Hey everyone! 

I know it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything on Tumblr. That’s really just because I’ve gotten a pretty overwhelming response to my last post about my new campaign for Blood & Organ Donation. But I’ll write an update to that this weekend. 

THIS post is about my TWITTER CONTEST!

Since I’m so close to the milestone of 20,000 followers on Twitter, I decided to reward my most interactive (or my newest) followers with some special prizes from three sick merchandise companies that I truly love and wear all the time. It’s REALLY simple to win! 

My 20,000th follower will win a variety of merchandise of their choosing (up to a predetermined amount) from Bardown Hockey, DU Lifestyle and Ref You Suck. Company representatives will contact you within 24 hours after I have announced you as a winner.

Now I know, some of you pre-existing followers are all in a tizzy thinking you don’t qualify. Not so! If you have been following me already, then pay attention to my updates. When I’m about 50 followers away from the goal, you can unfollow & refollow to try to 20K - just like calling, hanging up and calling again to qualify for a radio contest! 

RULES:

- Must live in North America for shipping purposes
- Must remain following me for at least one week after the contest ends (This is to prevent anyone from following for 5 minutes just to win. Real, dedicated followers deserve to win this contest.)
- Upon winning, must follow @BardownHockey, @DuLifestyleCo and @RefYouSuck

Thank you all for your support and for being such loyal followers! Make sure you follow my tweets closely as this number is sure to be hit within the next 14 days. So head on over to the sponsors’ websites and start picking out your gear!

Live long & prosper, 

Missy Deyo
@MissyDeyo

First of all, I’d like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit my blog. That you would care enough to keep up with me or check in once in a while is just so thoughtful. I truly appreciate all of your care and concern. 

I am writing this particular blog post because I have been fighting hard in an uphill battle recently. My first inclination was to pity myself, hide out and become depressed, which is understandable, but only makes the situation that much worse. Over time, I latched on to my supportive family and friends and found ways to push through and become more positive. Though there are still days that leave me feeling exasperated, I am learning that no pain lasts forever. The sun always, always dries up the rain eventually. 

I have tried to help people by sharing my story as honestly and openly as possible, and I have had the privilege to unite with countless individuals who are undergoing their own trials and tribulations. Finally though, I am ready to launch into what I’m sure will be a lifelong campaign for me. I’m ready to use my story and my penchant for networking and social media to change lives. 

A TINY BIT OF BACK STORY…

For those of you who don’t know me and are reading my blog for the first time, you may not know that I have been very sick. I have been sick on and off for my entire life, but the issue only began to reveal itself when I was 15 years old. What started out as a couple of kidney stones has, over time, become a life threatening issue. 

To learn about my health issue, please read this previous blog post by clicking here. Before asking me personal questions, I’d appreciate you reading the blog simply because the story itself is a rather exhausting and emotionally tender issue, and I often am not feeling very well in general. 

(Swollen after my major surgery on August 15th, 2012)

(Getting emotional in September 2012 after I was told that my surgery had worked and I would soon be completely fine. Less than a week later, I ended up in emergency again. The doctors told me that they were wrong and my surgery in August was actually unsuccessful.)

(Filming my on-camera segment at work in November 2012. Hiding my nephrostomy bag under my jersey.)

This coming December 14th 2012,  my right kidney will be removed. The doctors are hoping that enough time has passed since my last major surgery in August (I’ve had a couple minor ones since then) for them to perform this surgery laparoscopically, but they may need to do a very large incision. Donated blood will be on stand by for possible transfusions. The surgery will go one of two ways - I’ll either be much better afterward or my remaining kidney won’t be enough to support me due to its lifelong history of infections, stones, etc. Regardless, recovery from this surgery is going to be tough - especially since this will mark the 19th surgery/procedure since May 2011. (I have also had about 8 stents in my ureter and three nephrostomy tubes - one of which I currently have right now.) Many people have nephrectomies, but my situation is incredibly rare. A lot of people, with the best of intentions, tell me, “Everything will be fine.” Anyone who has ever been sick or suffered an accident knows that can be very frustrating to hear. I may still be alive and kicking, but 19 surgeries isn’t exactly what I would call fine! Even if everything goes great, this is still an incredibly difficult physical and emotional journey. The pain afterward will be excruciating - I know from experience.

Even if this surgery is successful and my health is okay for several years afterward, it is extremely likely that in the future I will need a kidney transplant or dialysis due to my particular health issues. Infections and stones, which are common with me, will become highly dangerous. Future surgeries are almost an absolute certainty. Here is where the campaign comes in.

