day 4 after 2 year birthday

 

Greetings to all,

Thanks for being patient with me. This summer has been a whirlwind but it has been  hot and dry but a good one.

I spent two weeks in Alaska(it was awesome) and one week at the beach. I spent a week with the grandchildren. After I got back from Alaska my computer went on the blink and I had to get a new one and it took a while to get it going again.

Last Saturday was our 39th wedding anniversary, Rodney’s 38th year with the Travelers and MY 2ND BIRTHDAY!!!! Things are going well. I went to the obgyn and before he would release me for me 5 year check up he wanted me to have a MRI – got the results back today and ALL is good (praise God). I went to MCV yesterday for blood work,bone marrow biopsy and a bone density test (boy that was not fun. The doctor was wonderful but she could not find a soft spot and she had to stick me 4 or 5 times. She was sweating and I was praying for a soft spot). The bone density test was good.

Lois a good long time friend took me to MCV and we had a good day together—thanks Lois. More good news is that I don’t have to go back for 3 months! I won’t know the results from the biopsy for a couple of weeks. My blood work was good but I won’t know if my body is ready for more shots for a while.

Hope that you all have had a good summer and are ready for the fall. I am ready for the cooler weather. We are putting a screened in porch on the back of our house and I was hoping to have it done by now but it has taken longer than I expected it to.

I will try very hard to write more often to keep you in the loop.

Take care,

Gloria

day 673 after transplant

Greetings to all, hope that you had a wonderful and safe 4th of July. Does this mean that summer is almost over?

I am sorry that I have not blogged for soooo long but I was on vacation for two weeks and when we got back last Sunday my computer was not cooperating. I could not get my cursor to move and it was very frustrating. I had to wait on my tech support son to come home to get me going again- thanks Scott!

We did not get home until 4:30 am last Sunday and we slept in until noon and then we went to the nursing home to see Rodney’s aunt. She suffered a stroke while we were gone. I am not sure but I like to think that she realized that we were there. She looked so uncomfortable. We got a call from the home at 8:30 that  night that she had died. She is now at peace.

This has been a busy and crazy week with getting  funereal arrangements made and getting Aunt Louise’s things out of her room. I was on the phone all day  Monday. Tuesday I cleaned the house and unpacked and washed two weeks of laundry. Wednesday I kept Audrey and helped with the VBS meal at church. Thursday I took Rodney’s mother to Charlottesville for a doctors appointment. She is scheduled for surgery on right eye in August. Friday the family came in and we had the funereal and a meal at church afterward. It was a beautiful day and the service was short and very nice.

Saturday all of Rodney’s family came in-they came from as far away as Texas, Florida and North Carolina. Rodney’s brother did a magic show for the children – we were ALL amazed. We had a photographer there to take pictures. It was another beautiful day. As we were leaving the reunion we saw a big  black bear run across the road in front of us.It was one of those ahhh moments.

Today we went to church and after lunch Scott and family left for home. Rodney and I went to Staunton’s Gypsy Hill Park for a gospel concert (Ivan Parker and Brian Free). It was a little warm but it was a wonderful concert.

This will be another busy week for me. I feel that I am so far behind and I don’t see much time to catch up. Tomorrow I keep Audrey for a couple of hours and on Tuesday I go to MCV for a clinic visit. Saturday or Sunday we will go get Grady and Libby to keep them for the week and then on to the beach for a week. i guess that things will just have to wait until I get around to it!

Take care and thanks for your patience. Have a wonderful week. Make the most of your time because you won’t get it back. Make someone smile.

Love,

Gloria

day 642 after transplant

 

Hello ya’ll!

I pray that you had a good week. The weather the first part of the week was wonderful, we  had our windows open and it was very comfortable but by Friday we had the air back on. Yesterday and today was hot and humid, very dry. It has rained all around us but our yard is so brown, just like the end of August.

I had a busy but not too exciting week. I finished all the framing that was brought to me and I did some sewing and cleaning the house. Last but not least I kept Audrey two days. We had a lot of fun.

Tuesday I went to church to our quilting circle. I sewed a pile of tote bags and stitched three quilts on the machine. It has been a long time since we had gotten together because of the weather and then some health reasons for some of the members. It sure was good to get together again. Just incase I haven’t told you before we make quilts for foster children so that they have something to call their own.

