Well this week has been a whirlwind week for Johnson and I. On Tuesday we went to the hospital for clinic. Johnson still has not been feeling the greatest. Still tired since the flu, but on Tuesday night we were reunited with our Hawaiian Team Diabetes participants at a local restaurant. It was great to see everyone again, and view all the pictures of each of our vacations. Mauler from HOT 89.9 came and it was just FUN and great to take our minds off things. It was also very nice to meet all these people again "without children in tow" and enjoy an achoholic beverage with them! HA HA!! Don't forget everyone... it was Johnson's kidney he had transplanted... not his liver! HA HA!! I say this because everyone asks if it's ok for Johnson to have an alcohol drink? I promise, on doctors orders, he is allowed!
On Thursday we were invited to our friend Jeff Doiron's (Fuel Industries)companies new location party. I figured we'd go for a drink or two around 6:30PM thinking it was just a little after work party. Boy I was wrong! It is an amazing place, so L.A. looking type studio... catered, live bands, martini's, drinks of every kind, and many many marvelous and cool looking people! Of course, we'd only hired a babysitter for a few hours, and needed to be back home by 10:00PM... it was a school night you know! I heard the party lasted into the wee hours of the night.
I met many people who had attended last years Volleyball tournament, who said they would make it out again this year! Whoo Hoo! It really was a great place to network, and I met many important people! Man... Jeff... you've really come along way my friend! Johnson and I are so proud of you!
Oh... another good thing which happened this week... if you didn't catch it on our home page is that... Johnson and I have been invited by The Canadian Diabetes Association to attend an awards cerimony next Saturday. Johnson and I are to receive the "first ever awarded" Inspiration Award 2007. Can you believe it? WOW. We are so thrilled and will gladly attend next weeks cerimony to receive it. Amazing! You know... I don't know if I've ever said this on my site before but... without Team Diabetes... this year would have been VERY different for us. I suspect it would have been a very lonely, solitude, difficult journey for us. Especially with Johnson's health taking a turn for the worst and with kidney failure and dialysis. All these things did happen to us... it was VERY HARD... but I don't think we would have survived it without everyone's love and support! We GOT ALL THAT and MORE from Team Diabetes! Our stories were out, people had compasion, people cared. Hawaii was our one goal we strived to achieve. We'd say to each other... if we can just make it to Hawaii... if we can just get through dialysis... if we could just get healthy enough to go... It truly was the "ONE THREAD" that held our little family together. Sincerely... I'm not sure what the outcome of our year would have been without Team Diabetes. Then the highlight of our lives... being asked to speak at the Victory dinner. Extreme pride. Then it was back to Ottawa where reality awaited us again. More tests for Kendra... maybe I wouldn't be able to give Johnson and kidney afterall... there was a small complication with me having a small kidney stone. The transplant was on hold and might possibly not happen. Then the news that we were going to proceed, and that I would be fine! Relief! Fear! Then the whirlwind up to and including the transplant with all it's complications for Johnson... and now... life slowly returns to normal for us. I know those of you who are reading and checking our website for updates can attest to. Not as many updates... no crisis's... just healing and normal day to day activities for us now.
Me... I'm back to work shortly... I'm feeling better day by day. Slowly my energy level is returning. I look forward to going back to work! Seeing my extended family there again! I miss them all very much. Imagine that... how many people can say that? How many people feel as blessed as I do that I have so many friends back at my office, and that I look forward to returning?
The girls are doing great, school is back on track, they are no longer suffering the effects of dialysis and hospitals... life is getting back to normal for them too.
And Johnson... he's almost there... I can almost see the man I married again... the healthier one... we are soooooo happy again. GOD has truly blessed us all! We survived 2006! We flourished... and are much better people because of it. Live life everyone! Live happily... treat others as you would want to be treated. This is what I've learned in 2006. Give back if you can... and anyway that you can... give of yourself... it is the most precious gift that anyone could receive. I know... we received so much from so many of you this year. Thank you all!