THE CAMPAIGN!

For a long time, I have been wondering how I can turn my struggles into something positive, my heartache into happiness, my lemons into lemonade. Finally, I have found a way.

Today I am launching the So, So Much Hope campaign. From now, November 21st 2012 until December 25th, 2013, it is my goal to get 1000 people to sign up to become organ donors and/or donate blood. Due to my large Twitter following, that number almost seems too small, so if I feel that goal is easily attainable I will raise it to 10,000 people.

Now, I’m not asking you all to undergo surgery and give up a kidney. You can all become organ donors when your time on earth is up, as organ donation does not necessarily come from living people. You can sign up now so that when you pass away some day, doctors can use your organs and even tissue to save others’ lives. One person who is an organ donor can save up to 8 lives! If So, So Much Hope meets its goal, potentially 8000 lives will be saved, and if we raise the stakes, then potentially 80,000 people will be saved. Isn’t that amazing?!

Organ and blood donation can help millions of people suffering from a huge variety of illnesses and issues from cancer to car accidents. 

Donating blood is just as crucial as donating organs. Canada and the United States use over 43,000 units of blood EVERY SINGLE DAY!

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE SO, SO MUCH HOPE CAMPAIGN!

1. Visit my page at beadonor.ca & sign up to be an organ donor!
Canadians click here.
Americans click here.

2. Donate blood at your nearest blood bank!
Canadian click here:
American click here:

3. Email me at missdeyo@live.ca or tweet me @miss_deyo a picture of you signing up to become a donor or donating blood with your full name. Your picture will be posted to my campaign website (that will be launched soon!)

4. Share this blog post and tell friends about the So, So Much Hope Campaign!

5. Pat yourself on the back because you are a hero. You have selflessly saved lives and you have helped me make my dream come true. :)

HAVE YOU OR HAS SOMEONE YOU LOVE RECEIVED A TRANSPLANT OR BLOOD TRANSFUSION?

Submit your story (maximum five paragraphs) and photos of the time you or someone you love received an organ transplant or a blood transfusion. If you are currently waiting for one, share your story as well! Your story will be shared on the campaign website (launching soon) as well as Twitter and Facebook to encourage others and motivate them to become donors! Make sure you have permission to share the story.

Contact Missy Deyo
Email: missdeyo@live.ca
Twitter: @miss_deyo
Facebook: Facebook.com/missdeyo

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me and helped me in so many ways. Thank you to those who have shared their stories or written me to share your appreciation for my openness about my illness. Thank you to all who have inspired me. Above all, thank you for giving me so, so much hope. 

Today is a pretty heartbreaking day. After an epic 23-month battle with my kidneys, specifically my right, I lost. I had an emergency visit with my urologist this morning after spending Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday in E.R. and found out that my major surgery in August (the 14th procedure/surgery since the beginning) was unsuccessful. It was our last hope to save my right kidney, and now it will have to be removed. I’ll be having a minor emergency surgery today to put a new stent (tube from my kidney to bladder) back in so my kidney can drain while we prepare for it to come out within the next 2-6 months.

Unfortunately, because the surgery I had in August was done laparoscopically (gas pumped into a few small incisions to lift the skin off the organs), I can’t have the same type of surgery to remove my kidney because it would cause way too much inflammation to perform the surgery properly or heal from it properly. It will be a large incision. I joked with my doctor and said that was even better because the laparoscopic surgery was so painful and he said, “Well, I won’t lie, this will probably be worse.”

Before anyone tries to share the common rhetoric of “Well that’s why you have two kidneys! No big deal!” - it doesn’t work that way for me. I’m not a typical person with two healthy kidneys. I’ll continue doing everything in my power to keep my body as healthy and strong as possible, but BOTH of my kidneys are sick. In fact, the left kidney creates the most stones and has had many issues on and off since I was 15 (10 years). With the right kidney removed, I’ll just have to live with a certain amount of pain and exhaustion from the left having to work harder. Bladder infections or kidney stones (which are both frequent for me) will be much more dangerous.

I wont go on a transplant list until the doctors see how I do with just one kidney. That’s just the way it works. Transplants can be amazing but they can also be very dangerous - your body either accepts them or rejects them. There are also combination treatments to help my left kidney function better.

