Cystic Fibrosis Awareness

This is for my non-Facebook, non-Twitter friends. I got purple highlights for Cystic Fibrosis awareness. Crazy but fun!!! XO

Golden Globe Fashion 2011

I'm back again with another fashion review. If you haven't seen my previous reviews, and would like to check them out, here they are: Oscar Fashion 2009, Golden Globe Fashion 2010, and Oscar Fashion 2010.

As I always stress, I DO stay away from other reviews before writing mine. I also take into account what the celebrity looks like onscreen as well as in pictures featured online. I also don't just give best or worst dressed based solely on the dress. I take into account the entire look, including make-up and hairstyle.

I have used People.com's site to see red carpet dresses in the past, but the only thing I saw this year on their site was a link to the "best dressed". Of course Angelina was featured as their best dressed, but I didn't click on the link and look further. In the past, they have had a slideshow of all celebs in no particular order, and I could just skip the review part. Because of the way they featured them this year, I used OMG yahoo's site. This will actually make it easier for you to look at my reviews and each dress at the same time in a different window. I am going to review each celeb in the order they are featured in this slideshow. Follow along, and as always, I would LOVE to hear your opinions. Feel free to comment anonymously if you would like. :)

This year's GG awards featured a lot of neutral-colored dresses. I must say that some skin tones can glow in them, and some become easily washed out. It seems that ever since Jennifer Aniston wore this dress to the 2009 Oscars, metallic and neutral dresses have boomed on the red carpet.

It was unbelievably hard to pick this year's best dressed for me. There was so much glamour and so many great looks on the red carpet. I did actually narrow best dressed down to two though, but I will let you know in my reviews below, other celebrities who were also contenders for best dressed.

So here goes... these were my two picks for best dressed this year:



Emma Stone gives new meaning to the phrase "simply beautiful"! The actual color is a little darker peach than seen here in this picture. This truly says that sometimes less can be best. I love everything about her look, from her hair and make-up, to her accessories, and obviously the beautiful backless dress. Her soft up-do, subtle but stunning make-up, simple diamond drop earrings, and her bow ring are a perfect combination to her overall soft, sexy look. To me she screams "Hollywood glamour", and it just doesn't get much better than this.

This leads me to my tie for best dressed:



Catherine Zeta-Jones blew me away last night. The textured fabric of this dark green ballgown was a stunner onscreen and online. It accentuated her amazing figure and flawless skin. I like that she kept her hair down in the back since this was a strapless gown, and her chandelier earrings played perfectly into this look. Her make-up enhanced her lovely skin tone and her dramatic eye make-up gave her eyes just the right pop. Michael Douglas has a lovely woman for sure!!!

Let's talk about my pick for worst dressed:



Not that I expected anything great from Michelle Williams, but this takes the cake. Not only does the petite star look frumpy in this mess of a dress, but the plainness of her hair, and lack of accessories (that make it look like she is going to a barbeque instead of stepping on the red carpet at one of the biggest award shows of the year) only help this celeb look more like a plain jane than a star. The daisy print is obviously a nightmare, but even if the daisies were missing, this dress is ill-fitted and looks more like something made in a home economics class than in a designer's workroom. My advice to Michelle is to fire her stylist ASAP!

Remember, follow along here as I review each celebrity in the order they appear in the slideshow.

Angelina Jolie - Stunning! Definitely one of the contenders for my best dressed. She rarely disappoints on a red carpet. This sparkly, emerald green dress was a perfect color choice for her. I was glad to see her in a bright color, since we so often see her in black. Wide shoulders appear to be coming back in style, and this gown's lines did so much to accentuate Angelina's great figure. I love the waistline and the v-drop in the back. Her hair was a cascade of long mellow waves, and the color was brilliant. A+ for sure!

Scarlett Johansson - What? The Bride of Frankenstein meets Hollywood! You would think she would be trying to impress since she is newly divorced, but I cannot keep from thinking that she went out of her way to do the exact opposite. Not only are her skin and dress the same color, but her hairstyle should be reserved for Halloween only. Again... what?

