...1 year down ,100 to go

Up to even yesterday March 31st 2015, I put so much excitement in this day as a day no one could touch. This is the biggest day of the year for me in my mind, bigger than a birthday, I've had 20+ of those! HAHA. I only have ONE true new year of LIFE! But truth is, it has been the biggest journey to date! Life really still does go on ...But let me tell you one thing about this day a year ago. It has changed my life for a better that I can't explain. And because of that day nothing can take away the glory and victory I feel after the experience. Every day is a blessing, good or bad, and to live everyday believing that- allows you never let anything get in the way of your true happiness.-Shoutout to S.H. for putting that in perspective for me today.

When the doctors called me home I had no idea what was about to happen, I knew surgery was coming but I didn't realize that my entire life as I'd known it for years would shift COMPLETELY...

1.Its so easy to take advantage or to lose sight of blessings that come easy or the blessings that you've known for so long.  I never saw life without basketball..at least seriously! In those moments leading up. It was gone. It was taken from me.. And it caused a serious case of withdrawal.

2.NO BASKETBALL= NO JOB, NO JOB= NO MONEY, NO MONEY= well we all know the list of things that can cause!!! ... BIGGIE LIED!!! lol

3.If you know me you must know I love my family, but I hadn't been home in Clarksville, TN for more than two weeks at a time since I left in 2007, it was like living with mom and dad again. Love them to death but not my first choice although they were amazing to me, great food and every day family-time is the best, but they made it clear they got just as equally tired of their adult daughter being back home after being gone for 7 years. But I am blessed with 2 wonderful human beings as parents, the most incredible people I know!

4.My 4 year on and off again relationship- got to its very worst point. But this is where it ended for the last time. When I needed his love the most, it just fell apart for the very last time!! Breakups are hard, we've all been through them. But in these moments I just wanted him there for me although things had gotten bad on both parts, I wanted the man I loved to love me the same and just be there, he didn't and he wasn't... and in addition to the emotions of surgery approaching it temporarily broke me.  -To all my girlfriends who gladly participated in my men bashing rants for months..I love you dearly..you know who you are! lol

--To my girls and guys going through it now: I promise it gets better, and forgiveness is totally tangible from both parties! 

EITHER WAY...

1-4= GOD MUST HAVE SOME PLAN FOR ME, FOR ALL OF US, THAT WE DONT ALWAYS UNDERSTAND IN THE MOMENT WE WISHED WE DID

April 1, 2014 (4.1.14) Nashville, TN checking at Vanderbilt Medical Hospital is so vivid in my mind and doesn't seem nearly as long as 365 days ago. It was that, and went by so quickly. But the journey wasn't just that and that moment.  I vlog'd a after I had gotten home and was prepping for my transplant on the day before, told a little about my story but didn't go into detail about everything that was going on during those days leading up.  Thank you to CMCSS production company that put together this short DOCUMENTARY that can give you great insight on the month and days leading up to 4114 and the blessings beyond.

WARNING - I dissapeared from a lot of social network when I got home from Europe for the surgery because my illness started to take a toll on my body and appearance and I decided to cut all my hair off on a whim because I wanted everything to start brand new- A real life brittney moment!! SO I PROMISE its me lol!! (quick note: Kidney disease causes body swelling and some worst than others, my eyelids started to swell, which is a blessing when there are people and kids who can gain up to 50 pounds or more of water weight)


 So Click This Link Titled:DOCUMENTARY

TO ALL MY KIDNEY PATIENTS- YOU CAN MAKE IT
TO ALL OTHERS GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW- KEEP FAITH

CRAZY SUPER Special Thanks to Erika! She was a blessing and an angel for doing what she did for me on that day.

To everyone who ever supported either of us and our families during these times, we thank you as well!

WE LOVE AND THANK EVERYONE

Enlightened..

If your volume isn't up turn it up, this song made my day.. 1999 push play while you read!!

Today I saw this girl get beat up by some bully girl who was mad about some comment on some social network, the young girl cried because she just wanted to be left alone and didn't want to fight, I read that a lady was robbed and the very next day the guy who robbed her requested her on Facebook,  and then I also heard about the side chick who brought down the Clippers owner was talking about how ignorant black people can be on camera to be funny...all this is all a bunch of ridiculous BULLSHIT that our world/generation is so commonly dealing with..and as guilty as I am at sitting on instagram looking at all these people posting their fake lives and looking online for comments and articles written about Love and Hip Hop and their sex tapes, I'm beyond over it!!!! Makes me wish my mom didn't have difficulties getting pregnant so long and I would have maybe just missed the not so social-social network era!