Not much more to write so I will write to you later. As far as my heath is going I am doing fine. I don’t go back to MCV until July 6. God has been so good and I feel so undeserving but that is just the way our God works. His love is continuous.

Have a wonderful and safe week. Kids enjoy your summer. Enjoy being out of school- you’ll be back before you know it.

Love,

Gloria

day 635 after transplant

 

Hello everyone,

Yes, I am alive and doing well. I had someone email me this week wondering if something was wrong because I did not blog last Sunday.I am doing fine and I have been very busy getting things in order for our big trip.

I last time I blogged I told you about being in the  tube for 2 hours(Thursday day 618), they called me on  Tuesday (day 623)and told me  that I needed to go back for another MRI(they needed more pictures). I went back to UVA the next evening (Wednesday)and was in the tube another 20 minutes! The next day I went back to UVA to see the doctor and get the results. Everything was really good. The doctor was really pleased. The spot on my pancreas has gotten smaller! That was definitely an answer to a prayer. Also he said that next month I will be 3 years free from the angio- sarcoma and he is very pleased with that.I don’t have any idea what God has planned for me but as long as He does that it ok.

Friday we went to NC to see the kids. We had a very quiet but nice visit. Came home on Sunday and worked in the yard on Monday (Memorial Day). Hope that all of you had a good Memorial Day.

I went to MCV on Tuesday to have a pulmonary test, clinic visit and to see the pulmonary doctor. It was a good day. I got the go ahead to go on our trip (with several precautions).

I spent several days in the frame shop and keeping Audrey. She will soon be a year old. That is so hard to believe. Time does fly by.

Well that takes care of my two weeks. I am very tried and need to go to bed.

Have a wonderful week. I will try very hard to blog next Sunday so I can be on schedule.

Love,

Gloria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             MCV on Tuesday to have a pulmonary test, clinic visit and to see the pulmonary doctor. It was a good day. I got the go ahead to go on our trip (with several precautions).

I spent several days in the frame shop and keeping Audrey. She will soon be a year old. That is so hard to believe. Time does fly by.

Well that takes care of my two weeks. I am very tried and need to go to bed.

Have a wonderful week. I will try very hard to blog next Sunday so I can be on schedule.

Love,

Gloria

day 621 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone.

This has been another very busy week but a good one. Of course any day that my feet touch the floor in the morning is a good day!

I took  Rodney to get a shot in the hip and it went very well, he is feeling some relief and I am just hoping that he doesn’t over do it.

I kept Audrey on Wednesday and Friday. She is really mobile now and has to been watched all the time. She has discovered the CD cabinet and she likes to “organize” the CDs differently! Her favorite one has a duck, cat and dog on it.

Thursday afternoon I went to UVA for a CT and MRI. After the IV was inserted the CT was a piece of cake but the MRI was a different story. I was in the “tube” for 2 hours and the noise just about made me scream! I had a wash cloth over my eyes so I couldn’t see how closed in it was or I would have screamed for sure. Now I go back to UVA this Thursday to find out the results. I pray that all will be good. When we got home we got a call from the nursing home where Rodney’s aunt is and they told us that she is failing in health. She is 92 years old and it was not a real surprise. We have been going down to see if there is anything we can do to give her comfort. Any prayers would be much appreciated.

That just about does it for my week, other than trying to get a prom gown sewn. I am hoping to get that finished tomorrow (the prom is this Saturday).

Have a wonderful week and since this is a holiday weekend coming up, please be safe if you plan to travel.

God Bless,

Gloria

day 614 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone!

What a fast week. This will be short as it is time to go to bed.

I kept Audrey on Wednesday and Friday. I cleaned house on Thursday and sewed (a prom gown) on Monday and Tuesday. I have to hit it pretty hard tomorrow and Tuesday to get the dress done on time.

Tuesday I have to take Rodney to the hospital to get another shot in the groin for the pain in the hip. I pray that this shot will help him and give him relief for a long time.

Thursday evening I am off to UVA to get my 6 month CT and MRI scans. It will be a long evening but I want to get it all done at the same time.

Went to early church today. It was Youth Sunday and it was a very good service. It was good to see all the youth together at the same time and to see how they are growing in their faith. After church we rode to Newport News for nephew Billy’s graduation. We had a very nice visit and then we brought Rodney’s mother home with us. It was a long day but a good one. The weather was beautiful.