Eva Longoria - I LOVE everything about this look except for the duct tape used to make cleavage. That part tends to make me think she used to be a pageant contestant. Other than that bit of a flaw, she looks stunning. She wears black as well as any Latino, and the lines of this dress accentuate that amazing figure!!! The gown is accessorized just perfectly on its own without needing accessories elsewhere. Eva's lovely up-do and neutral make-up complete this look!

Anne Hathaway - I do love this metallic, backless number! I do love the color on Anne! I do think that it shows off her figure nicely! Here are some things I DON'T like... even though 80's inspired shoulder pads are coming back, this dress takes it a little overboard. I also think that as young as Anne is, she should have gone with a sleeveless dress instead of long sleeves. Leave that look to Angelina! There is absolutely nothing spectacular about Anne's make-up, hairstyle, or boring clutch. She may as well be going out to lunch with those!!!

Jennifer Lopez - If my grandmother was going to get remarried, I would definitely choose this dress. Enough said!!

Olivia Wilde - Definitely another one of my contenders for best dressed. However, her choppy, severely straight hair (as evidenced by her onscreen capture more than online pictures), and cat-eye make-up, took her from Hollywood glamour to nightclub flair! The dress is to-die-for though!

Julianne Moore - There is no surprise when I see Julianne on the red carpet. She hasn't had a good look in way too many years to count. She always chooses the wrong dress, wrong fabric, wrong color, and boring hairstyle. This pink dress looks thrown together by an amateur seamstress, and as I always say, "Don't wear satin to an award show"! It never photographs well!

Halle Berry - Well, she looks good in black, right? That's the only good thing I can say about the lingerie inspired number she had on last night. Lingerie belongs in the bedroom, not on the red carpet. And what's up with the sheer train?

Christina Aguilera - There are very few gowns consisting of black lace over a neutral fabric that I have ever liked. Neither of these go with Christina's pale skin. Even though Christina is petite with awesome curves, this makes her look frumpy and waist-less. A bracelet or necklace would have also looked nice. Her hair is just blah!

Lea Michele - I'm not usually a ruffle person, as most of you know. I did however like the "idea" behind this dress. The pink color looks great on Lea, but the fabric used for this dress made the seams appear like they were sewed by a faulty sewing machine. I think this look could have gotten an A from me if a less stiff fabric had been used. I really liked her simple, but elegant jewelry and her nicely loose up-do.

Sandra Bullock - 60 year old Joan Jett in a beautiful crystal overlay gown. Hmmm... Nice accessories. Very bad make-up.

Helena Bonham Carter - Bizarre and unconventional pretty much sum Helena up, personality-wise and obviously dress-wise too. She didn't get my worst dressed, because if Helena would have been in something elegant and subtle, it just wouldn't be her. Yes, it's a crazy look she had last night, but it suits her perfectly.

Carrie Underwood - It seems that I've used this word to review Carrie before... BORING! There is nothing that stands out about her look last night. She is one color head-to-toe, and even though the gown fits her nicely, it doesn't give her a wow factor at all. The very minimal accessories and extremely boring hair just make this overall look even more blah!

Sofia Vergera - This girl rocks pretty much anything she wears. Even though this choice of dress wasn't the best she's ever had, she does rock it with her amazing skin-tone, figure, and presence. The color is beautiful, and the black belt accentuates her waist and curves. She completes her amazing look with loose wavy hair and her glamorous make-up and accessories.

Megan Fox - I love Megan's dress. It is very elegant and is embellished perfectly with crystals, and ribbon-like strips. The thing that kept Megan out of best dressed choices is the fact that her hair and make-up are way under-stated. She looks pale and her hair looks more wig-like than natural.

Natalie Portman - Pregnant or not, Natalie can always rock a dress. I loved the "idea" of this dress. The gown flows nicely over Natalie's pregnant frame, and the rose applique could have been great if had been a color much closer to the original dress. The fact that it is red and is paired with a red clutch and red shoes, take away from Natalie's overall look. Natalie's hair looks great from the front, but the back makes me want to question whether or not her new fiance chose to style it for her.

