In case the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE doesn't happen...

I said next time I would post a list of new goals for the upcoming year. Of course, I couldn't think of everything I plan to accomplish in 2012, since I'm more of a go-with-the-flow kind of person, but I think these are reasonable goals.

GOALS FOR 2012:

• Volunteer at PCH (Phoenix Children's Hospital) over the summer: I've been wanting to volunteer here for several years, and I came close this past summer. Instead, I volunteered at a Senior Center delivering meals to disabled/ elderly peoples houses. PCH has a summer program for high school students, although, I think you can only participate if you're 16 years of age or younger.
• Save money for next year's Christmas: This year I was so stupid and didn't save any money to buy gifts for my friends and family. I hate asking my parents for Christmas money, since they have their own Christmas shopping to worry about. 
• Apply for a job at the golf course: I have more job possibilities in mind, but this is my number one job idea. I have to be at least 16 with a drivers license to work here, so I'm thinking next summer. 
• Create the CDC mural: I'm not sure if "mural" is the correct term to what I have in mind, but what I plan to do is buy gigantic wooden letters from Hobby Lobby or Michaels spelling out C D C. Inside each letter will be a collage of photos from all my years attending Camp Del Corazon. Once I'm finished, I'll hang it up in my room to remember all the fantastic memories at the best place on Earth.
• Learn the ukulele: For Christmas my sister gave me an Amazon.com gift card for $25. I looked online for a ukulele and found one for $14.99. It seems I'm going to be receiving something in the mail soon. 
• Blog on a regular basis: SELF-EXPLANATORY.
• Plan a Sweet 16 with Make-A-Wish: During the summer my family contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation so I could attend the Harry Potter premiere in New York, meet the HP cast, and vacation in New York for a week (because I'm that obsessed with the series). Apparently, there wasn't enough notice to plan something so extravagant. So instead of a Harry Potter related wish, I changed it to a Sweet 16 Bash. It would relieve all the financial stress off my parents and I wouldn't have to limit myself once I start planning. We should be contacting them in the next week or so...
• DRIVER'S LICENSE: *Cue the Star Wars Imperial March theme song* Though I'm super excited to finally have more independence with the ability to drive, I fear for others that I might kill someone on the roads someday. Permit test next week. NO EPIC FAILS!
• Attend LeakyCon 2012:  LeakyCon is the biggest Harry Potter convention and I think it's taking place in Chicago. If I can get a couple of other Harry Potter obsessed friends to save money with me I would love to go next year!
• Start a bank account for college funds: Maybe my parents already have an account started for college, but once I get a job(hopefully over the summer) I would like to start saving since who knows how much I have saved, if anything.
• Compete in more figure skating competitions: Although, I dread the competition feeling and atmosphere, it's good practice and it's even better when you win 1st place.

These were the first aspirations that came to mind for 2012. I have another 365 days to complete my mission of life. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, I know I did. My family is so dorky, but that's why I love them.
Sophisticated families are just gross. 

Shelby Cooper Bracelet

In December, one thousand Shelby Cooper Bracelet's are going to be made and shipped from China. What is the Shelby Cooper bracelet? If you keep reading you shall know:

My friend Bill Sear, had a heart transplant and has been living off his heart for ten years and more! He finds me such a positive role model, especially at my age, and he thinks I have a terrific understanding of what life is like with a heart transplant. He asked me to brainstorm a logo for these bracelets that are given to heart transplant patients at Cedar Sinai and whoever else is interested to promote Heart Disease Awareness. Last year, the logo was, "The Gift of Life" and this year I chose a logo that originated from my fifth year attending Camp Del Corazon.

In 2009, my cabin and I told people to not stare at our scars, even though everyone else had scars too, as a joke. During Art and Crafts, we made a mini poster stating, "CHD (Congenital Heart Disease). DON'T STARE!" and we hung it in our cabin for the whole session. Two months beforehand, I had my second heart transplant and I attended CDC during the three month rejecting period, my wonderful doctors understood how much I have gone through and how much happiness camp brings me.

The rubber bracelets are going to be orange(camp color) and read, "Heart Disease. DON'T STARE!" not to mention my name is going to be on them, hens; why they're called the Shelby Cooper Bracelet. One thousand of them are being manufactured in a factory in China and are being sold for only one dollar. All the profits are going to be donated to the number one place that deserves it, Camp Del Corazon, in my name. I've always wanted to help Camp Del Corazon by attending their annual fundraisers, but my family doesn't have the money. I'm so glad I'm able to give to them, because CDC has effected my life significantly and without it, my life would be completely different.

If you're interested, the bracelets will be available in December. Later, I will post a link to a website in the right side bar, to help purchase one as soon as possible!

Remember When?

"HEY HEY! LISTEN UP LISTEN UP!"

Remember when we would wake up at 6:30 AM to go on the morning hike, or participate in Yoga or Wake n Wind to earn tickets. Then once the morning bell rang, all the counselors and campers would meet up to spread out and yell, "HIT IT GUMBI!" and do the Sunshine Dance together? After consuming the first of the three delicious meals a day, we would countdown the numbers on each ticket Big Kahuna would name off, to try and win prizes for our amazing cabins. Once Breakfast ended, we would skip crazily together back to our cabins, to attempt winning Cleanest Cabin Queens/ Kings. Finally, we finished sweeping, organizing, and kissing up to the med nurses, and we're off to our first activity of the day.

"A, B... C.D.C!"

The friends you meet here really are the best! Their willing to try new things like kayaking through, "Bird Terd Rock", they support you one-THOUSAND percent when accomplishing the High Ropes and Rock Wall, and they congratulate you every time you reach your personal goal of the day. Not only are the friends here the most positive people you'll ever meet, but the conversations never get old. Awkward silences are avoidable at lunch, since there's always something to talk or laugh about, and when we're not chatting, we're either having an INTENSE cup game or singing full out to Queen or Katy Perry. Remember when all the counselors would dress up in anything from the Costume Box and prance around the dining hall to Mambo Number Five holding your lost items? After noticing something belonged to you, lost item or not, you would gladly do the Squirrel Dance in front of everybody?

"WE GOT SPIRIT! YES WE DO! WE GOT SPIRIT! HOW BOUT YOU!?"

Remember when Quiet Hour was never the hour to relax, but the time to jump on the trampoline and play volleyball during the Beach Party for, "Winning" the Free Space Challenge during Disco Bingo? Then once shower hour came, it was a race between all the girl cabins for a clean, warm shower. After showering, all the girls would succeed in looking gorgeous for evening activities and the guys, by putting on make-up and using all the electricity from blow drying and straightening our hair. After Dizzy Oops decided which cabin eats first, we all ate another satisfying, scrumptious meal. "HEY CAESAR, HOW BOUT SECONDS!?", would be called for every meal, since we couldn't get enough of the food! Remember when "T" dressed up as Belatrix Le Strange and ordered us to find her death eater decedents around camp, or when skit night brought out our inner nerves, but we still had a good time on stage, or when we were dancing the Cha Cha Slide, or slow dancing with our date at the dance on our last night? Fantastic memories made from evening activities!