They are calling for rain tonight and through Tuesday – we really need some rain. We got the garden planted on Saturday so bring on the rain.

Hope that you have a wonderful week and I will write again next week.

Love,

Gloria

day 608 after transplant

 

Good morning to everyone.

This will be a very short blog. I had a very good but uneventful week. I didn’t get home until late last night and I was too tired to blog.

I kept Audrey several days and got some sewing done but have a lot more to do. I helped Rodney put up some shelves in the garage (something that we should have done years ago).

The weather was kind of crazy this week – warm, cool, sunny, cloudy, and the weekend was VERY windy. They called for frost the last two nights but we didn’t get any (that was a good thing). We sure could use some rain, the yards are turning brown and we need some rain for the garden.

Yesterday was Mothers Day (Happy Mothers Day to every mother reading this blog). I received flowers at church. a top, a sweater and flowers for the beds out back. Also I had lunch at Outback Steak House and dinner at Ryan and Jennifer’s. I would say that I had a very good day. Thanks to every one that helped to make my day special. God has blessed me with a very loving family and friends.

Hope that all of you have a wonderful week and I will blog later.

Love,

Gloria

day 600 after transplant

 

Yes, 600 days after transplant !!!! I can hardly believe that it has been that long. Everyday that my feet touches the floor when I get out of bed is a GOOD DAY. God has been so good in giving me another chance to do things to glorify Him.

It is HOT!!!! We went straight from winter to summer.I turned the heat off on Thursday and now it looks like we will have to turn on the air. I wasn’t quite ready for that yet but it sure beats shoveling snow. We could use some rain for the yards and gardens.

Had a pretty uneventful week. Not much happening other than keeping Audrey and getting several sewing and framing jobs this week. Also baking cookies and cakes for some church events. Hopefully this week will be just as uneventful. We are planning to go to our area Relay For Life event this Friday evening. It usually is a very humbling experience.

In my daily devotions today it said that everyday is a good day. No day is ever ordinary, for every day is a valuable gift given to us by the Maker of days. We are to use each day WISELY, enjoy each day FULLY, and appreciate each day GENUINELY. I know that your day can change in an instant, so we always need to make the best of what we are given. When life gives you lemons, make lemon aide!

Until next time you have a wonderful week.

Love,

Gloria

day 593 after transplant

 

HELLO TO EVERYONE !

I am doing fine and I am sorry that I have not blogged for a while. I have been so busy that when I sit down for the night I am just too tired to blog.

I have been busy with helping Rodney with the garden and the flower beds. I still have to be very careful but I have done a lot more than I have done for 2 years. It feels so good to be able to do some of the gardening again. We have most of our flowers planted now and we have green beans and spinach in the ground. Now we need some rain. The weather has been beautiful.

I have also been busy going to the doctors (for me and for Rodney’s mother). I went to MCV on Tuesday and I got the final results from my bone marrow biopsy – I am ALL donor and that is terrific! They are very satisfied with all of my blood work and I don’t have to go back until June 1st. I have also been to the thyroid and dermatologist doctors and had three more shots.

I continue to keep Audrey and she is such a joy to keep. She is now 9 months old and starting to crawl and trying to stand on her own. She loves to be outside and see the birds and dogs.

Not much more happening to write about. I am starting to get busy with picture framing and I have several sewing projects to do. Life is good and busy. 

I pray that you have a wonderful week and that you are enjoying spring time in your area. Remember to give God all the glory for all of the beauty you see all around you.

Till next time,

Gloria

day 579 after transplant

 

Wheee what a busy week!

It was also a warm and then cool week. The first of the week it was in the high 80’s and low 90’s and the last of the week there was frost on the roof. We got our garden plowed and now I am anxious to get some things planted. The trees are in bloom and the grass is so green. It is a beautiful time of year when things come alive, especially after such a cold winter.

I kept Audrey this week and she is all but crawling.She is trying to stand up by pulling up on things. She has the cutest personality.

I took Rodney’s mother to UVA on Thursday and she got her stitch out (it almost fell out by itself). She still does not have much vision in the left eye. We are praying that will change soon.

I spent a lot of time this week getting things ready for our Sunday School class Potato/Salad Bar that we had today. It was a lot of work but we made over $1200 for the kitchen renovation.

On Tuesday I go get my 2nd Hepatitis shot and also to the thyroid doctor for a 4 month check up.

That is my week in a nut shell!