Jennifer Lawrence - The picture of her featured on OMG Yahoo does not show the full beauty of this dress. I am going to write this review based on what I saw onscreen. I loved the look!!! From the wide black straps to the Spanish-inspired skirt, this dress was amazing. I also like the black and white airbrushed look. Her heels were beautiful, and I loved her messy up-do.

Heidi Klum - Heidi usually fails to impress, and she made no exception last night. I'm not sure what was up with this draped, striped number that used all the left over material to bunch together a belt. Heidi's hair looked like it needed a good coloring, and her make-up looked like a Mary Kay consultant did it. Will she ever get a red carpet look right?

Jennifer Love Hewitt - I totally get this dress!!! Jennifer had an old satin comforter and sheet set that she needed recycling. The heavy neckline on this dress, cheap-looking jeweled waistline, and overdone skirt made Jennifer look like an overweight grandmother. Her piled-high hairdo just added to this overall major FAIL!

Julia Stiles - She actually looked stunning last night! From her loose, curly hair to her amazing mermaid dress, she was the epitome of Hollywood elegance.

Kyra Sedgwick - If I were to take the guts of a pumpkin and make them into a dress, this would be the result! Her jewelry reminds me of an Egyptian queen (and not in a good way), and her severely-parted up-do did nothing to enhance her facial features.

Claire Danes - Although I would have chosen a different color for this dress, I do love it, and I think the simplicity of it does a great job of not overpowering her small frame. The high neckline, cutaway shoulders, and accentuated waistline hung great on Claire's petite figure. I am not too thrilled about Claire's hairstyle or accessories. They both could have been a little bolder.

Kelly Osbourne - She has worked so hard to get fit! This look that she chose last night did nothing to show that! The one-shoulder, satin nightmare that she was wearing looked like a backdrop to a play featuring a lightening bolt prop! Her hair looked greasy and her make-up made her look way older than she is.

Jane Krakowski - This is how you do preggers on the red carpet! She was probably the most stunning expectant mother I have ever seen at an awards show. From her golden locks, bright chunky earrings, one-shoulder blue gown with lace accent, to her perfectly professional make-up job, Jane is a definite stunner!

Nicole Kidman - Why do I always feel like I repeat myself when I write a review about Nicole Kidman's red carpet look? Oh, it's because I do, and because she always chooses a flesh colored gown that goes horribly with her skin-tone. I would love to see the dress she wore last night in color! The one-shoulder gown was nothing spectacular, but if it were perhaps a bright red or green, accessorized with some chunky jewelry, and paired with an elegant up-do, it could definitely become a look to remember.

Jane Lynch - This dress just proves that there are good uses for recycled trash bags. She should get an A+ just for going green! Go Jane... once again, you have failed to impress!

Tilda Swinton - Not worthy of my review!

Leighton Meester - The picture of this dress does nothing to show the beauty of it. I really liked it onscreen! I think it would have been well suited on someone older than Leighton, but it did fit her frame nicely. Even though this is another neutral color, it did have some silver airbrush-like color added to it. I loved Leighton's chunky, silver platform heels, but wasn't impressed with her hairstyle or accessories.

Elisabeth Moss - Origami gone bad! This green dress with an accordion-like bust, and patched waistline and hips didn't flatter Elisabeth in the least. Accessories were blah, and her hair was more suited for shopping than the red carpet.

Annette Benning - She absolutely looked like a transvestite to me last night. The dress wasn't bad, but it would have been nicer in a bright color. Annette's hairstyle, lack of make-up and nerdy glasses were all a tad scary!

Julie Bowen - Once again, this overall look was better featured onscreen than online. I loved everything about it!!! The taupe dress did have quite a few ruffles, but they weren't overbearing on Julie's small frame. I loved the lines running through her dress, and it fit her figure so well. Julie's hair was simple and elegant, and her dramatic eyes made a statement on their own!

Sarah Hyland - This was a little too much dress for this petite star. I did like the embellishments on the dress and her lovely necklace, and the way the dress flows at the bottom is stunning. Sarah's soft bangs were a nice change from the severe choppy bangs we have been seeing lately.

Christina Hendricks - I usually love this redhead in red. Not so much last night! The dress was overbearing, even though Christina isn't petite, and she has some nice curves. The flower-like embellishment that extends up into Christina's hair makes it look like it's attacking her. I think she should stick with embellishments around her waist or on her hips. She should have had her hair up for such a dress as this.