This isn’t the kind of thing where taking out my right kidney will make me “back to normal” or “100% better”. It will be tough and it will be dangerous and it will be risky, but I’ll just have to get used to a new kind of normal and keep up my positive attitude! It’s likely that I’ll end up on a transplant list down the road.

If you don’t know what’s been going on, you’re likely wondering how this all happened. Well, I’ve been making kidney stones for many, many years. We didn’t know that, though, until I was 15 and began having frequent back pain. After a year of misdiagnoses, a CT Scan in E.R. showed kidney stones. I’ve had several isolated attacks on and off for years and had occasional visits to the urologist, but no one could figure out why this was happening. My last visit was in 2008 when I was 20.

When I was 23 (2010) and had just moved to Ottawa for work (I was the sole manager of a large clothing company for a few years, first in Kingston, then Ottawa), I went to emerge for what I thought was a bad kidney infection. An ultrasound showed nearly two dozen sizable stones between both kidneys. The doctors in Ottawa hemmed and hawed over what to do and decided to leave it alone, but for some reason I got very sick, very fast and stayed that way.

I was so sick that by January 2011 I could no longer work. I moved to Oshawa to live with my mom so I could just rest for a while. After several visits to the emergency room in Oshawa, I was referred to a urologist in Ajax, Ontario. By March, he decided I needed to have intrauterine lithotripsy (a procedure where they stick a laser up your peehole and blast your stones from the inside) on the left kidney where most of the pain was. I finally had that day surgery in May 2011. They left a stent in my kidney (a long tube from the kidney to the bladder, inside the ureter to keep it dialated so my kidney could drain) and after a painful week, the tube came out and I was better. The right side didn’t bother me much and I felt fairly healthy, so by June I decided to move back to Kingston and start a new life. I slept on my parents’ couch all summer until I had enough saved for an apartment. Two weeks before I was to move in, I had an attack of stones in the right kidney. I began to feel quite ill so I visited my specialist in Ajax again and he decided to do intrauterine lithotripsy again but on the right kidney.

Everything went as it should have, and I had a stent in again following surgery to allow for the kidney to drain, but I ended up in the emergency room deathly ill within four days. Somehow, my stent had become blocked causing my kidneys to back up and try to fail. I felt better for a week or so once it was pulled, but again became deathly ill and ended up in emergency. When I say deathly ill, by the way, I mean it completely literally. I was horrifically sick. Apparently my ureter had become restricted (blocked) all on its own. I had emergency surgery to put another stent back in to allow the kidney to drain. Throughout this time I was assigned a new urologist here in Kingston who is one of Canada’s very best. In fact, the entire urology team at KGH knows me and alll work together to come up with the best possible solutions.

Within six weeks, I ended up with a very deadly infection that went up my stent and into my kidney. I was hospitalized for a few days on the strongest antibiotics they could give me. The new stent was pulled out sometime near the end of December 2011. I had been so sick and drugged and missed so much time from work that I ended up leaving my waitressing job so I could have a fresh start somewhere else.

For the first few weeks of January, I thought I was okay, but I started having terrible pain in my back. Thinking it was an infection, I went to the emergency room and found out I had severe hydronephrosis (fluid backing up into kidneys causing them to swell, because the kidney can’t drain), so again my kidney was blocked. I ended up having a surgery within a couple of weeks where the doctor went up and tried to laser off scar tissue from the ureter and dialate it, hoping to clear the passageway so my kidney could drain. Again he left a stent in, hoping the ureter would heal around it within six weeks time.

Over and over we tried these methods. Without a stent in, my right kidney would back up, unable to drain. When that happens, permanent damage is caused to the kidney, which also causes lots of pain on the left as it has to work twice as hard, plus it causes severe exhaustion. Every time my kidney backed up, my urologist would try a reparative surgery and leave the stents in my ureter for it to heal around them. Every time a stent was put in, I’d contract a severe infection because when a foreign body like a stent is in, it catches infections and pulls them up into the kidney. Two times I’ve had nephrostomy bags in, which are tubes that corkscrew into your kidney and hang out the back, collecting waste into drainbags. I literally walked around holding my pee.

My urologist exhausted every single option over and over in painful but minor surgeries, hoping to avoid a serious surgery because serious surgeries are risky and can cause loss of organs or death. Finally we were out of options and had to do a major surgery. On August 16th, the urologist opened me up laparoscopically and cut out the damaged part of my ureter and reattached it, hoping to create a brand new ureter, albeit a little shorter. Again, he left a stent in hoping the new ureter would heal around it.