"AND A HUSH WENT OVER THE CROWD! Hhhsshhhh!!!"

It was finally cabin closing and the majority of us can only name positives of the day and zero negatives. Remember when the counselors left for staff meeting and the rest of us would stay up talking till midnight with our wonderful cabin? Telling, "Scary" stories, singing random songs, laughing about dirty jokes, creeping each other out, rating the guys, and planning the next day, until a counselor would come in to tell us to be quiet since we're keeping the ENTIRE girls camp awake.

"I DON'T KNOW BUT WHO CAN SAY IT LOUDER! WHO PUT THE OVERALLS IN MRS. MURPHY'S CHOWDER!?"

Camp= HAPPINESS!

I <3 Cutter!

Over the camp years

I've been going to camp for ten straight years, since I was seven years old. Now I'm fifteen years old and I only have two years left. I'm determined to make the best of these last couple years by acting like a happy, crazy, enthusiastic Shelby. Which I accomplished by doing this year. Which is a good plan, because I'm afraid college will get in the way of me becoming a counselor and I won't be able to come back until I've graduated from ASU, or UCLA, or wherever I end up studying for how many years I decide to go for.

Lately, I've been feeling a bit depressed from NOT being at camp. I'm just glad I have contact with all my camp friends, I probably would have exploded by now if I was isolated from them. THANK YOU TECHNOLOGY! On the first day back to school once fall break ended, after I got home, I literally started crying because I rather be at camp then anywhere else. Not that I don't love my regular friends, but life is so much more different without my CDC friends surrounding me 24/7. Instead of taking notes in Geometry I made a list, "Reasons why I <3 CAMP DEL CORAZON!". All the good times, inside jokes, and memories are coming back to me:

Asking Nicole, Mela, and Hana, "Can I kiss your back?" after Marissa randomly did it to a guy. ~2010
Dancing crazily with Mela whenever a good song was played by Gumbi. ~2010
Creeping Booter out by hugging him every time I see him! ~ 2009
Eating smores after evening activities.
Wearing a Nemo hat on my head with Annie and totally embracing it. ~2009
Yelling, "YOU GUYS ARE TITANIC!" with Annie against our rival side, the boats. ~ 2009
Singing, "SLOOP, THERE IT IS!" with my cabin. ~ 2009
Composting our food instead of cleaning the dishes.
Going full out, every morning, to the sunshine dance and not feeling like a lunatic. ~ 2011
Singing Sweet Caroline and Don't Stop Believing every year.
Stealing Jarred's hat, and wearing it for the entire camp session. ~ 2011
Searching for crabs in Nature, but surprisingly finding an octopus. ~ 2005
Voluntarily doing the squirrel dance
Playing ping pong with Ellen after lunch. ~ 2009-2010
The successful feeling after achieving in archery and target sports.
Naming all of my positives of the day during cabin closing.
Playing improv games in my activity free choice: Theatre. ~2010
Balancing on the life guard surf board during the beach party, then Devin flipping me over. ~ 2011
Dancing full out during disco bingo, practically hitting people in the face.
Being called Spider Girl after reaching the top of the rock wall in 45 seconds! ~ 2010
Beating my rock wall record in 2010 from 45 seconds to 36 seconds! ~ 2011
Kissing up to the med nurses every year to win cleanest cabin.
Playing Ninja with Christian and a bunch of other little kids on the boat ride to the island. ~ 2011
Impersonating Dory by making whale noises with Cutter at night when we're supposed to be sleeping. ~ 2011
Making gasping for air noises of the same unicorn swimming back to the mainland with Aries. ~ 2011
Doing Sammy's make-up every night for the evening activities. ~ 2011
Showing off my golf swing during my free choice activity: Golf. ~ 2011
Trying the giant swing for a first time and pretending to be Tinkerbell. ~2010
My cabin convinced my counselor nickname should be flirt, since I flirt with all the guys. ~ 2010
Playing ,"Crack the egg" with Senior 3. ~ 2011
Searching for Garibaldi fish during my activity free choice: Snorkeling. ~ 2009
Totally freaking out when I spotted the sharks, until I was told they have no teeth. ~ 2009
Trendsetting by being the first to volunteer for a swim test. ~  2009
In the hula hoop contest, being a finalist out of all the cabins, to determine who eats first. ~ 2009
Playing baseball in the swimming pool with the guy cabins. ~ 2008
Winning at Wake n Wind. ~ 2006
Ben taking the last dessert and reserving it for me. ~ 2007
Making monkey fists with Nick, Nate, and Josh at the airport. ~ 2010
Nick finding out my one extreme tickle spot and holding it against me. ~ 2010
Shakin our booty's and singing with Cutter as encouragement on the high ropes. ~ 2010
Writing cards to the sponsors of CDC, telling them how much I appreciate camp.
Sleeping with ants in my sleeping bag, and not knowing it. ~ 2010
Making up cabin chants with Victoria. ~ 2011
Free piggy back rides from all the guys during the alien scavenger hunt.
Constant encouragement from my friends and counselors.
Receiving hugs from Dj every time we see each other(Are you stalking me!?). ~ 2011
Tanning on the beach with Emily and Nicole. ~ 2011
Getting seriously into character when pretending to be on a, "Lion Hunt".
Riding horses when Malibu Ranch was in session. ~ 2006- 2008
Taking pictures of the sunrise during the morning hike.
Learning the ways of a lanyard making from Annie. ~ 2009
Sleeping by the ocean for four nights.
Enjoying that I look ridiculous while singing repeat songs.
Belting out Bohemian Rhapsody with Movie Man on the last day. ~ 2010
Rapping the Wizard of Oz rap as Dorthy for skit night. ~ 2011
Teaching the Cup Game with Victoria, then having counselors and campers join in to create the biggest game ever. ~ 2011
Seabass asking my to slow dance at my first dance when we were a couple of kids. ~ 2004
Borrowing my counselors clothing, because I didn't have anything else to wear to the themed meals. ~ 2007
Looking forward to breakfast out of all the deliciously satisfying meals a day.
Sharing past medical history with your cabin and finding out something you have in common.
Creating the, "Happy Transplant Club" with Nicole. ~ 2011
Not worrying about being judged when I act myself.
Meeting new people, then keeping these friends forever!

Transplant Vlogs

I hate to admit it, but I am one in a million. My dad mentioned my cardiologist appointment in the car today which led to another your-heart-appointments-are-more-important-since-SECOND-heart-transplants-are-serious-business. Then he called me ONE in a MILLION, which I took offence to since I don't like being, "One special egg!" Can't I be counted as a weird teenager because I have an odd personality? Oh whatever, I'm getting off topic anyways, this conversation made me wonder... 'One in a million... That means a small percentage of people know what I had to go through during my SECOND transplant... Maybe I should have documented what Denver was like...' 

