I really don't understand my life sometimes! On one hand, I feel like my physical body is falling apart at a strangely undetermined rate, and that certain of my muscles have atrophied to a point beyond return. It also seems like I can't go ten steps without needing my suction machine! (In the past I would probably refer to it as "my damn suction machine" but I have since decided that there is no sense in "damning" things that are vital to my existence. While it may be a major pain in my ass, the shear truth of the matter is that "damn thing" keeps me alive.) As if it isn't enough to have a plastic tube lodged into my throat, my body still recognizes it as foreign substance and feels the need to remind me of this by producing secretions that continually obstruct my airway. Being on the topic of foreign bodies, we may as well include my heart and kidney on the list. Because of that fact, I take 12 pills a day in order to keep my body from rejecting my organs. This keeps my immune system very low, and so I am forced to stay far away from anyone carrying any type of infection!!! Even the slightest cold could turn into a vicious case of pneumonia resulting in 1 week in the hospital, 10 days of antibiotics, injections, xrays, EKGs, more xrays, weight loss, pain, nausea, etc. Im not bitter, just careful! Watching me walk up a flight of stairs has become far from glamorous, and so I prefer to let people go ahead of me and take my time without any added pressure. Physical therapy 3 times a week. Hospital visits every 4 months with random emergency visits. (JUST to make life interesting for my Dad ;). Nutrition maintenance. And then most importantly just being the personality that is CHRISTOPHE, haha. It's all hard work and I would be lying if I said, "it didn't wear on me every now and again." However, the morning of my 29th birthday I felt extremely happy and fortunate! Waking up and just to be well and in my own bed is enough for me! Too many people take that for granted. As you all know, one week ago I unexpectedly had an Emergency Trach Change!Thankfully that was all taken care of and my neck is no longer sore. On Thursday night, I enjoyed a delectable dinner at the Bouwerie with my immediate family. Being a local restaurant owned and run by two very close friends of mine, the mixture of savory food, endearing company, and hospitable service was enough for me to happily end my birthday festivities right then and there. However as I walked up the pathway to my backyard last Friday night I could feel my heart race with excitement. I seriously felt like a little kid again. Next to Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday. And in true Christophe fashion, I love to celebrate BIG! I love it so much so, that my friends and I have started a tradition every year of throwing a Halloween party in July aka July-O-Ween! A severely burned and oddly disfigured doll stabbed onto the fence made me chuckle to myself because clearly this was the affecionate handiwork of my brother-in-law. Every item had a personal touch and I could truly feel all the love and effort that was put into this celebration! I am so thankful for all the wonderful people I have in my life! Its something very special when I can look into the eyes of a close friend and feel their love deep in the pit of my stomach. My throat swells up to the point of pushing out my trach and my face instantly gets ugly as I start to cry haha. Completely caught off guard, this happened to me several times on Friday night. When you truly UNDERSTAND and ACCEPT that life is not guaranteed, daily interactions hold so much more meaning. I know that not ONE day in my life is guaranteed, and therefore I believe surviving an entire year is definitely something worth celebrating. It is important to take in the fact that anything can happen at any moment. This is not to say that people should always have over the top parties, as I often tend to do hehe, but simply celebrate life on your birthday the best way you know how! Many people asked me, "so how does it feel to be 29?" And to each one I replied, "GREAT!" I have big plans for myself before I turn 30 and I am working hard to fulfill them. At the same time, I try not to be to hard on myself if things don't work out as quickly as expected. I generally find that how people feel about their age is reflected by where they are in life. If certain goals are met, then people tend to be more accepting of their age. Speaking to my Dad, he explained to me that it seemed that just not too long ago he was turning 30. And this is why I can't stress enough the importance of living in the moment so life doesn't just pass you by. For the first time in a long time my birthday was ALL ABOUT ME...and I loved every minute. Normally when I throw a party, I spend the day running around like a chicken without a head making sure everything is in order. This year however I was able to sit back and relax. I was told all I had to do was show up. It was simply amazing! My family and friends went above and beyond my expectations and did anything and everything to make me feel loved and appreciated. It is because of this that whenever God should decide my time is up, I will surely go a happy man. Thank you ALL for that!
***A Special Thank You Again to my sisters, Isabelle and Tara for all their hard work in putting the party together! My hat goes off... Claude, Joe, Mark, Dave, Cait, Eleni, Tina, Elsy love u guys!***
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