The first night was the worst night of my life. I can’t explain that level of pain. The surgical gas doesn’t go into your intestines like normal, it floats around pockets in your body and gets up in your shoulders or in your chest and makes you feel like you’re having a heart attack. All I did that first night was scream. It didn’t help that I had three incisons, a horrible JP drain, a nephrostomy tube in my back, a stent inside, an I.V. and a catheter! I even had to get up and walk around the hospital like that, but I finally began to feel better after a couple of weeks.

I started working again for the first time since December and was actually doing well, until last Tuesday when I got very sick to my stomach. I had been fighting a standard bacterial infection but it seemed to be resistant to most antibiotics, and ended up contracting a yeast infection inside my kidney as well. I went to the E.R. on Wednesday morning and the doctors gave me extremely strong antibiotics. I went home and instead of feeling better, began feeling worse. Friday morning the E.R. doctor called and said I needed to come down and get my stent removed because I couldn’t beat these infections with it in, so I went down. It was extremely painful…I’m pretty sure everyone in the hospital heard me scream. I should have been doing better but yesterday (Tuesday) my pain was only getting much, much worse. I went down to E.R. and had an ultrasound, and sure enough, my kidneys were already backing up again. Clearly the major surgery didn’t work either.

So here I am. It’s been two years and today’s day surgery to put a stent in will be the 16th procedure/surgery since May 2011. Most of my belongings are in storage as there’s no room here at my parent’s house. My cats are a few hours away at my mom’s, and I need a major, life-altering surgery. If I don’t have it, I won’t make it, and if I do have it, it’s a tough road ahead, but I don’t have a choice.

Through everything, I’ve tried to make every penny stretch, every good of feeling well count, and every bad day better with a smile. I may have lost the battle with my kidney and the remaining one may not be that great but I’m never going to give up.

Your prayers and kind words have helped more than you’ll ever know. Thank you.

Lots of love,

Missy

It baffles me slightly that it’s 2012 and I feel compelled to write this blog post. We, as a society, have come so far through so much, and some would argue we have lost a lot along the way. Genders, sexual orientations and races continue to fight for their freedom to be themselves while traditionalists and religious fundamentalists fight to maintain their strongholds in North America. It’s a nasty, neverending, almost cyclical debate and quite frankly, I have no interest in making this about a political agenda because it most certainly isn’t. What I want to say is: It’s 2012, I’m 25, and I don’t (think) I want to have kids.

We live in an age wherein 30 is the new 20 (so 25 must be the new 15) and more often than not, adults are getting married and having families later in life than ever before. Long gone is the nuclear family comprised of Ma, Pa and 2.5 kids. In our modern era, families can consist of gay or lesbian parents, adopted children, single teenage “reality” star parents, 21 kids and counting and so on. Everyone has different views on what an “appropriate” family is and who should be allowed to consider themselves as such. I don’t agree with every religious or political view and I don’t expect everyone to agree with mine. Yet while many individuals continue to gain acceptance among small social circles at the very least, there is one type of woman who feels as though she must defend herself to everyone: the unmarried, childless woman.

I’m sure many single, childless, lesbian women have to defend themselves to many people and in no way do I aim to belittle their valiant effort. Sadly still in our modern era, absolutely everyone seems to question the vendetta of the single, childless, heterosexual woman.

When someone meets a childless lesbian, they often presume she hasn’t had children because of a political stance or the lack of a maternal desire. There could be a myriad of reasons why she is single or childless but those who don’t understand homosexuality don’t begin to dissect why she is childless as well. When someone meets a childless heterosexual woman in her mid-20s, if she is unattractive, most people presume no one has taken interest in her. It’s sad, but it’s just the cold, hard truth. What perplexes people most often is when they encounter a beautiful, charming, intelligent woman who is unmarried and childless simply because she chooses to be. Almost no one believes that could be true and their immediate inclination is to be sympathetic toward her - doesn’t she want a man? Doesn’t she feel empty and lonely? Isn’t her life incomplete?

The reaction most common when I tell people that I’m single is, “Don’t worry. You’ll find the right one.” Well, that’s fine and dandy but I didn’t realize I was supposed to be looking for said mystery man. I’ve never had issues meeting people or getting dates, and I’ve never cried or fretted over the absense of them. I enjoy my time alone - I can come and go as I please, I answer to no one and the world is my oyster. I can literally seize any opportunity because the only person holding me back is me. Dating, to me, is like ordering from a menu - I could commit to French, Asian or Old-English, but I quite enjoy the sampler!