Dianna Agron - ANOTHER contender for best dressed. Even though I tend to steer clear of those who seem to be the same color from head to toe, she pulled it off beautifully! Her neutral dress had a shimmer to it that went great with her accessories... especially her royal-like necklace!!! Her loose, wavy, Hollywood hair topped it all off nicely!

Mila Kunis - Yet another contender for my best dressed! Once again, we had a beautiful, bold green gown on the red carpet last night. I loved the heavy fabric, the one-shoulder poof, and the waist wraps on this dress. It fit her perfectly! Her up-do was old Hollywood glam! She is definitely on her way to being a big star, and last night's look proved it.

January Jones - Once again, she proves that Ashton Kutcher did the right thing when he dumped her years ago! Does she ever look in the mirror before stepping out on the red carpet? The bandage-like dress looked like it was on backwards, and her old-hollywood hairstyle would have been better suited on someone with more grace and style.

Amy Adams - I was truly hoping she would get it right this year. Her dress choices always overpower her... even when she was expecting! This odd blue number, with some child-like cutouts on the embellishments, is all wrong. Amy's hair also, once again, fails to impress.

Mila Jovovich - The overall silhouette of this dress is stunning! When you get down to the details... not so much! There is nothing spectacular about any part of this dress. Mila's side-swept hair is as boring as the rest of her.

Tina Fey - I must say that this dress looked much better onscreen! I did like the royal blue color, the fabric, and the fit of this dress. I am not impressed by the ruffled sleeves, neckline, or by Tina's hair-don't. I do love her accessories however!

Hailee Steinfeld - What an amazing look! Nothing like a straight, side ponytail to keep this beautiful look youthful, but elegant. The pearl halter dress had just enough character to stand out, but not overpower this young star. She gets an A+ from me!

Melissa Leo - There is nothing spectacular about this dress at all. It's black (blah), it has a square neckline (blah), and even though it's sparkly, it has no character (obvious blah)! She could have found a gown to fit her figure better, and done something different with her mess of a hairstyle!

Jayma Mays - Can you say MOUSY? The hairstyle, the dress, the orange lipstick ALL go towards making this overly thin star look like a dressed up mouse. I took a long hard look and really tried to find something positive to say about her look, but it's just not coming to me...

Vanessa Williams - The one-shoulder metallic dress is beautiful. Would I have picked it for Vanessa? Nope! Not at all! Her figure isn't what it was 20 years ago, and I don't think she pulled off this figure hugging gown like she would have when she was younger. I totally think it was a bad choice for her!

Piper Perabo - I loved this dress onscreen. In the photos online, it's just "ok". It is in NO WAY a contender for best dressed, but it is definitely elegant, and when paired with Piper's beautiful up-do (better seen onscreen), and her amazing figure, it truly does shine!

Katey Sagal - Have you ever tried on one of those ill-fitting Halloween costumes? I believe that's what Katey did before stepping out on the red carpet! I can't say much more!

Gabourey Sidibe - Hmmm. I cannot figure out whether I like or hate this dress. Gabourey is a very hard fit, because of her obvious obesity. Aside from that, she has pulled off some nice looks in the past. This gown isn't horrible on her, but it isn't great either. If I had to stay neutral on any dress of the evening, this would probably be it.

Edie Falco - First of all, who? Second of all, I have nothing to say about this. Really!

Helen Mirren - This is SUCH an age-appropriate dress. I love everything about this look. Her diamond necklace is amazing! Her hair is perfect! Her dress is flattering! She gets an A+ from me for sure!

Amber Riley - Please tell me this looked much better onscreen, because here it looks like a big roll of aluminum foil! I do think the lines of the dress are perfect for her figure, including the waist-cinching belt, but the fabric is hard to get past!

Jenna Uskowitz - Simply gorgeous! Casey says that this dress looks like a prom dress above the waist and a Golden Globe dress below the waist. I just think that it's an overall Golden Globe WIN!!! I think Jenna looks stunning from her loose, curly hair to the bottom of her ruffly blue dress.