Have  a wonderful week. Remember to smile –God loves you and so do I!

Gloria

day 572 after transplant

 

HAPPY EASTER AND WELCOME SPRING!

This has been an interesting week!

Monday I had a dentist appointment(just for a check up and cleaning). I had to take an antibiotic Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I got a good check up with no cavities. Tuesday morning at 3:30 am I started throwing up! I couldn’t even keep water down. I called MCV and they felt that it was a reaction to the antibiotic, but it could be the stomach bug. Then I started with diarrhea! I didn’t do much other than run to the bathroom.

Thursday I called MCV again and they really wanted me to come down but said that they would agree to me getting a stool culture at the local hospital. I went to the outpatient department at our local hospital and I couldn’t give them a sample! They gave me a kit and specific instructions to take home. Finally that evening I had a sample so off to the hospital we went. I would not know any results until Friday afternoon but the final results would not come back until Monday!

Friday I took Rodney’s mother to UVA the eye doctor. We were in hope that she would be able to get her stitch taken out but the doctor said that she was not quite ready so we go back next Thursday. This has been a very slow process but hopefully she will soon be able to get some site back in her left eye.

We left Friday afternoon for NC for the weekend. I got a call from the doctor that all the tests were negative, so I guess it was the antibiotic. We had a great week end with the kids. Saturday we went to see the Duke Gardens and the Duke Chapel. It was a beautiful weekend and so nice to get away for a little while. Today we went to St. Mark’s for church and as always it was a wonderful and very meaningful service. Got home early evening and are now getting ready for another busy week.

The final NCAA basketball game is tomorrow night and everyone remember to cheer for BUTLER!!!!!  This is their first time to the championship so let’s support the underdogs, also because they are the team that I got in our local radio station basketball pool!

Have a wonderful and safe week and I will write more next week.

Love,

Gloria

day 565 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone!

We celebrated Palm Sunday(also known as Holy Week) today. Pastor Steve had a very good message today reminding us what Jesus went through this coming week. He was about to be denied,beaten and nailed to a cross for our sins. This was not an easy thing for Him to do but He loves us so much. Did we deserve such a gift or more important what can we do to give God the glory?

Now, for my week, in one word BUSY! I took Rodney’s mother to UVA for eye check up. She is doing better and the doctor is hoping to remove her stitch this Friday. She felt that she is ready to go back to her apartment. She has a neighbor come in to put her eye drops in. I kept Audrey three days this week. She will soon be crawling and then the fun begins.

Thursday Rodney and I both went to the dermatologist. I had a precancerous place on my lip blasted and Rodney had two places on his arm blasted (this is from too much time in the sun on the Air Force flight line). It is very important to take precautions when out in the sun.

Saturday Rodney spent most of the day outside working in the yard and flower beds. It just about drove me nuts that I could not be out there with him. I stayed inside and did laundry, some cleaning and cooking. Rodney really abused himself and he could hardly make it in the house. I was afraid that he would really feel it the next morning but today he did ok. That old arthritis is really kicking butt. 

Monday I go to the dentist for a cleaning and Tuesday I take Rodney’s mother to the dentist – she broke off a tooth (when it rains, it pours). I have some sewing that I need to do and I will keep Audrey a couple of days. On Friday I take Rodney’s mother to UVA and hope to get back by noon so we can leave for NC for Easter week-end. We are looking forward to getting away for the week-end and spending some time with the kids.

I pray that you will have a wonderful Easter and remember that it is not about the Easter Bunny or hiding eggs.

Love to all,

Gloria  

day 558 after transplant

 

Happy Spring to ALL !

Spring is finally here and the weather has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL! This is my time of year.

Sorry that I did not blog last night but I had a very busy weekend and I was so tired last night that I couldn’t think clear enough to blog!

Tuesday I took Rodney’s mother back to UVA for her weekly eye check. She is progressing but not as fast as she wants to. She is still on a lot of drops and she is just not able to put them in herself. So it looks like she will be with us for a while. The doctor is hoping that she will be ready to have the stitch removed in two weeks and then we will see if she can have the other eye worked on or if she will have to have the same eye worked on again. Our prayer is that she will be ready to move on.

Wednesday we kept Audrey and the weather was so nice that we took her on a stroller ride. She sure does enjoy being outside.

