Thursday, September 15, 2011

3 Years Baby!!!

Truth be told, I am pretty hard on my body. I exercise faithfully 5 days a week, I never miss any of the many pills I need to take, if I can't go to the gym in the morning for scheduling reasons I try to go for a walk at night. I tan to maintain a "healthy glow" and then I complain about the lines on my face, irony I know. I bleach my hair as soon as I see those ugly brown roots creep in.
Most days I am frustrated with my body because I feel like I work for it, it doesn't work for me. It doesn't sleep when I want it too, (I wake up most days between 4:45 and 5:30) my blood is either too thick or too thin, and I always have those trouble areas on my backside where I'd like to loose a few more pounds.
When I gain 3 pounds I panic and really kick it up a notch at the gym and try to pay closer attention to eating only when I am hungry.
But one day a year, I DON'T CARE!!! I don't care about what I look like, what I feel like, I don't care that I can't run for very long and I view this as a character flaw on my part, and I don't care that I have to take pills just to keep my body alive. One day a year I just marvel at my beautiful heart, it's audible tick, and the fact that it's a miracle that I'm alive at all.
That day is September 15th, or as we call it around here my Second Birthday.
Last month I got a letter in the mail with a survey. This was one of the questions:

When do you experience severe shortness of breath?

A. With little exertion

B. With a medium amount of exertion

C. With a lot of exertion

When do you experience shortness of breath, not Do you experience shortness of breath.





All in all, I'm doin good and today was a great day, I enjoy having 2 birthdays. My beautiful aortic valve.



Me on my 3rd "2nd Birthday"





Just a few of the pretty things I bought myself for my birthday, Auri helped me pick them out at one of our many trips to ULTA. We have a lot of time on our hands with the boys in school.







Some super sweet perfume and

the perfect shade of red lipstick, it's called burlesque.









A couple of friends took me out to "brunch" at Cupcake Jones in Portland to celebrate.







Red Velvet, S'mores, Chocolate covered pretzel, Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookie










My parents and I had a picnic at the park to celebrate, my Mom brought a heart table clothe and sparkling cider. What a great day!




Another great friend who visited me in the hospital when I had my surgery brought me a gift certificate to See's candy. A gift that keeps on giving.

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

I loved your post about this last year, and I loved this one just as much. What a great day--to just focus on being alive. What a miracle. I need to do that more often, even though I haven't been through ANY of what you have. I have to say, too, that I can't believe that with how gorgeous and skinny you are, you are ever frustrated with your body. (Sorry about the no sleep, though. That stinks.) Happy 2nd birthday!! Glad you celebrated so well! You should.

Shirli said...

I have to say I loved the photo of the heart valve in your post. I have often tried to imagine how it looks and now I know. I remember sitting in the waiting room with Spencer during your surgery and thinking" My daughter's heart is not beating, she is on a heart bypass machine. First time ever my child's heart is not beating . " I know for every difficult turn in our lives there is a gift / blessing in the struggle. What is your gift? MOM

Dallas Shaw said...

I have that perfume, it's soooo sweet smelling

dallas
http://dillydallas.blogspot.com