But...in light of it being a beautiful first Sunday, the first Sunday of June, the month I was born. :) I woke up this morning and felt grateful. I woke up this morning got dressed and went to church, and was overtaken by this feeling of enlightenment.

For the past 6-7 years since I've graduated High School, outside of working hard to fulfill my desire of being one of the best college women's basketball players, and becoming pro and showing the world what I could do. I've been focused on being the prettiest girl, most wanted girl, getting the most attention without completely losing all self respect, my worries were..."Why isn't my hair just a bit more silky..I mean damn it, I know I have an African American mother but my father is Filipino and Indian, why aren't my curls a little more lose." "Girl, what pill can I take to make my boobs grow? or should I just go get the surgery?""Do I look too chunky?" "I just wanna gain 10 more pounds." "You think he loves me." "You think this will make him happy?" "Blah, blah, blah!!" Just a bunch of superficial unimportant nonsense!

I prayed more than I ever had up until that point leading up to my surgery, not just for me but for Erika, because if anything happened to her during surgery I don't know if I could quite live with myself.. and also for our families because the true love and support they show and have for Erika and I, they were worried sick! (I had a kidney transplant, my first cousin Erika donated to me April 1, 2014) Seeing someone like Erika be so selfless, and for people like me who need people like Erika, it wakes you up and truly changes your perspective.

But now.. after all that has happened since my surgery, the highs of that 3/4 year battle with my disease approaching a better place and the lows of LIFE that just happen..to me and to everyone at some point I've prayed more than I have at any point in my life! Not to just ask for a good recovery, the health and strength of my loved ones, and help and understanding with whatever else was happening and going to happen next in my life, but just to say Thank you! The next 2 months after surgery were an uphill journey for me, for what felt like 100 reasons at the time.. So many people reached out to me to say how much they were inspired and looking for advice or encouragement for their own life, I even spoke to a group of kids graduating High School and their families along with 40-50 additional people who were just in the building to encourage and motivate them..but in the back of my mind I'm thinking how can I encourage these kids or people when there are some days where I feel as though I'm not going to make it out myself...

But here I am, healthy and ready for what's next and for that all I can do is Thank God!

These last two months have shed light on me at whats important and although I still wake up everyday doing what I can to look good, because yes I still flip my hair and blow my kisses. I'm trying my hardest to focus on what's truly important in what life has to offer! Putting my phone down...sometimes...to enjoy life through more than a text and twitter! I want to enjoy my 20's since I only have 5 more years of them and wake up every morning and be able to somehow see my family, your parent's don't live forever unfortunately, love what I do, and love the people around me....Even with all the crap that happens in relationships, it's happened to all of us, men and women. Real love does exist, you just have to believe in it, I do.... and lastly, to never waste another day!

My advice to you, is to do the same!

Transplant Diaries w/cameo from my nephew JAYDEN

Everyone has them, what's most important in dealing with what ever demons come your way, is the fight. You can read all about mine here, and maybe this is the finale or just a new start to a new beginning. Final hoorah on pre-TRANSPLANT DIARIES.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyRRddmQMv8

Just to give you some images of other people who have had this surgery
Below is the link to a girl with LUPUS who blogs about her issues and posts these pictures to better explain the after affects of the surgery.
KIDNEY SCARS

Can't wait to get my life back, Thank you again for all your prayers and well wishes. All other updates will come via instagram @draievans

ESPN Article January 22, 2014 letter

Dear... Y'all, :)
The time has come where everything that I thought I always could control showed me, well.... otherwise CLICK HERE: to see "what's next":

...By the way, I am trying my very best to respond/like/show my sincere gratitude to EVERYONE who has reached out to me on any social outlet or email!
But a video blog will follow soon..

Much love and appreciation,
-Dee

-Special Thank you to Hank Kurz for doing such a great job on my story. @hankkurzjr Follow him on twitter.

Enjoying the world.. Vblog #2

My reintroduction and apology.

For the last 3 or 4 months I have picked up my computer to blog and always think,,"tomorrow, for sure" Next thing you know 8 months has flown by. Thank you to everyone who has ever supported me and sorry to those of you who have asked about this blog to no avail, I will be better.

So my apology to you is the video blog below...If I decide to do it again I'll make sure to look better.

From Italy, With Love

MTV or WNBA?