Thursday was a big day. Had to be at MCV at 10:30. I had my blood work done and chest x-ray and saw the doctor before I had my bone marrow biopsy. The procedure usually takes about 20 minutes but this time it took about an hour because the doctor hit a soft spot in the bone and needed to find a harder place. I was glad when she said that she was done! She really did a good job. I won’t know the final results until I go back next month. The nurse brought me a copy of the results of my blood work and she was so excited to be able to tell me that they were wonderful. Thanks be to God. We ate a late lunch at Strawberry Street Cafe (a place that Ryan and Jennifer had eaten at last week and they recommended it). It was a really nice place. They have a bath tub salad bar.

Friday was a busy day with keeping Audrey and getting ready for Scott, Beth and kids (and dog) coming in. They got home in time for dinner and we had a good evening at home. One of the exciting things that happened on Friday was that I got a call from Laura at MCV telling me that the final results of my CT scan and pulmonary test that I had last month came back good. I do not have to take the antibiotic med now or use the inhaler! That is some good news.

Saturday we kept Audrey while Ryan and Jennifer decorated the church and we took all the grandkids on a stroller walk and then to the park. It was a beautiful day. Ramona and Bill(Rodney’s sister) was here for dinner. It was a good evening with all of us together.

Sunday was the big day for Audrey. She was so cute in her gown- will soon have pictures to put on the blog. She was as good as gold. Scott, Beth and kids left for home. Rodney and I said, “Ok, it’s boring now, what do we do now?”  It has been a good but very busy week. The next few months is not going to be any better – I have a lot of doctor appointments. I will get them done one at a time.

Have a good week and I will blog again soon.

Love,

Gloria   

day 551 after transplant

 

Greetings to everyone.

Another week is over and it was a very busy one and this week will be be just as busy. The week started out rather cool and by mid week it was nice and I could get out and walk. What a wonderful feeling to be able to walk the subdivision again – I took Audrey out for stroller rides – she loved being outside.

Monday I worked most of the day on Audrey’s christening gown. I hope that Jennifer will like it and that it fits Audrey. I made the gown, slip, bonnet and shoes. I am sure that there will be a lot of pictures taken. I will put some on my blog.

Tuesday I took Rodney’s mother back to UVA for an eye check up. We were hoping that the doctor would take her off her ointment medicine (instead he increased it to 4 times a day instead of 3 times a day!) and stop her pill but she is still on that. We go back on Tuesday. Pray for improvement, I know that it has been hard for her to be away from home and to have all these drops put in her eyes. She thinks that she is a burden on us but we are glad that we are able to help her.It has been a real challenge to keep up with the schedule for all of her drops. I keep telling her that we will deal with this one day at a time. I pray that the surgery will be successful and that she will regain her sight in her left eye soon.

Wednesday and Thursday I kept Audrey. She has “Mamaw-itis”, she wouldn’t let me out of her sight. She is really starting to get a little personality. It is such a pleasure to keep her and to see her learn new things everyday.

Saturday morning we left really early for Martinsburg, WV to the Veterans hospital. Rodney had an appointment with a dietitian. We are hoping that if he would lose a little weight it would help the pain in his hip and leg. I know that it will be a hard thing for him but pray for him. It is hard to see him in pain when he walks. It poured rain all day. We went on to Hagerstown, MD to the outlet mall to get some hard to find walking shoes for Rodney. We got home in time to give his mother her eye drops and to reset our clocks! It was a good day together.

Today it was still raining. We went to church and to visit Aunt Louise. We fixed lunch at home and then went to Wal-Mart to get a walk in (not a good day to walk outside). We stopped by to see our friends Denny and Pam. Pam was one of my wonderful caregivers when I was in Richmond after my transplant.

This is going to be a busy week ahead. Tuesday it is back to UVA for Rodney’s mother and Thursday it is off to MCV for my 18 month bone marrow biopsy (yes, it has been 1 1/2 years since my transplant)!!!!! I would appreciate your prayers at 11:00 that the biopsy will be painless and that the results will show that I am still ALL donor.

I am so grateful to God for my donor wherever she is and for the opportunity to serve Him in the way that He wants. I have said all along that God has a plan for me and I want to be obedient to His plan. I can not begin to list the blessings that I have received and I do not feel that I am deserving of these blessings.

I pray for a good week for all of you and I continue to thank you for your support and prayers.

God Bless,

Gloria

day 543 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone!