Jessalyn Gilsig - Fist of all... what a name... wow! I think this brocade dress was gorgeous onscreen. I'm not sure of the color, but I know it wasn't completely black. It would never get on the best dressed list, but it was definitely worth a look. Jessalyn's hairstyle and accessories were a perfect addition to this lovely dress!

Julianne Hough - I loved everything about this! The neckline of this black dress was adorned with a necklace-like applique, and the dress itself fit Julianne perfectly. I also loved her simple, but elegant up-do! A+ for sure!

Kaley Cuoco - Ewwwwww!!!! Nothing about her hair, her face, her skin, her dress, her accessories stick out!!!! She would get lost in the background if there weren't black letters on the signboard. What made her choose this?

Giuliana Rancic - Pretty? YES! Elegant? YES! Memorable? NO! Sometimes I think she tries too hard!

There are more celebs that I saw on the red carpet that I wanted to review. I cannot remember their names, and none of them were best or worst dressed, so I won't try to find them. This year, was by far, the hardest I've had to review as of yet. I am hoping that the Oscar's prove to be easier. Please leave your comments below. I would love to hear your thoughts whether you agree or disagree with my reviews. :)

Something I wrote a few years back

My Life as a Brunette

Five weeks ago, I decided to become a brunette. I hadn't had brown hair in almost 10 years, and even then, I didn't consider myself a "brunette". It was always light brown. I wanted to see what it felt like. I wanted to actually call myself a brunette.. so after my hairdresser's 5 minute protest, she finally agreed to send me into brunetteland!

I found out some things during that time. First of all, even after having dark brown hair for a full 5 weeks, I still shocked myself everytime I looked in the mirror. I saw myself as pale and washed out, because I had been used to looking at blonde hair for so long. The day after I colored it, I wanted to immediately go and get blonde highlights. I called my hairdresser and she told me to give it a week.

Blondes and brunettes definitely get different responses from other people. Now, personally, I am drawn to people with darker hair. If you put a magazine in front of me and there is a blonde and a brunette on the same page, my eye will automatically go to the brunette. I don't know why.. I guess it's just the way I am. It's also one of the reasons I wanted to try it out.

As a brunette, I found women to be friendlier towards me. It wasn't my imagination. It's true. I don't know if women see a brunette woman as more trustworthy, friendly, or what, but I definitely got a more positive response from females. The opposite was true for men. It was almost like I became invisible. Not that I want men hitting on me, but it was so obvious that most men do prefer blondes. I did have a handful of men at church tell me they liked my brown hair, but for the most part, I would get a shake of the head (like "I can't believe you did that"), an actual "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" or an "Oh, you colored your hair" response, which we all know means... "I can't stand it". My dad even shook his head at me.

As for my husband, he has always preferred brunettes so he tells me. He did like me as a brunette, but told me that he missed my blonde hair. After all, he married a blonde, right? Soooooo, after living 5 very long weeks with dark brown hair, I am finally a blonde again.

I learned a lot about people and myself while living in brunetteland. I also learned that I never want to go back there. Not because I don't like brunettes, because like I said, I naturally am drawn to them, but because I don't like ME as one.

Looking back... and looking forward

As the year comes to an end, I can't help but be in disbelief that the first decade of the new century is over! Where did it go?

Between the year 2000 and this past year, I have had a living-lobar transplant, kidney transplant, four sinus surgeries, and several other smaller surgeries. I have been very, very sick and also been through several recoveries. Although my health has had its ups and downs, and continues to have these, it has mostly been the ups that I remember.

My daughter has grown from a 5 year old to a 15 year old who is now in high school and is driving. She has shown us that she is extremely academically inclined, and as her personality has continued to develop, we have come to see just how driven, compassionate, and loving she can be. Every year with her has been a bigger blessing, and I can't imagine loving anyone more!!!

Unfortunately, these years have also brought along divorce, heartache, and many lessons to be learned. How thankful I am that God has been a part of all of that, and has brought everyone through this with a greater sense of thankfulness for the things we do have, and continue to receive.

