But I Didn't Like My Face
I’m no Pollyanna, but I wouldn’t consider myself a pessimist either. In any situation, given time to think, I feel I have the ability to see both the good and the bad. When I was listed for transplant, Aaron gave me this cute little trinket—a cloud-shaped tchotchke engraved with the words Always find the silver lining . And that has become a mantra of sorts. I decided early on that I was going to use the opportunity of receiving a heart transplant as a chance to improve myself—to truly have a change of heart. I often fantasized about waking up from surgery, or at least coming through recovery, with this grand new perspective that granted me wisdom, patience, kindness, and the ability to find a well of joy in life that was so often more difficult to find before. Receiving this second chance at life, this priceless gift, would make me a better person. And I tried—I really tried. But it’s an uphill battle. I had been warned about the nasty-but-necessary steroid prednisone. The one th...