Happy Birthday Shannon!

Editor Note: This was supposed to be published two days ago on 3/30/11
Alas, I suck and it didn't happen.
Enjoy...

Today is my friend Shannon’s 30th birthday!!!

Not just ANY “dirty 30” mind you… SHANNON’S 30th B-day.

In order to respect Shannon’s privacy and because she does not define herself with her illness I will spare the details there, but give all the good news.

Four weeks ago Shannon was readmitted to University Hospital in Denver, this time was only 5 weeks after the last time she checked out. These frequent visits were very unnerving. As a friend you want to keep an upbeat and positive attitude, but we were all concerned. This was not good news. About a week before her re-admittance she decided to put herself on the Lung transplant list. She had been eligible for this list for quite some time but I suspect she stalled going on the list because she wasn’t going to let the disease “win”.

Through texts messages we agreed I would come to see her on Sunday and cheer her up, bring in some food (probably Thai) and we would do whatever we do when we hang out in a hospital room and pretend we are anywhere else and the nurses are really just there for entertainment.

The next day, Wednesday March 2, I got the text from Shannon. “Sunday won’t work for us to hang out, I am getting lungs tonight!”

Yes, less than a week on the list and only hours after the doctors said her chances for lungs any time soon was bleak. She was second on the list and lower priority.
So here we are 4 weeks later. On her 30th Birthday! A birthday doctors said she may not see, and on top of it all, no needed oxygen. She can breathe.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my friends in ‘good’ places. I think breathing is the best gifts Shannon could have gotten for her B-DAY! Although the running shoes I am buying for her are going to be a close second best. Get up and at ‘em girl! You’ve got some training to do!

Happy Birthday Shanny Shan Shan!