Over the past 7 years, I have come to know many other people with Cystic Fibrosis, and many others who have had transplants. I cannot stress enough how important these people are in my life, and how close our bond has become. Knowing people from one end of the world to the other with this disease, has truly brought light to what others go through, and how everyone has a different story. It has been very enlightening for sure.

I also must reflect on how amazing my long-time friends are, and how, through my struggles, they have stood by me. They mean so much to me, and it feels so great that no matter how often we talk, whether it be weekly, monthly, or every 6 months, it's like we haven't been apart a day. Most of them are in Virginia, or scattered elsewhere, but distance most definitely does not dictate closeness.

My family, including immediate and extended, continue to be a rock for me. They never fail to be there when I need them (or even donate organs to me when I need them), and are always loving and understanding. Having the majority of my family at my 40th birthday party this year, was testament to just how blessed I am, and how awesome they are!!!

Finding my Jason has been a huge part of this decade, and has given me a soul mate with whom I intend on sharing the rest of my life, no matter how long! I am so truly blessed that I have found someone who is always there for me, and is my rock when I need it most. It was rough at first, bringing baggage from both of our pasts into this marriage, but as we continue to grow closer, that baggage seems more distant each day. Loving, laughing, and living seems so much easier with him!

As my struggles continue, to stay healthy and remain physically strong, I am surrounded by family and friends who love me so dearly. How blessed I am to have them in my life. To have YOU in my life. As this decade closes, I want to reflect on the positive things to come this next year, and the years after. I know great things are in store for my friends and family, and how thrilled I am to be a part of it all.

God Bless you all and Happy New Year!!!! XO

Lungapalooza: A Walk For Breath

On September 19th, 2010, the inaugural Lungapalooza: A Walk for Breath was held at Duke University Medical Center. The Lungapalooza is an event to raise money for the Lung Transplant Foundation, a non-profit organization who's mission is "to promote and advance research in order to improve long-term outcomes among lung transplant recipients".

Below is a slide show put together by Amber, a dear friend who has had two double lung transplants, and who was a major facilitator in making the Lungapalooza happen. The photographs were mostly taken by me and by another amateur photographer who works for Duke University's Center for Living.

Enjoy!!!

Lungapalooza from Amber Wesemann on Vimeo.

Brain zaps... no fun at all!

I write this, not so that my friends can laugh at me or question me, but I write it to educate others who are coming off of SSRI's. I am brain zapping so bad the past two days that I want to sit in a corner and cry. I have been on Paxil or Celexa many, many times in the past. Starting 10 or 11 years ago before my first transplant. I have easily tapered down and come off of them when the doc and I agree I'm ready. No problems at all!

The last time I came off of them, I had what people call brain zaps. You know... the things that some docs, some nurses, some lay persons call myths. After a couple of days, these zaps went away, and I wasn't bothered with them anymore.

THe VERY first time that I heard of brain zaps was from my husband trying to come off of Zoloft. He described them as a slight electrocution to the head everytime you try to move your head from side to side, and he also described them of the feeling you get in your head when you have a fever where you can't move your head side to side without getting a tingling/zapping/irritating feeling.

WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT ZAPPING TO THE EXTREME!!!! I am currently weening off of Paxil according to my docs directions. It has gotten so bad that I just (literally) want to crawl under the bed and hide ... maybe for the rest of my life... I'm deciding. UGHHHH! It's SO bad. I cannot turn my head, I cannot talk, I cannot do anything but look straight forth. I feel sorry for those who's sig. others, family hasn't believed them. I'm so bad now, that J and C KNOW not to come around me. LOL. I am going to try to sleep after I finish crying, but I'm praying these things are gone in the morning so that I can have some kind of social life that allows my daughter and hub into my life again. THis is crazy, this is wrong, and to ANY DOCTOR who doesn't believe this happens... we all should record it.. It's NOT a nice picture!!!!

Please help.. it's so easy! :)

Family Mountain Vaca

TV talk... again!

I did a post about TV shows way back when... http://colormehealthy.blogspot.com/2009/04/tv-and-other-things.html I thought, since some of my shows have gone off the air, and some of my favorites have changed, I'd write another one. As you can tell from my list of shows, I am not into reality tv. There really is nothing real about them, and I just don't find them entertaining.

