2 1/2 years out (too many days to count)

Hello to everyone,

I know that it has been a long time since I have blogged and I am sorry to all of my faithful supporters. The last time I blogged I told you about my summer and now it is spring. It was a long cold winter and I am so glad for spring to be here. Don’t get me wrong I am not complaining because I am thankful for every day that God gives me.

In September Rodney had a total hip replacement. He was in so much pain that he finally realized that something needed to be done. He waited 2 months to see a doctor that was highly recommended and the day that he went for his consultation the doctor said that he needed a replacement and his surgery date would be in January(4 months later)! I told the doctor that there was no way he could wait that long and the doctor put him on his cancelation list. That afternoon we got a call saying that his surgery date was moved to Sept. 27 (10 days later)! God does answer prayer. Rodney had his surgery and now I have a new man! He is not in pain any more and now we even walk the neighborhood again.

I had a very good Thanksgiving. I had a lot to be thankful for this year. especially for my donor. I found out the week of Thanksgiving that my donor is a 38 year old German girl! I have gotten to know a little about her through emails and she is my angel from God. She signed up to be a donor 15 years ago and moved 9 times since and they still found her. Isn’t it amazing how God works? She is married and has been trying to have a baby and when she went to have her marrow harvested the doctor told her that it was better that she had not had any children and now she is pregnant!

I had to go to Richmond last Thursday for another bone marrow biopsy (the first one since September). I am now having them every 6 months, which is another milestone. It was a very eventful visit because I finally got to meet my new bone marrow “buddy”, Beryl that I have been in contact only through email. It was so nice to be able to give her a big hug. She introduced me to several other bone marrow buddies and it was just like a family reunion. The biopsy procedure went well but I will not know the results for several weeks. All my lab work was good and I do not have to go back for a clinic visit for another 6 months (it will be fall by that time). I do have to go back to Richmond to an eye doctor that specializes in bone marrow patients (he will be looking for signs of GVH).

I have been very busy with sewing, picture framing and keeping my little granddaughter, Audrey. She is now 20 months old and she is very active and smart. I have also started a Bible study on Tuesday mornings. This is something that I have wanted to do for a good while and it has been good for me. I have learned that I need to be a good and faithful servant in my everyday life. I could be the only Bible some people will see.

This feels good to blog again and I will try to do better at keeping you posted on my journey.

Take care and have a wonderful week,

Gloria

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