06/09/2025
Mike turned 39 a couple weekends ago. That alone is something to celebrate. This birthday also marks 14 years since I flew up to visit him for the first time after not seeing him in years. We’ve been on this wild, beautiful ride ever since.
Every birthday feels meaningful, but when you’ve outlived the predictions for someone born with a genetic disease that attacks the lungs, it hits a little deeper. Two double lung transplants, a kidney, and a whole lot of chemistry and spite later, he’s still here. Still fighting. Still Mike.
This year we visited his hometown of Deer Park, New York. Thanks to our amazing neighbors who looked after the cats and chickens (because who doesn’t love free eggs?), I was able to join him.
It was our first visit together since the last transplant, and also the first time we’ve gone up when it wasn’t a Christmas. That gave us the chance to do more together and explore in ways we hadn’t before.
We got a private historical tour of the First Presbyterian Church in Babylon, climbed to the top of the Montauk Lighthouse, toured Theodore Roosevelt’s home, visited the Museum of American Armor, wandered through the Long Island Museum of Art’s carriage collection, picked out old-school candy at St. John’s General Store, and grabbed hot dogs from the Bonanza Stand in Oyster Bay.
We tried to visit a new town each day and find some kind of local museum or historic spot. More than anything, we just enjoyed each other’s company.
Last year at this time, Mike’s lung function had dropped, and he was being treated for rejection. He’s still dealing with the aftereffects, but for the first time in a long while, we’ve seen real improvement in his numbers during his last PFT.
With transplant, you’re never really out of the woods. Rejection can show up at any time. So if you take anything from our story, let it be this: Do the thing. Take the adventure. Eat the hot dog. Go to the museum. Say yes to life when you can.
As for Invictus Animus, once the weather decides to play nice, I’ll be back to tie-dying and making new pieces. Look out for a few fresh drops soon. Maybe even a website refresh. We’ve still got some things listed on Etsy in the meantime.
Thanks for being here, for cheering us on, and for letting this little mix of art, life, and survival take up a small corner of your world.