I had a webcam the whole time in Denver, why didn't I think of using it besides Skyping with people I miss from AZ. The idea of using my webcam in desperate times of need to rant on and on about my life seemed like a good idea... Until I realized, who would want to listen to a depressed teenager complaining about her life? Then I came to the conclusion of not caring if people actually viewed my videos, this may help with the disappointment. So, whenever I am in the hospital(which will likely, happen again) or in a Denver situation which I hope will. Never. Happen. Ever. Again. I will use my webcam everyday to record what happened day by day, and by the end of the whole mess, I will have a nicely edited video showing what happened everyday. These videos will be posted on this blog for my own personal satisfaction, but if you want to watch them in the future, that be cool! Now I'll start my homework!

Mental Breakdowns

Twelve years old going on thirteen, almost one-thousand miles away from my home, waiting for a Second Heart Transplant in Denver, while practically living in the Ronald McDonald House. I had a perfectly reasonable reason to 100% mentally, physically, and emotionally break-down, once in awhile! Every time one of these events struck me, I would be sobbing on the bed, my dad besides me, trying to calm me down, but letting me cry out all my fears and feelings suffocating me since the beginning of my terror. Before I received my transplant, I remember being left alone in our easily claustrophobic room, and that's all it took. Leaving me alone with my thoughts. Once my dad came back from talking on the phone for an hour, he found me laying on my stomach on the bed, crying softly to myself. After he asked, "What's wrong?" and realized how red and puffy my entire face was, I let everything out!

It's all a bit blurry now, I was crying so hard,  but I remember feeling like the worst person on the Earth. Wishing I didn't have to go through this horrific experience, wishing I could just see my friends again, wishing I didn't have to deal with a pic-line in my arm, wishing a second transplant was just completely out of the question, thinking I was actually in a never ending nightmare... My reality.

My mind was so confused and messed with, I didn't want to believe I was the girl chosen to go through this. Doctors appointments every week with my nurse practitioner, blood draws more than once a week, 24/7 pic-line, and the cardiac floor at Denver Children's Hospital was my home away from RMH. I tried to look on the bright side, but there's only so many positive thoughts you can think of, when you're still living off your second failing heart. I felt like my life was hopeless and I would stay depressed until I could move with my life, which seemed impossible at the moment. My goals and aspirations seemed pointless until I was back to where I belong, in AZ. 

Along with my emotions spiraling down a bottomless pit, I also felt EXTREMELY homesick. I haven't seen my friends, my dog, my cat, and my family since April (it's now June). Surprisingly I missed middle school, and absolutely hated the fact that I missed the first day of eighth grade. Eighth grade was supposed to be my year to feel superior from everyone else in the school,  for I am moving on to high school and will soon be back to the starting line as a pathetic freshman. 

After ranting on, and on to my dad, how I wish my life ended up differently, if only I was normal. I finally chillaxed by eating chocolate ice cream till 11pm, and watching Harry Potter until I fell asleep. Waking up to find myself STILL waiting at the RMH! 

Please appreciate your life! You never realize how good you have it until it collapses right in front of your eyes. Spend as much time with your friends and family and this really has nothing do with anything, but a little sunscreen never hurt anyone... Especially when you're as orange as me. (Fricken Golf. Thank You Sunshine.)

<3 DONATE LIFE <3

Something Normal

I wish I were not such a perfectionist…

I wish I were not such a perfectionist…

Reorganizing my backpack when a pencil is out of place

Color coding my wardrobe in my closet

Moving unneeded folders to the recycling bin on my computer

Brushing each strand of hair, so it stays perfect for the first five minutes of the day

If I were to enter a hoarder’s house

I would start throwing away items immediately

Filling an entire garbage truck of “Precious items”

That I would care less about as long as the house smells pretty

My First Home

My First Home

Camp reminds me of a healthy beating heart that has been given a second chance 

Camp sounds like the laughter coming from the campers having the time of their life

Camp tastes like the delicious meals where you yell, “Hey Caesar, how bout seconds?!”

Camp smells like the salty ocean that you sleep by for four nights

Camp looks like a huge group of CHD kids doing the Sunshine Dance in the morning

There’s no place like home, and my first home is Camp Del Corazon

I wrote this poem a few days after CDC ended, so you can imagine how much my mind was set on camp. No lie though, camp will always be my first home, since it's the only place I'm forever and always purely happy.

In other news: Yesterday, when I was in English I was, "eavesdropping" on someone else's conversation and apparently... It's weird and creepy to have take med's for any reason? Umm, yeah someone needs a good slap in the face. How did these people even come up to this conclusion? Oh well, I will never understand the mind of a douche bag <3

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease...

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease...

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease

            It doesn’t make me a below average student

            It doesn’t mean I can’t do anything you can do

            It doesn’t mean we don’t have anything in common

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease

            It doesn’t mean you have to learn CPR just to hang out with me

            It doesn’t mean I have to watch my diet

            It doesn’t mean I get it easy

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease

            It means I have to take pills twice a day, everyday

            It means I have many scars that didn’t come from falling off my bike

            It means I have had my unfair share of serious hospital visits

Just because I have Congenital Heart Disease… does not mean I’m not a normal teenager

Why I Miss Camp

Why I miss camp…

Catalina Island is my home                                 

That’s where I attend Camp Del Corazon

I love my friends with Heart Disease

Moments at camp, are the ones I wish to seize

This is why I miss camp…

When I’m here I’m not thought as bizarre

Nobody here judges by my scar

Everyone here is all the same

It has taught me to have no shame

Another reason why I miss camp…

To go from reality to CDC is a hard transition

Although, I prefer these priceless camp traditions

Screaming, “WE GOT SPIRIT YES WE DO, WE GOT SPIRIT HOW BOUT’ YOU?”

Then singing repeat songs with the rest of the camp works too

More reasons why I miss camp...

From the Sunshine Dance in the morning

To the Evening Activities that are never boring

On the last day everyone is signing shirts and crying on the boat dock

Once we’re back in Arizona it’s around seven o’ clock

These are the reasons I will always miss camp

Poetry Project

What makes sense

I do not understand…

Why girls would choose Twilight over Harry Potter

Why boys would choose Lebron James over Kobe Bryant

Why old people would choose Bingo over Golf

What I do not understand most is…

Why teenagers would choose heart break over friendships

Why adults would choose their paycheck over their family

Why people would choose wrong over right

What I DO understand is Heart Disease…

It may be tough at times but,

It has connected me with so many amazing people

It has provided me with several once in a lifetime opportunities

Most importantly, it gives me the appreciation towards my life

So for English we had to collaborate with five poems and present to the class. Thankfully, I was absent the day of the presenting time, so I didn't have to, but I would gladly share this poem along with the other four poems. Four out of the five poems I came up with are either related to heart disease or Camp Del Corazon. The last poem is just talking about how OCD I truly am, but what the hell I'll post that poem another day. 