I'd love to hear the shows you guys love! Feel free to share in the comments section. :)

House - I love this show for the same reasons I did a year ago. Hugh Laurie is still my number one FAVORITE TV actor (followed very closely by Alex O'Loughlin). It's a medical show.. what can I say? Medical is my life.

Fringe - This is still one of my favorite shows, but the recent story-line regarding Peter and the parallel universe hasn't been my favorite. I liked it better when every week was a mystery, and such an enigma that you couldn't figure out what was going on. I will definitely keep watching it though.

Doctor Who - Do I miss David Tennant as the Doctor? You betcha. Am I still watching it? Yep! I do like Matt Smith. As all the Doctors before him, he does have his charm. The episodes are darker than they were when David was the Doctor, and this is definitely more in tune with the old episodes. I'm not crazy about Amy, but like all companions, she won't last. I doubt I will ever quit watching this show.

Criminal Minds - Still a great show! It keeps me guessing every week. I like that. Anything serial killer"ish" will get my attention. LOVE all of the actors, but very sad that they are getting rid of J.J.'s and Emily's characters. Boo on that!!!!!!!!! Not sure who they are replacing them with, if anyone.

Lie to Me - Still a favorite of mine. I think there may have been one episode that didn't interest me. The rest fascinate me!!! If you haven't seen an episode of this, it's not to late to jump in the game. You can quickly catch up. It's all about a team that reads facial features, and gestures to see if the person is lying or not. Pretty useful information in real life too. haha!! I just love Tim Roth in the lead. He has always been such an underrated actor.

Memphis Beat - Ok, here's a new one!! Jason Lee stars as a very skilled detective with great instincts and a ton of musical talent. This show is funny with a bit of mystery! I'm not usually one for "cop" shows, but this is one of my favorite shows now!! :)

The Gates - Seriously? Vampire and Werewolves? Haven't we had enough of those? It's kind of soap opera"ish", which I'm usually not into, but this is a story I want to finish. I do want to see what happens. And the whole "protected community" thing is interesting. I'm eager to see where the writers take this.

HawthoRNe - Who doesn't love Jada Pinkett Smith? Of course the medical part of the show is what drew me in to begin with, but having her as the star makes this show worth watching. I like the drama, the medical stories, the love stories, and the struggle for power that the characters have. Not sure if this show is going to last or not, but I'll watch it as long as it's on.

I'm very, very sad that Three Rivers, Monk, and Eleventh Hour are off the air. I loved all three of those shows!!! I don't even think they gave Three Rivers a chance. Just so glad that Alex O'Loughlin will be starring in the new Hawaii Five 0 this fall. :)

Shows that I never watched before, but am catching up on now are Desperate Housewives (which I love so much, I have bought all of the seasons that are out so far), Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, and Nip/Tuck. Yeah, these are my guilty pleasures!!! All 4 will draw you in, so if you aren't planning on spending your dollars for the copies and your time in front of the tv catching up, don't start watching any of these.. LOL!!!

Ups and downs and all arounds

Hi blogger world! Another lengthy break between posts. I thought I would give everyone an update on the happenings in our lives.

I'll start with my health and get that out of the way. :) Most of you know they found skin cancer on my toe of all places. Yeah, that's what you get for being immunosuppressed. To make a long story short.. thought I was going to have to have it surgically removed, and a skin graft done. Saw a surgeon at Duke yesterday and he seems to think "that would be like putting a campfire out with a fire truck". Hehe. He said it would do the job, but he thought that was way overdoing it. Squamous Cell Carcinoma or SCC can become invasive and in rare cases metastasize, but he doesn't seem to think that I have reason to worry about either of those. For right now, I'm just going to be using a chemotherapy-like cream on it called Aldara. I use it on my face also for some places I have there that look suspicious. I see my dermatologist pretty regularly at Duke, so she will keep a watchful eye on it.

I have been having some swelling for the past month or so. I saw my nephrologist yesterday, and he doesn't think it's my kidney causing it. He ran a few extra tests to make sure, but if I continue to have it, I will need to have some studies done on my heart and liver to rule them out as the cause.

