September Miracles ... from cough to cancer My Sister/My Miracle

   While they are too many to number so far in just 9 days of 2012 I will list the most memorable in no particular order and make this post short...

It was on this day September 9 several years ago that the kidney of a 15 year old donor was flown by Life Star all the way from Kentucky to be transplanted into my husband whose kidneys (BOTH) had completely shut down and had been on dialysis for 8+ years while wait listed ... today that one kidney is doing an awesome job in his body ... giving us quality and quantity of life with our loved one ... this is a September miracle that I will ALWAYS remember...

Another Miracle ... just 4 days ago on the monthly anniversary of my surgery I opened up an email from my real life little sister (by 2 years) ... I just happened to open up the inbox to an email addy that I very seldom use and there it was ... this email that my sister had mistakenly sent me there instead of to my current one.... my heart FROZE in my chest and tears smarted my eyes and I went into total PANIC mode before even opening up the email ... and when I did as I moved the mouse towards the message I prayed please God, please GOD.... PLEASE .... and I clicked ... and opened a MIRACLE .... MY SISTER - MY MIRACLE... she was not expected to walk but 1 or 2 blocks at most as she is in fierce battle with bilateral lung CA with mutations in a non-smoker for life .... you who know that story and have stood with me in support both on here and elsewhere KNOW the history ... this is a miracle ... she walked and ENTIRE 5K without fainting ... without oxygen and at the end of the walk not only did she get a medal but she TESTIFIED ...the testimony of a survivor .... she scans came back with AWESOME response to treatment so far and I have been praising and celebrating since...

This is the quoted body of the email that I was so afraid to open up:

Hola Marta:

The Cancer Foundation here in Panama had a 5-kilometer walk on Sunday as fund raiser to support cancerhospital.  Carmela had planned to walk maybe 2 blocks and then wait for us to pick her up, but surprisingly she was able to cover the entire distance and once beyond the finish line she was awarded a medal.  Also, she was able to give testimony up on stage.  Habló de lo más bien.  Ahí tmbién va una foto de un evento de la etnia negra y la convencimos para que se pusiera su pollera de Darién y fuimos a ver el desfile.  Yo creo que se está adaptando a su situación y está mucho más tranquila.  Todavía trabaja, pero menos horas.  Espero que todos ustedes estén bien.  Bueno Marta, cuídate y saludos a todos.   Rosita

These are my real life sisters ... as she claimed her miracle ... and my AWESOME SEPTEMBER MIRACLE... My eldest sister by 2 years on the left and my youngest sister by 2 years on the right and me superimposed into the picture by my son because WHERE THERE IS LOVE THERE ARE NO FRONTIERS ... I am holding up the back ... together WE HAVE THIS!
 

My sister across the META - FINISH LINE
 

My beautiful sista TESTIFYING ... SHE WILL BE MORE THAN A SURVIVOR ... SHE WILL BE AN OVERCOMER ... 

 

My beautiful family overseas ...  from left to right my yougest sister Rosi, my niece's BF, my eldest sister Mela and my niece Iri, Rosi's DD...
 

On 9/5/2012 four days ago this was the BEST present I got for the monthly anniversary of my surgery ... seeing my sister who just a couple months back was on continuous O2 and unable to utter more than a sentence or 2 before being short of breath ...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I am crying for happiness!!!

Four days ago I celebrated the monthly anniversary of my surgery 5 years and 7 months post WLS ... I am living and loving my journey as if it were the very first day ... I am as excited and grateful as I was when I laid on that table in the OR after signing informed consent ... I KNEW I was in for the ride of my life ... a ride that I am so thoroughly enjoying with all its UPs and Downs ...

I went from this....
 

to TODAY 9/9/2012 maintaining a total loss of 203 pounds 5 years and 7 months post WLS.  I took this picture before running off to church and after a morning session of Zumba Fitness followed by Pilates and Toning at Workout and Whitney with my DD the instructor...
 

Yesterday Al and I went to our dearest friend wedding... and I dressed like this...
 

and on the monthly anniversary of my surgery I took a picture with my awesome NEW baby ferret Pandora and looked like this...
 

These are snippets of my life and of my journey ... I have tracked it all in my empowerment journal... A Picture a Day Keeps the Pounds and the Inches away... Thanks for allowing me to share snippets of my journey... as I am determined to stay away from morbid obesity one day at a time, one  choice at a time....

What wonderful blessings you have received! You are as always an inspiration! Love the new ferret

 Thank you so much for your encouragement and support Garnetgal... to think I was too scared to open up that email ... worried about bad news that were unfounded as I was on the phone with my sister the day before but she never mentioned the email ... and I opened it up to the best news in the midst of all she is going through.

That new ferret has stolen all our hearts ... she is a trip and has personality ... we love her LOL

Your posts always inspire me, martitalinda. I look forward to them everytime I come on. I hope I can do as well as you have done with your tool and be an inspiration to others like you are to all of us! 

Soooo happy for your sister and fam and you! :)

 Thank you so much my beautiful sista! It is just my humble testimony and snippets of my life that I share ... because I am grateful ... forever grateful...

Thank you so much for your awesome encouragement and support.

Your sister is obviously a very strong lady. What an amazing accomplishment.

 Thank you Jocelyn,  She is indeed a strong lady and the best of the three of us ... the one we look up to...We and her entire medical team and oncologists in Panamá and in New York are amazed...

What a blessing indeed!! Life is GOOD!!

 It was the most awesome blessing Nell and it gives us hope ... Life is GOOD indeed.

HOw WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!! I see beauty runs well in your family :) . Not just the physical, but the inner as well.