The saddest day of the year...

Day 5

No more morning hike at 6:30AM. Just me sleeping in my sleeping bag till 7:00am wishing I could still take in the beautiful scenery for a last time. I wasn't close to being packed! My clothes and toiletries were spread throughout my entire cabin! Our last breakfast at camp could have been better by not adding eggs... but everything became a, "Happy Turtle" once we created a GIANT cup game group for the last time!

When packing, I found my socks scattered all around the cabin. Two in someone else's Nick & Kelly suitcase. One outside my cabin in the dirt. Three under my bunk, and none in my suitcase. After leaving my suitcase at the boat dock and seeing my cabin completely empty again is when it hit me, but not enough to make me cry... yet! After taking one more Cutter cabin photo with ten different camera's in front of the beautiful ocean's scenery, it was time to sign shirts. Thank god I brought five sharpies because I could not sign everyone's shirt with just one! I would lose them too easily, which I accomplished by loosing three out of the five I brought. I think this year, is the year I had the most signatures on my shirt. The whole back of my shirt was covered in different colored signatures and sweet messages from all my best camp buddies! After waiting for all the cabins to be packed and loaded on the dock we did what is called a, "Camp Sweep" where we  line up in an, "orderly fashion" and footstep by footstep we walk across the entire campus to pick up every piece of trash so it looks as naturalistic as possible for the next two sessions taking place immediately after we departure.

Lunch didn't feel like lunch, it felt more like rushing-to-sign-shirts-while giving-ten-minute-hugs-to-the-people-I-won't-be-flying-back-to-phoenix-with(Ahem... Dj!) I ate my LAST, AMAZING lunch in five minutes, while rocking out to Bohemian Rhapsody, with my shirt on my back for free signing privileges. Finally, I was back under the tree where I originally starting signing shirts to wait for the session two campers to get off the Catalina Express while taking a, "Group CDC Picture" in remembrance of another year.

High fiving all the counselors, running to the boat I was finally leaving camp... sadly. On the boat I sat with Jarred, Dylan, and Alex with Emily in front of me and Christian watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One beside me on a counselor's iPhone(sadly I missed out).  Only Nick & Kelly campers were on this boat while the California campers.. Actually I don't know what happened to them, I guess they went on a different boat.

After arriving at the Catalina Express Dock I was settled into my traveling group with, "Woody" and we were finally on the bus on our way to John Wayne Airport. Usually we fly to LAX, but this year we flew U.S. Airways so maybe it was just cheaper. After arriving at the airport and being rushed through security we were just waiting to be boarded on to the plane to fly back to Phoenix to be greeted by our parents, who I was not excited to see.

After sitting with Emily, and Dylan, Jarred, and Alex sitting behind us tapping me on the shoulder every five seconds, and eating a DISGUSTING egg salad sandwich... we arrived at Sky Harbor. I was still able to keep my cool(you can't keep something you never had Shelby?) and continued to not cry, but I was so ready to burst into tears because, thinking about going to school the next day, feeling so out of place waking up in my bed instead of a sleeping bag, and not dancing to the Jackson 5 while eating a homemade meal every morning, made me feel sick! Literally. I felt like I was going to throw up after the flight, and I don't think that was due to turbulence. I was soon stepping off the same escalator that I usually end up shedding a tear on for the past seven years and what do you know? My parents weren't at the bottom to greet me. They were late. As usual. I found my suitcase, gave my last hugs, and then sat down next to all the other, "unwanted" children to wait for my parents.

Unfortunately, they eventually came to pick me up and I was forced to go back home. In the middle of the car ride home, I was describing the unbelievable feeling at camp to my dad and then I was struck. Hard. I burst out, full on, bawling wishing I was still at camp. Before I cracked, I was explaining to my dad how I'm so accepted in the world by everyone and when I'm there, I'm a completely different person, a more fun loving, crazy, outgoing person,  and I just forget about heart disease and any other frustrations in my reality. Making me the happiest girl out there.

Dammit, now there's a tear in my eye. Miss you CDC... why did I have to leave you! I hope the third session campers are having the time of their life!

Nature, Kayaking, Giant Swing!

Day 4

This is the LAST morning I can do the morning hike with Dj, Jarred, and Sammy! How depressing! Although, I made the best of it by capturing all the beautiful sights while getting piggy back rides. From the cup game during breakfast(it never get's old), to Disney character impressions when getting ready, we were finally on our way to our last day of activities! Up first was Nature, and every year we seem to do something different. Like last year we went scoping for crabs on the reefs and I managed to find an octopus. The year before we did team strengthening games with Buzz Lightyear gloves... and budgie cords. This year we learned about composting and how much it helps the environment. After the slideshow we dissecting a worm and I was the only girl LOOKING FORWARD to seeing worm guts! Honestly, I had NO IDEA what was inside a worm. I just figured they were too small of organisms to have guts so I thought they were hollow creatures with the slight chance of blood, but it never came to mind that they have FIVE hearts! One of these hearts I put into a zip lock to take home to my parents as a, "Welcome Home" gift... but I lost it in my luggage so I never got the chance. Oh well.

After Nature, I was able to chill out by the beach with the guys for a few minutes before my next activity which was Kayaking... in my bikini(Score;) Surprisingly, one of the Senior 3(oldest cabin) guys asked me to be their partner. Woo! I don't get to do all the work, now it's the other way around! After passing through, "Bird Terd Rock" and playing Piano Keys(Holding on to each others kayaks in a line while other people jump out of their spot to move to a different one) we we're finally DONE! Thank God cause I was exhausted afterward; all my energy was totally wiped out of me from this point on to the minute I stepped off the escalator! I swear I could barely keep my eyes open during lunch! It may not have seemed that way with my crazy, upbeat personality but I was so ready for a nap!

Luckily, Quiet Hour was next, so it was perfect timing to relax right?! WRONG! Instead, I forgot about my laziness and decided to go to a beach party held at the Water Front! My friends Emily, Nicole, Alex, Dylan, Christian, Charlie, and Jarred would be there so who wouldn't pass that up!?(INSANE PEOPLE! That's who.) At first it was just me and Emily tanning on the beach, then Nicole joined us, so we grabbed a surf board and headed towards the water, eventually the guys came, and the rest of the hour was us trying to tip each other over on the surf board. This totally did not help with my lack of rest, but my excitement withdrew all the tiredness from my body once I found out we had the Giant Swing with Senior 1!

The Giant Swing is part of the High Ropes Course, where you put on a harness more extreme then the ones you would wear for the Rock Wall. One rope is the fulcrum that is constantly holding you, the other rope is being tugged by your cabin to lift you into the air and once you're at a "comfortable" height you let go of a string holding the two ropes together. Suddenly, you're swinging in the air for five minutes with the breeze hustling in your ear and pixy dust up your sleeve!

