have any suggestions please either email me or post comments.

Our only guidelines? Nothing political and donations need to either be 1. medical research related or 2. directly impact individuals in need.

Thanks for your suggestions and Happy Christwanzakah.

Encouragement goes a long way.

So today I was in line at the gas station all queued up to buy coffee. A woman was in front of me holding an apple. She kept eyeballing the candy bars nearby and then looking at the apple, over and over. I could almost see the thought process going on in her head.

Apple, or chocolate? Apple? Chocolate?

Finally, with visible resignation she reached towards the candy and I found myself whispering, "Don't do it!".

And she stopped.

I wasn't sure if she even heard me until after she paid for her apple and gas and walked past me on her way out the door,

and whispered, "Thank you".

Funny how (minus the coffee) I ate better today too.

Sometimes it's just good to know you're not in it alone.

Santa Speedo Run Chicago 2009

When: 11:00 am, December 12, 2009

Where: Shenanigan's Bar, 16 W. Division, Chicago

Details: Santa Speedo Run for The Chicago Diabetes Project

It's only a mile down Rush St and back up Michigan.

You know you want to!

Well, at least sponser a crazy person. Here.

Danke.