Well, this week has been a little more spring like – cold at night but in the high 40’s and 50’s during the day. I love it! Our front yard looks like spring and our back yard still looks like winter (still covered with snow).

Busy week with Rodney’s mother still here with us. We made two trips to UVA this week ( one planned and one unscheduled). She still has 13 eye drops everyday. It starts at 6 am and doesn’t stop until 10:30 pm.

I did get to keep Audrey on Wednesday and Friday. She is cutting teeth and had an ear infection on Friday. She was still in good spirits but she has “Mamaw-itis”. She wouldn’t let me get out of her sight.

I am still working on her baptism gown- I am working on the sleeves. It is going slower than I expected but I can only work on it at small bursts. I am hoping to get it done this week and then get ready for Scott, Beth and the kids to come in on the 19th.

I got my first Hepatitis B shot. I am scheduled for the second one the end of March. My shots are moving right along now.

Now for a little sad news, Wednesday Ryan and Jennifer made a very hard decision and they had Harley put down. They are taking this pretty hard, especially Ryan, so I ask that you say a prayer of healing for them. They gave Harley 3 wonderful years full of love, more than she would have had if they had not adopted her.

Yesterday we did spent the afternoon working in the basement, woodworking and picture framing. It really felt good to be down there again.

That just about does it for the week. Remember to smile and give someone a hug.

Love,

Gloria

day 536 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone!  Hope that all of you had a super week, full of exciting events. It is almost March and I hate to say this but it is still very cold here and they are calling for snow Tuesday evening into Wednesday. We still have snow from December 18 – we haven’t seen our yard since then!  I can hardly wait until spring gets here with the warm weather.

Monday I took Helen (Rodney’s mother) to UVA (Charlottesville – an hour away) for her eye surgery. She has been fighting glaucoma for years. We had to be there at 11 and we didn’t get home until 5. I was really glad to get back home because they called for snow and I didn’t want to drive over Afton Mountain in the snow. Her surgery was more complex than the doctor had anticipated. He is a perfectionist which is very good and he took his time to get every thing just the way he wanted it She could not stay by herself for the first 24 hours, so she stayed with us.

Tuesday we went back to UVA for post surgery check and her eye pressure was really high. He put her on three different eye drops in addition to her regular three.She has a total of 15 different times to put drops in her eyes, starting at 6:30 am and stops at 10:30 pm.There is no way that she could get these drops done correctly so she is home with us until we are comfortable with her being able to do her drops correctly. The nurse said that the drops are just as important as the surgery.

Wednesday back to UVA and the pressure was a little higher! More meds. and back to UVA on Thursday and again on Friday! Good news the pressure was down to a good number but we are off to UVA on Tuesday to see if the pressure is staying down.

I have said that God has a plan for me and I guess this is part of the plan. I don’t know where she would be if I was still working. I am so glad that I am available to be here for her.

That pretty well sums up my week. We did get to keep Audrey some this week. She has learned how to wave bye-bye! I also got a little time to work on Audrey’s baptism gown. I hope to get it done this week.

I got a call from MCV this week telling me that I am ready for my hepatitis A shots!  I also am scheduled for a 18 month bone marrow biopsy on the 18th of March.It is so hard to believe that it has been one and half years since my transplant The journey has been so amazing and I know that God is still in control.

I hope that you will have a good week and I will blog next week. God bless.

Love,

Gloria

day 529 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone. I know that it has been a long time since I have blogged. It has really been a crazy and busy week. I am so glad to be back to normal!

Last Sunday after church Rodney and I left for Richmond because I had an appointment at MCV Monday morning at 8 am. They called for more snow and so we felt that it would be a good idea to spend the night before. It was a good trip down. We had time to go see the clerks at Candlewood Suites and to go up on the 10th floor to visit with some of the nurses that took such good care of me when I had my transplant. My beautiful “fish bowl” room was vacant was to be filled with a child on Monday morning. We rode around Richmond until it was time to go back to the Hospitality House for the night.

Monday morning we got to the hospital for my 8:00 CT scan. They were on schedule but could not do the test until they got my orders – finally at 9:15 I got my test done. Next to the clinic for my check up and my blood work. I got my first hepatitis B shot. Next month they may start my hepatitis A shots. Moving right along! All tests came back really good. I asked if my pulmonary test and doctor visit could be bumped up so we could get back across the mountain before the snow. They were very accommodating and got me through very quickly. The pulmonary test was better than the last one and I still believe it was the tech that messed up the last test. As we left Richmond it was raining and as we got half way home we got into snow and freezing rain. By the time we got to Afton Mountain it was really foggy on top but on this side (home side) the sun came out! It was really cold but thank goodness we didn’t get the storm that they were calling for.