This was the most excited I have ever been about shower hour! I had dried salt water in my hair and I literally felt sticky all over! I was so anxious, I was about to turn on the shower when I realized I still had my clothes on! I was debating whether to put on my dress for dinner but I figured I'll let it be a surprise for the dance! So instead of being glammed up I went all natural and didn't even put on make-up or straighten my hair(Yes I brought a straightener/ curler and a blow dryer)! After our LAST dinner(Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and the BEST ginger bread!) and perhaps the BEST dinner out of them all, we went back to our cabins to put on make-up and do our hair! My eye shadow color for tonight was a sea green over a sparkling white to match my Marilyn Monroe dress!

The dance was AMAZING! I danced with everybody there!! My cabin, Emily, Nicole, Hana, Mela, Seabass, Devin, Alex, Jarred, Christian, Adam, Dylan, Dj. If I missed anybody...  I COULD NEVER FORGET YOU! I slow danced with Jarred and made a move... then got caught by Ooops and had to be, "arms length" apart. After SIX slow songs, the maccuarna, and the Cha Cha Slide... It was finally time to go back to our cabins! The only thing we managed to talk about was the dance! We all ended up with someone to slow dance with and without question, it was the best night of them all!! Once we finished cabin closing which was to say something nice about the person to our right. Personally, I didn't want to say something nice about one person! I wanted to compliment EVERYBODY in my AMAZING cabin, because they were the ones who made this experience the BEST camp experience! Although, I followed the rules and only complimetned one person which was Aries... "You are so spazzy and full of energy! I love how I can dance and be silly around you wherever we are!" Although, I was able to compliment everybody once the counselors left for staff meeting.

This may have been the night we stayed up the longest and talked the loudest! Of course we talked about the guys! Who's the hottest? Who's the funniest? Who we like? Me giving the boy advice for the next day(24/7 WING WOMAN!)! Eventually, it turned into our, "normal" conversation about the same unicorn swimming to the mainland, and, "I speak whale", and our dirty jokes ;-) Obviously, we were still hyped from the dance if two counselors came in to tell us to CALM DOWN! They even waited outside the door, making sure we didn't go back immediately to talking. From that point on we just decided to shut up and go to BED, paranoid we would have another distressed counselor opening the curtain.

Target Sports, Wall, Arts & Crafts

Day 3

The next morning, what do you know? I did the morning hike with my cabin and another friend, Jarred. After doing the sunshine dance and eating breakfast FIRST from winning cleaning cabins, we went back to girls camp to get ready for the second day of activities. Even though we're going to be sweating the entire day... my cabin still wanted me to do their make-up. Am I really that talented with a eye shadow brush?

Anyways, after doing everyone's make-up AGAIN for activities we headed towards Target Sports/ Riflery. After my second transplant in 2009, I was able to go to camp two months later. I couldn't help but notice the difference in my shooting skills from before. Not only did I get better at aiming but I seemed to know what I was doing... I guess it's just another trait I inherited from Dakota. The instructor seemed impressed. He didn't need to help me at all and he would congratulated me on my ending results!

After Target Sports was the Rock Wall! My BEST skill! Last year, I reached the top of the wall in forty-five seconds. This year I was determined to beat that time, which I accomplished by ringing the cowbell at the top in thirty-six seconds, impressive I know! After the rock wall was another satisfying meal! Remember when I said I asked eight guys out to the dance? Well, one of the guys I asked seriously wanted to go to the dance with me(Who wouldn't?!) and asked my for real-sies! Of course I accepted!

Quiet Hour was all about perfecting our skit for tonight! My role was Dorthy/Snoop Dog, since I would be rapping about our journey to Oz. I wasn't able to memorize my rap completely so I kept a cheat sheet with me throughout the whole skit in case I forgot ANYTHING! The skit requirements included: Dressing up a counselor as an animal. Having the plot focused around this animal, and this animal MUST have a talent. My counselor played the Cowardly Lion and we added a background story about the lion's childhood explaining his cowardliness and his talent.
The intro went something like this:

Dorthy: Oh, Hey Lion! I can't believe it's already been seven years!
Lion: I know Dorthy! It's been so LONG!
Dorthy: Well, I've been thinking about our journey to Oz lately and realized, you never told me how you became so cowardly in the first place?
Lion: Oh... Well when I was a child I found out I didn't like meat so I refused to hunt with the rest of the lions which led to being kicked out of my pride and I was reduced to living with the squirrels(SQUIRREL, SQUIRREL!)... which led to low self-esteem...
Dorthy:...Umm... WOW! Well I haven't stopped thinking about our trip and I was wondering, since your talent is beat boxing, we could re-live right... NOW! Gimmy a beat!?
*Starting to rap*

After running it a couple times we continued with our afternoon activities. Golf was next with Nicole and we did the exact same thing from yesterday, except we added putting on crappy practice greens. Even though we were hitting rubber balls with unknown brand clubs I was still able to hit pretty well and receive compliments from the free choice counselors!

Finally, we had our last activity which was Arts & Crafts. We did two things. 1.) To make an 8x8 drawing on fabric that will be sowed on to a quilt that will be put up for auction at the Camp Gala to help fund raise money.(I drew a heart organ with, "Camp Del Corazon Forever" written around it) 2.) To write a thank you card to the camp sponsors telling them how much we appreciate camp. Mine went something like this:

Dear Sponsors of the best place on Earth,

I feel like thank you isn't a big enough word to express how much I love this camp and how much I appreciate you paying for the costs of attending. I feel like camp is the only place I can act myself and I don't have to be ashamed of my past medical history. I am so happy and content when I'm here and this is the only place I am accepted by everyone. This will be my eighth year at camp and I have yet to miss a year. I even attended camp two months after my second transplant! Anyways, thank you so much with all my heart!

Shelby Cooper

I meant every word I said in that letter and I hope the sponsors really do realize how much I love going to camp and wouldn't give it up for anything! Back to day three... It was finally shower hour, and like yesterday, we arrived early and had first picks of the hot showers! After doing everyone's eye make-up once again for the evening activities we went to dinner, also known as my most convenient time to flirt with the guys *wink wink*

Before skit night, we went back to the cabins to rehearse in our costumes(mine being Dorthy's dress with a gangster hat). We were all scared out of our minds we would mess up, since we only had a day and half to plan and perfect it. Although, we were feeling confident we were going to have the crowd on our side and if we do mess up... not like anyone's going to care. I felt the most nervous since I was going to be on stage the whole time rapping, hopefully I'm not going to sound like some white chick rhyming! Before we knew it, we had already watched six cabins perform and we were up next! Penny Lane(part of the program staff) promised us we could use her "Toto" look-a-like puppy to add cuteness effect to my Dorthy impersonation. Once I started rapping the crowd cheered me on and I started getting really into my character!

