I will admit I was not excited to spend my 22nd birthday in the hospital. I thought Taylor Swift would be singing in the background while I ate breakfast at midnight and dressed up like a hipster in non-prescription glasses. But no. At midnight I was peeing out the last of my diuretic and falling asleep with oxygen pumping through my nose. Expectations still were not high.

Then the next morning I woke up to nurse after nurse after doctor after cleaning person after stranger after stranger came into my room wishing me a happy birthday with a bottle of nail polish with a little pink ribbon around it. I was so shocked and surprised, but very happy! My child life specialist had arranged the wonderful surprise! All the hospital staff knew how much I loved to paint my nails, because when I was first admitted my nails were a different color everyday.

Later in the afternoon my child life specialist had told me she arranged a whole spa day for me! She gave me a pedicure, manicure, and face mask. I felt so bad she had to touch my feet that had not been washed in 3 weeks, but it did feel amazing. I was so grateful and even though I was feeling pretty sick all day, something in me still felt great!

My birthday had turned out a million times better than I expected it to! I am indefinitely grateful for all that CHAM has done for me and to keep my hospital stay comfortable.

Honestly, I hadn’t written any posts in a while because I had been feeling pretty crummy the past week. After all, I am a patient in the ICU. It basically felt like a really bad hangover that wouldn’t go away, but I am feeling much better now. Feeling better is all a girl can ask for! God’s gift to me was the fact that I did not get sick once on my birthday. I couldn’t bring myself to eat cake, but I took the chance and devoured a falafel. All in all it was a pretty darn good birthday!

This sums up birthdays in the hospital. More photos to come.