Let's talk about hair loss.. ughh!!! So, you all know I lost most of my hair after my lung transplant, a lot of my hair after my kidney transplant, and that the rATG treatment I had for my chronic rejection back in March was beginning to thin it too. Well, these past 2 weeks have been awful as far as hair loss goes. I'm not so sure why I'm so prone to hair loss when I'm given meds to knock out my immune system. I have friends who have been given much stronger meds, and it didn't affect their hair in any way. I'm frustrated!!!! I really am. This is the 3rd time, and I know if I ever have to get another treatment for my chronic rejection again, it will happen a 4th. I am taking Biotin and using men's rogaine (per my dermatologist's suggestion), but so far, I'm not seeing any difference.

So on to more exciting things... Casey has had a very busy summer. She has been to the beach twice, to Sint Maarten, will be going to visit her cousins in Pennsylvania for a long weekend, and will go with my family to the mountains in several weeks. She is currently in the middle of her driver's ed classes. One week down after today, and one week to go. She gets her learner's permit in November.. YIKES!!!!

She wants to start tutoring this coming school year to raise money for her Spain trip that she is taking next spring. Her father and I have told her that we want her to raise $1000 for the trip, so she has already been saving her allowance. We'll see how that goes. LOL.

Jason is working a crazy shift now.. 11 am to 8 pm. It's really not so bad, because he gets up early and gets things done, and since we eat dinner late anyway, he is home for dinner. Of course it's not the ideal work schedule, but much better than the night shift. We aren't sure how long he will stay on this shift.

We FINALLY, yes FINALLY have our house up for sale. We've had one interested buyer, but haven't heard back again from her. We haven't really advertised yet other than sticking a for sale sign in the front yard, so I'll be getting on that this coming week. We are looking to move about 20 minutes from here, which will be closer to Jason's work, and closer to the school that Casey's current school will be moving to in 2011. Plus, it will get us out of city taxes which will be nice.

My birthday party is coming up as most of you know. We still have a lot of planning to do.. most of all... meeting with our caterer about the menu. I'm super excited about seeing all of my family, old friends, new friends, friends I've only known from the net, etc. What a great time it's going to be. I have to admit I'm a little anxious though, because of my hearing loss. I don't do well in social situations that are noisy because of that. Of course I'll have my hearing aid on, but I'll still struggle with it.

The rest of my family is doing well. My nephew goes to kindergarten this year.. just super unbelievable. The pups are good, and in general.. life is good. I hope it is for all of you as well. XOXO

Random photos:

Thankfulness

As my friend Lori and I sat down at a half-cleaned table in the Duke South cafeteria at Duke University Medical Center, we reflected on the two people sitting at the table behind us. We talked about how weird, amazing, and awesome it was. We talked about the rarity of it, and how there are only a handful of people in the world who could be sitting where we were and thinking about what we were thinking.

Here's the thing.... Lori's mom Sheryl gave her part of her lung when Lori was on the verge of death. Her dad was the other donor. Lori was the 2nd living-lobar transplant done at Duke University Medical Center (I was the 4th), a transplant center known for it's cutting edge medical care. Here I come a year later... dying to see someone who has had a transplant... there were no transplant chat rooms at that time, and I had never talked with anyone who had a lung transplant. A nurse introduces me to Lori, another transplant recipient who received the same type transplant I was about to receive. I was amazed.

Not only at her strength, beauty and courage, but at her nonchalant attitude about it all. I was so happy to meet her and later her sister Shannon, who was waiting on lungs the same time I was. Yes... two sisters with Cystic Fibrosis, one who was post-transplant, one who was pre.

So back to today. Lori and I sitting at one table so we could have "young" girl talk. Our moms, our donors, our life savers, sitting at the next to have adult conversation and talk about the difficulties of having children with chronic illnesses. Lori and I talked about it. We were in awe for just a minute that "we" had part of "them" inside of us.

Life is not only about giving, but also about appreciating the gifts you have been given. Thank you Mom. Thank you Uncle Joey (my other donor). Thank you Sheryl. Thank you Dave (Lori's dad). You are Lori's and my heroes. We love you!!!!

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