"Yo, my name is Dorthy but you can call me, "D" I live in Kansas and it's really SWEET!
As you may have know I live on a farm, it's all black and white and there ain't to CORN!
There was a destruction, no it wasn't cool. Now I'm in MUNCHKIN LAND with all these little fools
*We represent the Lollipop Guild*
I met the good witch, yeah she was really nice, but the other WICKED witch she smelt like rotten rice!
The good witch told me that I killed her sista, now I have to go meet the Wicky- Wicky Wizard of OZ!
First I met a Scarecrow who wanted a brain, he wasn't very smart, he was just really lame...
Then I met a Tin man who wanted a heart, we oiled up his joints to get a good start!
*LIONS, AND TIGER, AND BEARS! OH MY!*
I met this silly lion who wanted to be brave, he's really just a coward who needs to be saved!
We arrived at the Emerald City, yeah it was really cool! It was so shiny all we could do was drool!
*Cue in the drooling!*
I met up with the wizard and turns out he wasn't real! He wasn't out for good, he was only out to steal!
Turns out I had the magic with me along, so I clacked my heals and then I went home!"
*WORD!*

EVERYBODY was on their feet and for the rest of my time here, "D" was my official nickname and when I was brushing my teeth that night I earned so many compliments on my SKILLZ! I felt so unbelievably happy and it was just what I needed to boost my self-confidence! By the end of the night I couldn't SHUT UP about our skit and for cabin closing my high was: TOTALLY ROCKING THE RAP! My low: I DIDN'T HAVE ANY! IT WAS JUST ANOTHER AMAZING DAY AT CDC!!

High Ropes, Archery, Swimming!

So today at school I was a complete bragger and every word that came out of my mouth was some how related to camp! Surprisingly, everyone was excited to see me back in Latin, Drawing and Painting, Biology, Geometry, and World History. Not so much English because... well my English class SUCKS! I'm just the life of the party in almost all my classes... not really! I'm going through Post-Camp Del Corazon Depression because I miss it so much!

Day 2

It's 6:30AM and Sammy, Nicole, and myself wake up to go on the morning hike. The whole time I hike with my friend Dj while taking loads of pictures of the beautiful view of the sunrise gleaming across the ocean. When we come back to camp, I do the sunshine dance FULL OUT with everyone else, and I don't feel awkward doing it by myself in my room. I have been looking forward to breakfast since the minute I arrived! It was very pleasing when I finished my waffles and sausage as my first meal!

After breakfast, we went back to girls camp to get ready for activities and to clean our cabins so we would have a chance to win Cleanest Cabin Queens. The key to winning cleanest cabin: Kiss up to the med nurses! They're the ones who judge the cabins and they ALWAYS go for flattery EVERY TIME! So what do you know?! WE WON! We made a poster that spelled, "Cutter Loves Our Med Nurses" After Cabin Clean Up we headed towards our first activity which was the High Ropes Course. The night before I promised myself I would reach the top of the Eagles Perch(balancing on top of a wobbly telephone pole) which is exactly what I did by sitting on top of the telephone pole.

After we thanked the High Ropes staff we went to our next activity which was archery. Usually I forget what I learn from the year before so it's like I'm a first year all over again, even though I've done it for seven years. A had a guy named Charlie who was correcting me every time I did something slightly wrong. It was annoying at first but near the end we were able to have a archery contest and he was able to punch a whole through my name tag.
*Props to you*

After the second activity we met by the bell and finally had lunch. Before every meal a cabin says grace. It was our turn!

Us: "This is a repeat song"
Everyone else: "This is a repeat song"
Us: "GRACE"
Everyone else: "GRACE!"
*The End*

Lunch was delicious and just the right amount of food to fill me! I rediscovered the Cup Game with my cabin and we would gather a group of counselors and campers to join in every time we had an empty cup lying around. After composting my food I would go over to the guy tables and just be my regular EXTREMELY FLIRTY self. My plan was to ask at least ten guys out to the dance on our last night, which was almost achieved when I asked eight guys who all accepted.

Everyday after lunch, we would go back to our cabins for Quiet Hour. During Quiet Hour, my cabin decided to work on our skit for skit night the next evening. Our first idea was to recreate a video off of YouTube, but then we decided talking about rapping. I suggested doing a rap that I made up in middle school about the Wizard of Oz. After they heard it piece by piece we all agreed upon it. Of course, we had to tweek it a little to meet the requirements of skit night but we knew it was going to be the best skit out of them all!

After quiet hour we headed towards the dining hall to meet up with our free choice activity group. My free choice was golf(obviously) and turns out I wasn't the only girl to sign up. My friend Nicole that I have known since... my third year at camp and she was also in my cabin last year. Anyways, after hitting plastic training golf balls for an hour, I met up with my cabin again and waited to move on to our next activity which was swimming. I was the only one out of my cabin to swim deeper into the ocean first, until I reached the trampoline. Once I did reach the trampoline I noticed the rest of my cabin followed me... so I'm sort of like a trendsetter, but not really. After jumping on the trampoline, then having very mature small talk with the other older boy cabin, then playing, "Who can crack the egg?"(me being the egg), to swimming back to shore, our final activity of the day was over. Up next was Shower Hour, which my cabin was early for so we had first picks for the warm water showers. After showering I got ready and did my make-up like usual, but once I brought out my INTENSE make-up kit everyone else wanted a taste. No joke. I did four of the six girls(including me) in my cabins eye make-up. Before I knew it, I was being called the make-up artist of session one and everyone agreed I should go to cosmetology school to become a professional make-up artist.

After another spectacular meal we got ready for the next activity which was the Counselor Scavenger Hunt?! Not even my counselors knew what was planned so it was quite a surprise when I found out we would be catching "Death Eaters" on our "broom stick "around campus under "Bellatrix Lestrange'" orders to defeat the "Dark Lord". Best evening activity EVER! Who ever collects the most points wins!... which we did not succeed in doing. After eating smores by the campfire, and creating rain, oh and after I flirted with all the guys we returned to girls camp for cabin closing and lights out. My highs and lows this time were... My high of the day: Achieving my goal on the high ropes. My low of the day: Waking up early in the morning... but then realizing I'm in my sleeping bag, with my cabin, at the best place imaginable, so it's all good! I love talking with my cabin all night... Talking about guys, laughing about swimming unicorns, making whale impressions, and telling racist jokes ;-)

I'M BACK FROM THE BEST PLACE EVER!

I'M BACK! and I must say this was one of the best years at camp yet! I'll  blog about each five days I was there, day by day. So lets start from day one!

Day 1

The night before, I set my new alarm for 4:00AM, the alarm ringtone being, "Blame It On The Boogie"(Sunshine Dance). I probably went to bed by 11:00PM since I was EXTREMELY excited for a new year! Six hours later, I'm completely awake and ready to get out of the door and drive to the airport! We finally arrived at the airport at 5:00 AM and there's a HUGE line... Note to self: GET THERE BY 4:30AM, at least! Although, when passing several people I met from the past seven years I have attended camp with, I started to get even more excited, if that was humanly POSSIBLE!! I even saw Lindsey ahead of me who got there by 4:00 AM, she must have been dying to get out of the door too! Once I'm checked in, I'm set into my traveling group, say good-bye to my parents that I honestly will not miss one bit, we go through security together(pacemaker kids getting manually checked), boarded the plane, and we were FINALLY on our way to California!