Worse yet is when the topic of children come into conversation. Let me preface this by saying that I have 14 nieces and nephews that are beautiful, hilarious and adorable and I love them very much - but I am content to enjoy their company and return them to their parents at day’s end. The reason being is that - brace yourself - I don’t (think) I want children. It’s sad that I worry about the admission of such a statement, that many I know have now begun collecting stories and statistics to attack my personal opinion and that men who were interested in me may not be any longer because I won’t be the woman to give them the family they’d like one day.

The truth is that I have never felt that maternal instinct. I am a Christmas-loving, dress-wearing, feminine traditionalist in so many ways but I just don’t have that inner mom waiting to emerge. I have loved cats, I have loved boyfriends, and I have even cared for my teenage employees when I was a retail manager but I just don’t have that je ne sais quoi that makes a woman a motherly type. How else can I put it? When I hear babies cry, it triggers annoyance, not sympathy. When I try to picture myself having a child, I see myself standing in the corner at their birthday parties, crying into my wine bottle. In no way does that make me less mature or somehow inadequate, it’s just one of the many idiosyncrasies that makes me Missy Deyo.

People often argue that we are designed to procreate and that from the days of knuckle-dragging neanderthals up until the last few decades, it was a role that most women dutifully fulfilled as expected. However, this is 2012 and women are no longer obligated to do anything and are free to think for themselves. There are countless reasons why a woman may not be inclined to reproduce. Perhaps, like me, her body is not likely to conceive, or her health isn’t strong enough to ensure a successful pregnancy or healthy child. Maybe she has physical or emotional predispositions, or demons from her own childhood to fight off. Some women are so focused on their careers that they don’t believe they could balance both family and work without one or the other suffering greatly. It’s possible that she worries too much for the future and believes that our world is in a disparaging state of economic, social and political turmoil. Or maybe, her reasons are none of your business.

Every woman must ask herself at some point in her life: to Mommy or not? And it is a question not to be taken lightly that only she can answer. Frankly, any person who dares to be sexually active needs to first consider what they would do should a pregnancy occur, otherwise having sex is extremely irresponsible. But along with deciding whether or not she’ll ever be a parent, every woman must be mature enough to allow that answer to evolve over time. That is precisely why I said I don’t (think) I’ll want children - because although I’ve spent the last 25 years feeling certain of my position, it’s possible that ten years down the road I’ll feel the urge to obey the biological clock that my sister-in-law swears exists within me.

Regardless of your stance, others are entitled to theirs and you aren’t entitled to throw stones at anyone just for disagreeing with you. Mothers need not feel defensive while reading this article as I’ve not once suggested that mothering is the wrong choice, only that it is the wrong choice for some. With that said, for those women who desperately wish to have their own children but cannot conceive, I would give anything to change your circumstances and I am so sorry for your struggle.

Personally, I am so thrilled for my sister who, along with her husband are soon to welcome their fourth child into the world (though one was lost in a miscarriage), because she is an amazing mother. Having lived with her family through an entire pregnancy while she chased after a toddler and ran a daycare, I can honestly say I give mothers all the credit in the world. It truly is the most selfless, thankless, exhausting and yet rewarding job in the world. But some of us are not cut out for that job. And isn’t it better for a woman to be honest about her desire to remain childless rather than feel pressured into motherhood and become a horrible, resentful parent? Perhaps some of those women that we hear of who drove their minivans off bridges were women who tried to please social convention and wound up trapped in a nightmare … not that it condones their actions.

Being a mother is a fabulous thing, but being willfully husbandless and childless does not equate to loveless. It just means some women are living out their dreams on their terms, and they shouldn’t have to defend themselves.

- Missy Deyo
@miss_deyo on Twitter

Hey guys,

If you follow my blog, then you have likely noticed my absence. I haven’t written since I was last hospitalized around July 22nd after a stent removal left me extremely blocked (I was released a few days later.) If you’re unfamiliar with the story of my illness, all the information is here on this website missydeyo.com - I would so much rather you take the time to read that than ask me for a personal explanation. It is emotionally taxing to repeat this horror story over and over again. In short, I have been battling a kidney illness for two years. This major surgery on the 16th of August will be my 13th surgery in 15 months. Some of those surgeries have been minimal procedures and I’ve tried to clarify during each one, but most of them have been invasive and very painful.