I really thought I would be bored out of my mind during times I wasn't playing basketball and able to write and blog step by step all the time, but things didn't quite turn out that way...and this is a great thing for me but it's been too long since my last entry so....


It's been a month since I arrived here in Vienna and the experience has been no less than amazing thus far...well, for the most part! Between being out six months and joining a team mid-season the transition wasn't exactly easy, but things have fallen into place.  Otherwise, we are winning (haven't lost at all) and along with my other American teammates Kash and Nic, enjoying Austria and the experience.  It is our duty to make sure that no part of Vienna is left untouched..


With that said, I bet you notice I only write about my American teammates, don't get me wrong the other girls on the team (Austrian, German, Hungarian, Slovakian) are great but it's incredible to see how Americans overseas period seek just to be around other Americans, its like we stick together close net without even really knowing each other, a sort of strange bond based on the fact that we speak English! It sounds corny but its the truth.  All over Austria, we know nearly every American playing basketball both male and female and travel just for a good ole american card game of "I Declare War"! So huge shoutout to not just Kash and Nic but to all the amazing new people I have met that have continued to make this experience one I will never forget.


------


October 13, 2011.


Dear Real World Applicant-
Congratulations!  We liked your email submission and have decided to offer you a special opportunity to audition in person! WEDNESDAY October 19th 2011 at Newby’s from 11AM – 5:30PM! 


Copied and Pasted above is the email I received from them 3 months after a random online submission.. 6 days later I headed 3.5 hours to Memphis and auditioned for the Real World.  I walked in and there were people in every nook and cranny of this Memphis Restaurant. Remember, the audition lasted from 11AM to 5:30 that day. They said thousands showed up that day.  I remember walking in looking at all these people thinking "what in the world did I get myself into" The types of looks ranged from girls in 6 inch stilettos dressed like Snooki(Jersey Shore-the hit reality TV Show) to girls in fish nets with converse to men in trench coats to men on the "roids". Never seen so much variety in one place at once. A group of oh so random people I guess saw me standing there looking lost in the mess of people and invited me to their table. The guy sitting directly across from me asked "So what role are you playing" I looked confused and responded " I'm just going to be myself, I think I have a story to tell" He laughed and told me "regular people don't make it on this show" I sat there as they continued to talk about everyone who walked through the door on what role they thought these people were trying to play or how crazy each person looked. I could only wonder what was said about me as I skipped them all in line with the pass that was attached in my email.


So this is how it works...you go into a room with 9 other people auditioning and one casting director. You sit at this round table and everyone has a picture of themselves and all the paperwork filled out prior to walking in.  Each person says their name, hands over the paperwork and picture, and has 4 maybe 5 min to say anything interesting about themselves.  The casting director asks one question and that is the end of your interview. At the end of our particular interview our casting director, Shannon was her name said "Thank you all for coming out, we will call you...Dawn and (some other girl, I forgot her name) can you stay back. Shannon told us we had more paperwork and to continue into another room..2 hour long paperwork asking maybe the most saddening questions I have ever seen..


So after 2 LONG hours of writing and reminiscing on all the great in my life and detailing every absolutely bad thing that has EVER happened, with a terrible hand cramp I turned in everything and made my way back home. Only 45 people of the thousands were invited to finish this paperwork and they told us only some of us would be called back that night. "Otherwise, thank you!" I was almost home and Shannon calls. She tells me she wants me in Memphis the very next day for a video interview....


Fast forward.....they loved my story, kidney disease, basketball, crazy relationship with the boyfriend, military upbringing, at the end of my interview Shannon said she loved me to send in another video, wait for a possible phone call, "Otherwise, thank you" But I will never forget what she said to me right before I left "I told my friend who is playing overseas about you, she wonders why you don't just try to play again." She told me I should at least give it a try, create a different ending. Anyway..phone call came, "Congrats your a semifinalist" they wanted a third interview..quick synopsis: I traveled to Knoxville. Shannon wasn't there. A new casting director who wasn't very friendly interviewed me. I didn't really like her reaction. Never heard from them again. But...


I can't help but think like this...so many times I have gotten so close to truly following life in another direction other than basketball. And nothing seems to quite make it there. Nothing else quite worked out until I gave pro basketball a try again like Shannon suggested, and nothing but good has come from that.


We as people ask for guidance or a sign on what is destined for them or not destined for them rather, and then we ignore it. I found myself constantly questioning my purpose out of college. It took me until now to figure it out and opportunities have continued to present themselves. I'm just anxious to see where this takes me. WNBA maybe? ;)