I was expecting a better meal then this for breakfast but whatever, it was airplane food(a bagel, apple juice, and grapes). Once we landed, we're practically on the buses that are heading towards the Catalina Express in two seconds! My group had a lot of my friends I met last year so I was well occupied while traveling! Once we get to the dock after going through California "Rush Hour"(Every hour) I meet up with my cabin which consisted of brand new people I have never met! My cabin this year was, "Cutter" which was the cabin I had last year but of course, with different people. My counselors, Kelbel, Hiccup, and Haonness, I'm glad were extremely nice and welcoming! As if none of the other's aren't!

I promised myself this year that I would be very enthusiastic, happy, and friendly towards everyone, so that I could meet more people! Which is exactly what I did and accomplished by the end of the session, because my whole cabin loved how crazy I was! My cabin mates this year were, Sammy, Ariessa(Aries), Victoria, Nicole, and Marrisa(she was in my cabin last year)! I was the first one to speak up and if I may say so myself , I was able to get mostly everyone out of their shell a little bit on the first try. On the boat ride, I sat with my cabin for the first half and then I played Ninja with all the little kids for the second part. My excitement was building inside of me I could have exploded at that very moment! :) Once we arrived I ran and high-5ed all the counselors on the dock ready to greet us.

First we had lunch, then I unpacked and decorated with my cabin while getting to know them even more, had a Practice Emergency Drill with the rest of the camp, had a tour of the camp(as if I don't have the campus memorized by heart already), then dinner, then Disco Bingo! Unfortunately, I did not win at Bingo but the Disco part came in every time somebody DID get a bingo and that was my time to break out into my AWESOME dance moves in front of everybody! Remember how my cabin said I was crazy? This is why. I danced like such a complete physco and gave it my all, everyone wanted to dance with me! Just kidding, but I did feel pretty good dancing with everybody while starting a Conga Line! After Disco Bingo it was time for lights out and cabin closing. We were supposed to say our high's and low's of the day for cabin closing... My high's? Seeing everyone I haven't seen in one YEAR and having my dance moves captured on camera! My low's? Sitting outside for the Practice Emergency Drill, but that soon turned into a high after singing repeat songs and looking ridiculous! Ohhhhh well!

Fire at the Ronald McDonald House!

'*Places hand over mouth, resisting not to laugh*
"What?", Shelby said thinking she said something funny and didn't get the joke.
*Points at the microwave, Shelby turns around*

A blur of green smoke was flowing out of the microwave. It started to smell as it filled the whole half of the kitchen.

"Oh my god! Whatdowedo?! WHATDOWEDO?!", Shelby said in a panic.
"I don't know...", her friend said sounding very useful.

She opened the microwave and more smoke starts to pour out onto her face. She closed it immediately panicking. As she thinks of something to do she tell's her friend to start fanning the smoke down so the fire alarm wouldn't go off, while Shelby asks a random lady behind her who's casually cutting vegetables if she can help. All she does is look at her, then continue to cut her dinner. By now the fire alarm has gone off and Shelby tell's her friend to follow her and they start running downstairs to the office screaming, "FALSE ALARM!".'

I have no idea why I decided to write this experience in a third person perspective but it made it sound like a legit story novel that I just copy and pasted, and the main character just happens to have my name. Not a coincidence at all. This really did happen to me, and at the completely wrong time too.

I was pretty much "living" at the Denver Ronald McDonald House waiting for my second transplant. While waiting, I met a girl who shared the same interests as me and I decided to share my Harry Potter obsession with her, being the HP fan I am. We were online looking up Harry Potter related news and we came across a HP contest. Basically whoever participated in this contest had to submit a video of the contestants brewing an original potion. Whoever's potion was the best won some kind of BRILLIANT prize like meeting Ron Weasley or receiving a signed Nimbus 2000, I don't know. So that's what we decided to do... Big mistake. Our ideal potion was the ability to turn opponents wands into noodles by sprinkling our concoction over our enemies wands. All we had to do was show the camera a stick which is supposed to represent our wand, put it into a saucer, and after stirring the wand in the potion for a couple minutes it has "magically "become a noodle. We made Ramon noodles before-hand and while cooking in the microwave it started to smoke like CRAZY!

Everything turned out fine, of course I still have the guilt on my hands, and the RMH staff had to install a new microwave from storage, and my mom found out about the incident the next day. I guess after having gorgeous firemen come to disable the alarm, I don't feel as much of a disgrace anymore. Now whenever I talk about it with my parents it's a oh-those-were-great-memories-right?-conversation, while my dad's still clueless about the whole thing. Must have forgot to mention it to him...

P.S

If your wondering what went wrong when making the noodles. It's not a the-world-may-never-know-thing, it's a common sense stupid rooky mistake.

...I forgot to put water in the cup of noodles :-P

Punching a Nurse

There are so many times I had the urge to smash a nurses face in. Like when they wake me up at three in the morning to ask me if they can take my blood pressure once again? Do I have a choice, I think not! Or when they  failed the first five times when placing an ivy into my arm! Or when they give me whole milk instead a 2% like requested. Sometimes they would sneak up on me and place a thermometer in my ear unexpectedly! Oh thanks for the warning, it's not like that's even remotely creepy!

I'm too polite to strangle a nurse in real life. I would flip them off or just immaturely stick my tongue at them when their not looking instead. I guess when I'm not conscious I literally can't control myself! When I was unconscious for a week I had a nurse who would talk to me in a baby voice. Like the voice you would talk in when you're addressing a dog.

Sane Regular Woman:
"Your such a good dog! Who's a good doggy!? Your a good doggy! WANNA A TREAT?? "

Petite Insane Medical Professional
"Oh who's a good patient! Your MY good patient! Wanna an ivy? Who wants to draw some blood!?? SHELBY DOES!"

So you could see how this would annoy anyone! Even though I wasn't awake it's not like the words flew over my skull. I guess I could still process what she was saying to me and how I felt about it. My reaction was no longer under my control once she leaned over me to fuss with the monitor. I lazily slopped my arm over and attempted to punch her in the face. I didn't miss her face but it's not like I left a black eye afterward. My parents told me it was more of a slap, but I'm satisfied with anything as long as she felt the need to leave the room. My parents tried to avoid her as many times as possible because apparently I wasn't the only one annoyed by her.

Even though my nurses can annoy the hell out of me sometimes, they have saved my life multiple times. So in that case I give all my past nurses props for cleaning the bed pans/ throw up bowls, the constant sponge baths throughout their day, and dealing with squirmy, screaming kids ALL THE TIME! I hope to become the same profession in the future, and I probably won't expect the massive amount of poop cleaned each day. Haha, okay that was too much information, but I'm glad I was able to give you the-that's-disgusting-smirk upon your face(unless your just laughing at me).