To answer some questions, unfortunately I fall through the cracks of Ontario’s financial aid. In order to qualify for Disability, you have to have an ailment that will be affecting you for at least a year. Now that I live at my Dad’s house, the total household income, while we aren’t rich, is too great for me to qualify for Ontario Works. I’m just so glad that I’m not living in my apartment anymore, although I miss my independence. My situation is such that it has been a string of very unfortunate events that has rendered me incapable of working until it is fixed. Every time I’ve had a procedure, the doctors have hoped it would be the final one, but so far I haven’t been that lucky! I just kind of wanted to clarify that because I know some people have been asking.

Please forgive me if I haven’t responded to your inquiries about how I am. I know you all mean well. The thing is, though, there hasn’t been one bit of new information to give you in the last few weeks. Since I last wrote, I had my nephrostomy bag put in. It’s just a drain bag that screws into your kidney. It’s been a lot less painful than some of the internal stents that I’ve had, but I have to admit that while I laughed a lot about it, by times I’ve felt pretty embarrassed. Oh well, though. My main goal has been passing the time. I couldn’t do my favourite summer activities like swimming or going for long walks, but I did manage to go bowling and just hang out with friends when I felt up to it. Anytime I’ve gotten to do even little things like seeing a movie or go going to dinner, it’s been thanks to the generosity of my wonderful friends. I’m very lucky to have them.

Like I said, I’ve been avoiding conversations about my health like the plague. I’m so, so tired of talking about it. And I don’t want to be, “Missy Deyo, that girl who is sick.” I just want to be me. I’m tired of feeling like shit and I’m tired of being broke. I would give anything to go to work, even if I had to wear a McDonalds uniform and ask if you’d like fries with that! Free time is a blessing - in moderation. You can only read so many books, watch so many movies, and find so many “free” things to do. I hate when people ask me how I’m feeling. It’s wonderful that anyone cares but the answer has been the same every day for the last three weeks, or the last few months, or the last two years when we look at the bigger picture: I. Feel. Like. Crap.

I don’t mean for this to be incredibly depressing. But if you want to be a help to me, make me laugh! Entertain me. Take my mind off things. Do anything but ask me about doctors or hospital visits or prescriptions or diet. Do anything but remind me that my life revolves around medicine. And please, I know I’m far from the only person going through serious illness, but don’t think that just because I’m open about this, that I’ll want to hear about every operation YOU have ever had in your life. I do care and I do hope the best for all of you, but this is one of the hardest times in my life when I really need someone to lean on… I can’t be your shoulder to cry on.

I decided to be open about this last winter, after a year of struggling with this already, simply because my entire life had to go on hold until this was over. It’s just way easier for you to understand who I am and where I’m at if you know. But if you REALLY want to help me, MAKE ME SMILE! Quote funny movies, tell me jokes, do anything to keep up the cheer! And that will be the best of all. The surgery on Thursday, August 16th is major one. The doctors will be making an incision across my abdomen, cutting through my muscle and cutting out the part of my ureter that’s damaged. Then they’ll reattach the ureter, put a long tube (stent) inside, stitch me up and hope it heals properly so my kidney will finally begin draining again. However, my kidney is so permanently damaged after everything that it will still only work 30-40% out of 100% and there’s a good chance for scar tissue and more surgeries. IF the doctors don’t think that procedure will work, they may take my right kidney out altogether, and that definitely won’t be the end of the surgeries if that happens. They’ll see how I do with just one kidney if they do remove it, but I’d likely need a transplant. Best case scenario, I’m looking at a week in the hospital afterward and a 2 month recovery. It’s got some big risks attached to it and the doctors have been trying very hard to avoid this.

So please, I know you mean well, but don’t say things like, “I just KNOW this will be the last surgery!” or “It’s going to be no big deal!” It’s going to be hard. And it likely won’t be the last. But while I will have tough days and hard moments, I’ll have an amazing group of people around me who will be making me smile and laugh and thus, helping me keep my head up. If you aren’t sure what to say, just hug me, or pray. And that will mean the world to me. :)

Above all, I’ll keep you posted here or on Twitter @miss_deyo or Facebook at Facebook.com/missdeyo so before you send me messages asking, check there, please! 

I’ll try my best to write back as I am able but some days I just don’t feel up to it. Thank you so much for caring enough to even look into any of this, and I hope you understand where I’m coming from!

Lots of love,

Missy Deyo