day 444 of transplant

 

Hey guys,

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is already over?Hope that your Thanksgiving was a good one. I had a really good one.

Monday I kept Audrey. She is starting to reach for things and really trying hard to sit up by herself.

Tuesday I cleaned the house and got some cooking and baking done.

Wednesday Scott, Beth and kids came in – oh yeah, I almost forgot about Levi (the dog). We all got together for dinner.

Thursday Rodney’s side of the family got together for lunch at the church.We have out grown Rodney’s mothers apartment. We all got to sat around the same table and it was so easy to get the food ready with a big kitchen to work in. The youth room was a good place for the kids to play. We all had a good time. That evening Jennifer, Beth and I went to Michael’s big sale. The men stayed home and watched the kids.

Friday Rodney and I got up at 3:45 am and went shopping. It was crazy but fun. We did get some good buys and was back home at 6:30, just in time to start getting breakfast ready for the crew. We went to Riverside Plants for some family pictures. The poinsettias were absolutely beautiful. That evening we went to my side of the family for dinner. Rodney celebrated his 62nd birthday. It was kind of low key.

Saturday Scott, Beth and the kids left to go back to NC.  So glad that they made it back safely. Rodney and I worked around the house. We took down our fall decorations to get ready for the Christmas decorations. Boy, I can’t believe that Christmas will soon be here.

Today we went to church and then to see Aunt Louise. After lunch we started our Christmas decorating. The doctor said that I could not have a real tree again this year but I could have a fake one. Scott got our tree down from that attic and Rodney dumped it out in our drive way to let the wind get the dust off of it! Now we just need to get it up.

This will be a week to get a lot of things done for the holidays. I want to do a lot of crafts and baking for gifts this year.

Have a good week and I’ll write next week.

Love,

Gloria

day 437 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone. Another week has passed and this week is the big TURKEY DAY !

Monday Rodney left for an over night trip to Richmond for meetings. I tried to get some things done around the house. I cleaned the house and even wrapped a few Christmas presents! I had some time to make fancy bows, other years I was doing good just to get them wrapped!

Wednesday and Friday I kept Audrey. I sure enjoy my time with her. I think that she likes spending time with me too. This week she will be four months old. Friday Ryan had his wisdom teeth removed and he has been in some pain. I pray that he will heal soon. I know that having your teeth pulled is no picnic.

Thursday night Rodney and I went to Charlottesville to see Rhonda Vincent in concert. The Paramount theater is a very old restored theater. It was beautiful and it was a good concert. We had really good seats in the balcony and away from the crowd. We didn’t get home until 12:25 am. Short night for Rodney to get up to go to work in the morning but it was worth it.

Saturday we did errands and then some work around the house. In the evening we went to another concert in Harrisonburg to see Doyle Lawson and Quick Silver (bluegrass gospel). Again we had really good seats in the balcony where very few people sat. The concert was very good.

Today we went to church and then to visit Aunt Louise. We then came home and Rodney did some woodworking (first time he has been in his shop for over a year.I know that he was glad to get down there again) and I did some sewing. It was a good day.

This week I will be busy getting ready for the kids to come home for Thanksgiving. It will be good to spend some time together. We have so much to be thankful for and I am so grateful to God for so many blessings.If you are traveling I pray for your safe journey and a blessed Thanksgiving. We sometimes feel that we have it so bad but when you look around you can see so many people worse off than you.

Write next week.

Love, Gloria

day 430 after transplant

 

Hello, to everyone.

Boy what a busy week. The weather was nice and then it was cold and rainy and ended being warm and beautiful. Rodney was off this week and we had a good time just being together.

Monday we went to UVA to get the results back from my CT and MRI. It was all good – the cyst on my pancreas has shrunk!!! The doctor was very pleased with my blood work and my recovery from the transplant. After this appointment on to MCV we went to hand deliver the CDs of the CT and MRI that Dr. Toor requested. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and continued support.

On Wednesday we kept Audrey and Scott and Beth and the kids stopped by on their way to DC. It was good to see them if only just for a little while. We celebrated Veterans Day by going out to dinner with Denny and Pam. It was really rainy and cold.

On Friday we took Rodney’s mother to get some shopping done and then we ate dinner with her. We had Audrey with us and Ryan met us for dinner also.

Saturday was a beautiful and warm day. Rodney got his yard work done. It was nice to be outside after several days of being rainy and cold.

Today we went to early church and the kids stopped by for lunch on their way back home. They had a really good visit in DC despite the rain and cool weather. The kids talked about all the things that they saw in the museums. I know that they will go back to school with lots of stories to tell their classmates.  Rodney and I went to see the Chuck Wagon Gang concert. They were really good and we were so glad that we got to go.