Coming Home After A Six Month "Vacation"

Near the end of September I was told I was free! I could finally leave Denver after waiting since May to go home. In July of 2009 I got my second heart transplant at the Denver Children's Hospital, then had to wait three months afterward to make sure I didn't reject. If you don't know: Rejecting my heart is when my T-cells and other various cells in my immune system attack my heart because it's a foreign object inside my body. Then the heart becomes weak and ill, and I would have to restart this transplant process all over again... Lucky for me, my heart was healthy afterward and my scar healed nicely. I was living in The Ronald McDonald House since May and I left near the end of September. If I had to stay any longer I think I would have exploded, you would have had to whip me off the furnished walls.

While I stayed at the Ronald McDonald House I would occasionally have mental breakdowns and cry under the covers until one of my parents noticed how unhappy I was. They would do their usual parent ways of putting a smile back on my face. Which consisted of letting me cry until my eye's were dry, making me hot chocolate and popcorn, and ending the night with watching Harry Potter. So when I was told I was able to go home by my nurse practitioner it was like I just defeating Lord Voldemort and the world became a happy cheesy cartoon again.

When we were unpacking, we decided that all of our belonging wouldn't fit in all our luggage. We had to leave everything we couldn't fit in our suitcases behind and have it sent to us by a friend.(We had a few garbage bags full of stuff we left behind) The minute I stepped on to the plane I already felt at home, and I haven't reached the front door yet. Once we landed we met up with my mom who had my dog in her car waiting for me. I haven't seen my dog since April, so you could imagine why my little pomerianan didn't leave my arms the whole forty-five minute drive back to our new apartment.

In our first apartment I didn't have my own room, I was sleeping on the couch every night I slept over. On the way back I was extremely hyper to see how everything turned out. My mom guided me to the front door once we arrived. I entered casually, dropped my suitcases, and asked where my room was. "The double doors on the right", she responded with a sneaky smile upon her face. I glanced at her, then at the doors, then at her again suspecting something. I was not expecting my two best friends to be on my bed playing UNO while waiting for me to enter. They dropped what they were doing and tackled me to the ground. Then I tackled them to the bed and we sat on my bare mattress talking for hours.

My room had the minimum amount of furniture inside it. A desk, a bed, organizing cubes, and a nightstand were the only pieces of furniture sitting in my room, before my gigantic suitcases took up the entire floor. My friends slept over that night in our new apartment. We played with our feet, found random games in my luggage, ate barbecue for dinner, then stayed up all night talking in the living room when we were supposed to be sleeping.

I was extremely happy to be home and not back in Denver in my very comfortable yet cramped prison cell. Though, I still had cardiac appointments every week to make sure I didn't have to go back to the Denver hospital. But if I was able to go back to school and redecorate my own room, I didn't mind at all.

Morphine Dreams

In the middle of seventh grade my immune system decided to completely shut down on me(because the medications I take lower my fighting cells so I can catch anything I came across). That year of school I was in the hospital for almost a month due to Pneumonia, "Kennel Cough", water around my lungs, and a slight kidney failure.(my heart was fine through it all, just a bit stressed) The first week in the hospital I was unconscious and during that deep sleep I had an unforgettable dream that made absolutely no sense.

I arrived to the hospital at around six in the morning and was transported from Urgent Care to The Children's Hospital by ambulance wearing an oxygen mask on my face. I remember sitting in the emergency room after we arrived for a few minutes looking pale white from lack or blood flow, hunched over ready to throw up again, and tears running down my face. The last thing I remember is lying down before being moved to an ICU room and being told, "Tell me when you start to feel sleepy" and then in a few seconds later the overpowering drug locked my body into a deep sleep. If your wondering if I was still able to dream even by forced sleep? Yes, yes I was.

The dream started out with myself walking through an empty parking lot at night. No cars in sight. Just some twelve year old wearing neon scrubs pacing through empty parking spaces. One of these parking spaces had to be a teleporter because once I stepped over it, half a second later I was in the steam room at Lifetime Fitness. It took myself a few minutes to realize, "Wow! I'm still in scrubs. I should leave before I boil in here."  So I got up but the steam room was so misty I failed to find the door. I started to panic so I banged on what seemed to be the door until someone came to my rescue. When someone opened the door I slipped forward and fell into the person's arms. This person was wearing neon scrubs like me, and I also noticed that he looked similar to the actor Oliver James(You know that guy with black hair gelled into a mohawk who starred in Raise Your Voice and What A Girl Wants).

Anyways, from that moment on I lost my sense of touch and feel, almost like I was paralyzed afterward. My voice was so soft and raspy I wasn't able to get what I was trying to say which was, "Water slide...". Although, he managed to comprehend what I wanted so he continued to carry me like a baby in his arms. Before we left I'm pretty sure he set the steam room on fire then left the locker room with me still in his arm walking casually towards the exit.

Once we found the pool and were almost to the steps of the slide he set me down gently on to the floor and expected me to climb up two flights of stairs by myself, while I still paralyzed . He left without a word and the farther he walked from me that more he dissolved into the air. I was determined to slide down the water slide so I twisted my body so my stomach was facing the floor and started to crawl up each step which felt like it took DAYS! Once I made it to the third to last step someone noticed how weak I was and proceeded to pick me up.

The top of the stairs wasn't just a small area to wait for your turn but it was a medium size bedroom. No furniture just plain white walls with random giant, colorful, square hacky sacks floating in mid-air. Placing me into the tube where the water slide began was more difficult then it needed to be. The woman helping me, also wearing neon scrubs, tried to force me to grab the metal bar on the top of the slide. I could crawl up two flights of stairs but not hang on to a metal bar for a few minutes(probably too exhausted). Since I was being "too difficult" she walked away to find someone else wearing scrubs. Once she came back, two weak women (One in her mid-twenties with brown hair, the other around the same age with blond hair with several piercings in her nose. ) came back placing me in different positions to get me in the right angle to slide down. Apparently that "right" angle was head first and on my back. After they pushed me down I teleported again to either a beach house in Hawaii or a stone hut in Pakistan.

Suddenly, I was lounging in a beige recliner while having a fat Mexican lady, her hair in a bun and wearing Lilo's(from Lilo and Stitch) dress but in purple and green flowers instead, braid my hair. My hair grew significantly long which is why the lady took HOURS braiding it. There were other people around me as well. One guy was shirtless while fanning me with a giant leaf like in the ancient Egyptian time period. Another person was cutting "Around the World Fruit" by my side and feeding me. Someone else was in a black suit who I think was my lawyer, but  he was wearing shades from the matrix and was outside on the phone the whole time.

Between my dreams I woke up for a brief amount of time in the real world, and my parents counting the minutes I've had my eye's closed were ready to take a picture of me with my eye's slightly opened, braided hair,while giving the peace sign(I thought I was gangster back then stop laughing) and then send to all their contacts while labeling the message as: SHE'S STILL FIGHTING!