Wow! I can't believe how "slack" (thanks Shippy) I have been with my blogging lately. What can I say? I have been busy living life, and my friends, Life is Good.
First, I have become the organ donation advocate extraordinare! I have done three college fairs in as many weeks- all in Newton. It's been a great experience and is definitely fulfilling work. I have been asked to return to tell my story to classes at these colleges and be involved in other potenital projects, like blood drives and speaking at events, such as a conference for respiratory therapists. April is Organ Donation Awareness month and is also my anniversary of my lung transplant (on Monday). So I have been compelled into action to promote this very personal cause. Next Tuesday at Northeastern, my group will present on the Ethical Considerations related to Donation: including the black market, incentives for donation, financial aspects and international foci. Cathy, Deb, Linda, Zowie and Heather have joined me in spreading the word and have, I'm sure. learned a lot along the way. While many group experiences I've had have been less than ideal- this group really took assignments seriously and shared the burden of work- Allelujah- for once! For my leadership class, I have taken it upon myself to test the awareness levels of college-students to see if the "Get Carded" project is on target for the audience. Get Carded started at UCF in 1997 and in 1999, I was the keynote speaker for the awareness event. Get Carded is still at UCF and is also an annual event at the other State Universities in Florida (UF, FLorida State, USF, etc.) I have used the college fairs to collect data. Likely, this will be morphed into my Master's thesis. I am still planning on graduating at the end of the summer, should all go as planned.

I have been a little under the weather. The stomach is always a challenge- between the CF malabsorption and diabetes there is a fine line for balance. There rarely seems to be a happy medium. The doctors are still pushing the pancreas transplant and I have several appointments to be worked up for registration. The surgery itself is like a kidney transplant, they don't take out the old organ: instead, they leave it in, add a new one and switch the connections. So in the end I would have three kidneys and two pancreases...and a partridge in a pear tree.

And then there is Kevin...and Heather too, of course. I saved the best for last. I can't believe the supportive interest I have gotten post-post. To update, they're both great, Kevin and his added bonus. I have such much respect and admiration for the responsibilities he's accepted- not just in being a single dad, which is plenty, but let's not forget that I've got quite the baggage myself. But that being said, I think that we have been real with each other. Clearly, my life isn't going to be all glamour and there may even be a slew of bad and worse days, but that being said, he knows that there will probably be more good days than bad and when there are bad days, they make you value the good days even more. He has a great air about him. He's not concerned or intimidated by my lifestyle and there's not a comparison like I'm/he's not good enough. There's just a fair partnership and a shared sense of what is right in the world. I have gotten a lot of advice from both my mother and my stepmother about the "second time around," especially when kids are involved and instead, of pretending that I know everything, I have actually been listening intently, recognizing that this (relationship with child-as-bonus) is new territory for me.
I still have yet to get a picture, but they're coming to the Galletti's for Easter, so photos will follow. Since neither of my older stepbrothers have children, my mom has take to a grandmother role and said I am not allowed to break up with them because she's attached to Heather. I don't think we have to worry about that.
Carrie says she is happy for me, but she is pretty unhappy with life right now. I know what that is like. I know what it is like to be stuck. I have tried to include her as much as possible so that she doesn't feel ditched, but I think there is more going on than just me being involved with someone. Sometimes things are out of your own control.
In other news, Kelli Belfatto is moving back to Orlando- congratulations. Shippy had a birthday this week and Bokas, I hope that your Alabama Food Poisioning has resolved. Congrats to Bonnie on her pregnancy! And to Jenn Cross in Barcelona for the successful delivery of her online news mag. (I need to link you- send the link!) I can't post pictures from this computer, but I have some baby updates on the way. More sooner than later, I promise!