I’ll Have the Time of My Life

I am sitting in my car outside of Ketterman’s Sand Point Pharmacy, crying happy tears. 

I had never heard of this place before this morning, but it makes me think of “Kellerman’s” (the fake Catskills resort) from “Dirty Dancing.” And that’s just about perfect. Why, you might ask?

Because NOBODY PUTS BABY IN A CORNER.

I met with my Infectious Disease doctor this morning for a consultation after he met with my transplant team... and they approved me for the Yellow Fever vaccine! 

This request was apparently a first for the team and I’m sure it’s kind of funny when you think about the Not-A-Meth-Addict wanting to go to Africa, because why should this be any less weird than anything else about me or my case?

Apparently there is a nationwide shortage of this vaccine, so they weren’t able to do it at UW, hence the referral to Ketterman’s Pharmacy.

We will have to have a very specific and careful plan to keep me safe from infection while we’re there, but I’ve now reserved my right so that some day The Boy, my new heart and I will see all of the beautiful, wild creatures I’ve dreamt of seeing my entire life on the beautiful continent of Africa. 

Even the gorillas.

You guys, sometimes you just get a sign. This one was hanging by the cash register at Ketterman’s until a few minutes ago. Now it will hang in my Recovery Room as a reminder of what I’m going to fight for during the tough days post-transplant. In case you can’t read it in the attached photo, here’s what it says:

“Life is short and the world is wide.”

And I’m gonna see it all.