On Tuesday I took Rodney’s mother to Charlottesville to see an eye specialist because she has been fighting glacoma for years. She has lost some vision and she needs surgery, which is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I will be taking her and then she will be coming back to stay with us for at least one night.

I did get to keep Audrey on Wednesday and Friday and she is so good. Se learns new things every time I keep her.

Saturday Rodney and I hosted our Sunday School Class Hearts Party. It was a lot of fun and it was so good to be able to do this again . We had 21 people and a lot of good food and fellowship.

One last thing before I close. I have some very sad news to report. On my January 26th blog I put pictures of me with a former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, Jim Bibby. I learned today that he died on Tuesday. Please pray for his family. His wife is a very charming lady.

I will try to get back on schedule and blog next Sunday. All of you have a wonderful week.

Love,

Gloria

day 515 after transplant

Hello to everyone – YES, I am still alive. I am just lazy I guess!

The COLD weather is still here and it is doesn’t look like it is going away anytime soon. Last Saturday it snowed all day and church was closed (that doesn’t happen very often). The kids did not go to school the entire week. Friday morning it started to snow again and it did not stop until Saturday night – 18 to 24 inches later.The snow was absolutely beautiful clinging to the trees. We woke up to –3 degrees this morning,that’s right I did say –3! Again church was cancelled. Guess what, we are not done yet, they are calling for more snow on Tuesday and then a possibility for more this weekend. Spring where are you?

I am really hoping that it does not snow on Tuesday.  I am scheduled to go to MCV for a big day. I go to the clinic, CT scan, pulmonary test and see the pulmonary doctor. We will have to leave early and get home late. I told Rodney that we should pack a bag just incase we may have to stay for the night. I really don’t want to miss this day because it took Sharon a long time to get this scheduled for the same day. She understands that we travel a good distance and we need to get as much done in one day as we can.

I was really touched this week. I received a very special comment on my last blog. It was from a lady in Augusta, GA and her dad is scheduled to have a transplant this Wednesday. She said that she felt that God led her to my blog! God is awesome! I would appreciate it if all of you would say a pray for this family on Wednesday that he will get along well with his transplant. When I hear from her again I will keep you all informed.

There is also a lady in the Charlottesville area that I have been emailing. She is also facing a transplant. I hope that my blog and email has been a comfort to her. God has been so good to me that I would like to help out other people that is about to go on their “journey of Hope”.

Today we went out to get some pictures of the snow. Below is an example. Enjoy!

 

There are two cars buried in the snow in the picture above, can you see them? They will be there until spring!

Take care and I will try to do better next week in blogging. Remember your sweetheart on Valentines Day!

Love to all, Gloria

day 503 after transplant

 

Hello everyone!

Hope that all of you had a wonderful and safe week. This was a week of cold, sleet and more cold. It ended with rain and a beautiful rainbow.

I just wanted everyone to know that I am doing just fine. I didn’t blog Sunday night because I was being lazy. Seriously, I didn’t blog because I had a clinic appointment on Monday and I wanted to wait until I could give you an update on the clinic visit.

Rodney took me to Richmond and we had a really good day together.I had a very good visit with the wonderful and caring nurses. We met Jim Bibby and his beautiful wife in the waiting room. Jim was a pitcher for St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers,Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched in the World Series with the Pirates in 1979 (they won!). He is a very nice man – very tall as you can see below:

His wife is a 6th grade history teacher, so we had a lot to talk about. If you want to learn more about Jim look him up in Wikipedia.

I saw Dr. Toor and he was very pleased with my progress and my blood work. I praise
God everyday for my well being.I go back in two weeks for another clinic visit, also for a pulmonary test and CT and then to see the pulmonary doctor. I should know at that time whether I am ready to start some more of my shots. He is still telling me to be very careful around crowds and to be careful this spring when the pollen starts, it could bring on GVH. 

Here are three very precious gifts that I have been blessed with and I miss them very much. I love you guys. Audrey, Mamaw is looking forward to keeping you again next week.

 

Hope that all of you have a wonderful week and always wear a smile.

