Celebrating 15 Years of Heart Heath

15 years ago I was in a pediatric intensive care unit unsure if I would be able to wake up on Christmas morning in my own bed. What 9 year old doesn't dream of open heart surgery for Christmas, right? ha. What my parents and I didn't know, was that the outcome of my fateful December 4th date with the operating room would end with the implantation of a pacemaker-the 3rd generation of which I still sport (it was another Christmas "gift" my senior year of college).

What I choose to celebrate the weekend of December 4th every year is the fact that I live a "normal" life (haha, that is the kicker kids- check the header- What is Normal, Anyways?). But in terms of a "heart kid" I am more like a "normal kid."  I don't take daily meds (well, heart related ones), I only have to attend annual in office visits to my cardiologist (and yes, I still visit the peds clinic!), I am only limited to avoiding contact sports, sky diving, scuba diving and arc welding (so, yes, I had to change my career dream of being a marine biologist who could weld too-seriously- but I was a kid, so I may have changed my mind in time, regardless of the pacemaker). Oh and I always get a "private security screening" (aka, frisked) at the airport, since they freak out if I try to go through the metal detector. Perks, people, perks.

So about that celebrating. I choose to spend my 15 year anniversary post open heart/pacemaker joy with one of my college roomies and bestie Abigail (and hubby George!) in Charlotte, NC.

We gossiped, we ate, we photographed, we fell down on sleet covered streets (ok, that was just me), we ogled at orchids, we ogled at jellyfish, we acted our shoe size and played with balls (both large and small. tehehe), we ate, we pole danced (ok, only Ab did really....I invented a new move called the lemur-it's really sexy....not- and only have really sore arms to show for it), we loved on the dog (or maybe I just harassed her, but the little squirrel loves me anyways) we ate, we watched movies, we blogged, we cooked (ok, she cooked-I took more pictures), we ate, we slept late, we laid on beds of nails, oh and did I mention we ate?

I can't think of a better way to celebrate, or with better company.

Enjoy the Semi-Abnormalness:

Love to all,
~the "card carryin', pacemaker totin' heart kid" herself, Jess