Rodney goes back to work tomorrow and then on to Richmond for a dinner meeting and an all day meeting on Tuesday. I have lots of things planned to get done until he comes home late Tuesday.

I can’t believe that it is almost Thanksgiving- less than two weeks away. Rodney and I have so many things to be thankful for. God has given us so much.

I guess that takes care of my week. I will write more next week.

Take care and love,

Gloria

day 423 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone,

What a beautiful, glorious day the Lord has made.

Had a very good and busy week. I cleaned the house (with mask and gloves on), kept Audrey, did some sewing and made some Friendship bread (if you would like a start please give me a call).

Wednesday, Rodney took me to MCV for my check up (first time in seven weeks). Then he had a luncheon meeting at 12. Dr. Toor said that my blood work looked very good. He said that the results of the biopsy was all donor which is great news. He looked a little concerned about the results of the pulmonary test. He said something about a CT scan and I told him that I was scheduled for one the next day. He wants a CD of it.I just pray for good results.

Thursday afternoon I had to be at UVA. A CT scan at 4 and then an MRI at 6. The CT scan went really fast but the MRI was 2 hours long. When the technician came out to get me, he told Rodney not to think that he was kidnapping me but I would be there a long time. He said that they allowed him 1 hour on the machine but he would probably need it for 80 minutes! He was very good and talked me right through it. We didn’t get home until after 10 pm.

Friday I kept Audrey and she was so good. She is trying to sit up by herself and I have a feeling that she knows when she is at G-daddy’s and Mamaw’s house.

Saturday was a beautiful day and Rodney spent most of it out in the yard doing leaves. I hope that this is just about the end of the leaves for this year. It is a blessing to see him out there and getting on and off the mower with less or no pain. I think that the shot has started to work, thank God for that blessing.

Today we went to church and then to visit Aunt Louise for just a minute—there is flu on another floor. Since it was such a beautiful day we went to the Veterans Parade and then we went for a drive.

That takes care of my week. I have to be at UVA tomorrow at 9:30 to see the doctor and get the results of my CT and MRI. Please say a prayer for me at this time. I always get a little “antsy” waiting for the results. I try not to worry and trust that the good Lord has everything in His control.

Have a wonderful week and until next Sunday – I’m gone!

Love, Gloria

day 416 after transplant

 

Hello everyone!

I know that I am blogging early but I turned on the computer to see if it would “act up” and so far it is doing fine. Thought that I had better blog now before it started having a fit again!

Today we woke up to rain. The last week it has been very nice and Rodney spent two days working on the leaves and today you would never know it.

Rodney has been off all week and we wanted to do something that would be fun instead of staying home and working all week (we do have a lot of things here that needs to be done, but there always is). Monday we took Rodney’s mother back to WV where she grew up. Since her birthday was Friday we thought that would be a good birthday present. We first went to Babcock State Park – where there is a mill that is featured on a lot of calendars and we have often said that we wanted to see it some day, so we did. It was beautiful with all the fall leaves. Then we took her to see the house that she grew up in and where Rodney spent the summers with his grandparents. It had really changed. I think the biggest highlight of the day for her was to see one of her high school friends that she has not seen in 60 years! We all had a very good day.

I kept Audrey on Wednesday and Friday, she changes everyday. I sure like the days that I spend with her. Sometimes you forget how fast they grow and how little you get done!

Thursday morning we went to the Eastern Shore of VA to eat at Driftwood Seafood Restaurant. One of the guys that work with Rodney owns it and that is another place where we have said that we wanted to go – so we did! The fresh seafood was delicious, I had broiled flounder stuffed with crab meat and Rodney had a seafood sampler. I wasn’t sure what me taste buds would do but to my surprise they liked it! My taste buds are still not back to normal yet. Some things that I have always liked just doesn’t make it right now. I don’t know what Thanksgiving will be like. I am to fix the turkey, dressing and gravy but don’t know if I will be able to eat it or not. That really isn’t the important part- it’s the fellowship with family that counts.

Rodney goes back to work tomorrow and I have a busy week coming up – Wednesday to MCV (first time for 7 weeks!) maybe to get some more shots. Then Thursday evening I go to UVA to get my 6 month CT and MRI scans.  I like to get these things done close together to get them over with – that really makes a long day.

Well, I guess that takes care of my week. I know that things will really be busy now that it is already the first of November and the holidays will be here soon.

Hope that everyone has a wonderful week and I will blog next week, Lord willing.

Love,

Gloria