Love,

Gloria

day 494 after transplant

Hello to everyone,

This will probably be a very short blog – nothing exciting happened. The week started off cold and ended with it raining today. It was good to see rain and not more snow and COLD.

Monday, I cleaned the house and did laundry. Wednesday and Friday I kept Audrey. She is getting to be a lot of fun. We even kept her this evening because I will not be able to keep her for the next two weeks. She is getting another live virus shot tomorrow. I will miss her very much. I have a lot of things to do though – like make Audrey’s gown for when she gets baptized in March.Also some sewing for a lady from our church and also picture framing to do. I have also wanted to get my favorite recipes together in a book so that may be something that I can get started on.

I am still waiting for dates to go back to MCV – it has been four weeks since I have been there and it is time to go back. I was suppose to go Monday to get a pulmonary test but since I had a little bit of a cold I cancelled it.

Well that takes care of my week – told you it was not exciting but I appreciate every day that I can wake up every morning. God is awesome!

Have a wonderful week and remember to spread the love!

Love,

Gloria

day 487 after transplant

 

Helllooooo to everyone. Burrr it is still cold! This morning it was 7 degrees!!! We had a slight dusting of snow Thursday night but it was gone by Friday.

Went to AMC to see two doctors on Monday. Both gave me good reports. I even had one of my meds reduced. Blood work came back good.

Audrey and Ryan are both under the weather. I can’t be around them until they are both better.

I woke up Tuesday with a little runny nose and by Thursday it was worse. I started to take some meds and went to bed early and finally on Friday I was feeling better. I don’t think that I ever ran a temperature, just a lot of head congestion. I was nervous about getting sick and ending up in the hospital. I’ll be honest with you, I prayed that God would help my body to fight off this cold.

Saturday morning we got up early and went to NC to visit the kids. It was good to be able to get away to celebrate Scott’s birthday (a week early). Libby and I stayed at home and watched Peter Pan while the others went to an Elon basketball game. We went to St. Mark’s church this morning and as usual heard a wonderful sermon. We got home at 6pm and visited with Rodney’s mother. Had a good weekend.

That does it for my week. I don’t know what is on the schedule this week except to get some cleaning done and to keep Audrey. I am sure that I will be able to find some things to do.

Hope that all of you have a good week and hope that it won’t be quite a cold as it has been for the last 2 weeks. Take care and be safe.

Love,

Gloria 

day 480 after transplant

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR – HOPE THAT IT HAS STARTED OUT ON A POSITIVE NOTE!

It has started out very COLD! We still have snow on the ground from December 18th and New Years Eve we woke up to 3” of new snow! It has been very cold here and they are saying that it is not going to be much better for a while. I am ready for spring!!!

Rodney went back to work on Monday and I cleaned the house. On Tuesday and Wednesday I was suppose to keep Audrey but she has a cold and I couldn’t be around her. On Friday Jennifer took her to the ER and she had a temperature of 103.9 and both of her ears are infected! They put her on some meds and breathing treatments. Please say a prayer for her- she is so little. Also for Ryan, he has a sore throat and i pray that it doesn’t turn into strep. While you are praying, say one for Jennifer also, she has to be the nurse for them and I know that it is not an easy job. I made chicken noodle soup for them. I put some prayer in it while I was making it!

Our New Years came in quiet. Rodney worked all day and then we went to Harrisonburg to 1st Night. It was cold but not unbearable. We saw a bluegrass group and a comedy act (two area doctors that are very funny- I am not sure how I would like for them to be my doctor). We went to Jess’s ( our local hot dog stand) and had a dog and then we came home to watch the new year come in.

I am trying to get this blog done early tonight because I have to get ready for two early morning doctor appointments at Augusta Medical. They are just for check ups.

Last year this time I was home for the holidays and had to go back to Richmond for another week. It is amazing how fast the time has gone by. God has given me so much to be thankful for. This has been a long journey but there has been so many blessings along the way. God has put so many angels around me and I want to thank all of you for you support and prayers for Rodney and me. I just hope that I will be able to repay all of you. We take for granted so many things and they can all be taken away in a heart beat. Everyday that my feet touch the floor I say a big thanks to God for another day to do things to glorify Him. Make it your goal to do something good for someone, whether is be a smile or a kind word, a card or phone call.You will be amazed how it will help you as much or more than the recipient.

Write more next week.

Love,

Gloria