day 239 after transplant

Happy Mother's Day to all !! I pray that you had a good one. I know that I did. I got cards, calls and two good meals. It was so nice to be remembered by so many.

This has not been a very exciting week for me but I had a very good week. I am feeling fine and ready to do more things than I should do.

It has been a very rainy and cloudy week. Monday I rode with Rodney to Lexington. It was just good to get out for a while. Then Ryan and Jennifer came up to show us their pictures that they took while in California. Sounds like they had a good time, I am so glad that they got back home safely.

Tuesday my Dad had a cataract removed and he seems to be getting along fine, he goes back to the doctor tomorrow (Monday) to see if the doctor thinks it was a success. He says that he can see a lot better out of his eye and now he wants to see about getting the other one done. He is 84 years old and he is just like a timex watch-- takes a licking and keeps on ticking! I think that his daughter is just like him, what do you think?

On Wednesday I became an aunt, my step-brother and his wife had a little girl, I am so happy for them, they had waited so long for this big event and they are so deserving. I rode with Rodney to the Wintergreen area and the weather and the flowers were beautiful.

On Friday I did a little sewing and I started to crochet a doily. I finished reading my third book for the women's group at church. Friday night Scott called and said that he was in the ER again and this time it was Beth-- she has the shingles!!!! They talked about admitting her but then decided to give her oral antibiotics and sent her home. Scott said that he has never seen her in so much pain. She was being treated for a sinus infection and when she broke out in a rash she just thought that it was a reaction from the meds. Friday she was in bed most of the day and she started to get blisters on her forehead in a straight line down to the tip of her nose. They are concerned about her eye so she had to go see an eye doctor on Saturday and then again Sunday and she will go again tomorrow. The doctor asked her what kind of stressful job she had and he was really surprised when she told him that she was a "stay at home mom". She said that her head ache started last Sunday when Libby broke her ankle, so they don't if that triggered it or not. I feel so sorry for her because she is in so much pain. I know that I will not be able to be around her for a while. I don't know how long she will be contagious. I surely do not want to get the small pox or the shingles. Libby said that her cast hurt her and she had to go have another cast put on.

Saturday was a day of work -- Rodney outside and me inside. The flower beds look so nice now and it is very hard for me to just look out the window at them.

That about takes care of my week -- Tuesday I go to MCV for a check up. Pam Cox is taking me and I am looking forward to spending the day with her. I want to ask the doctor a lot of questions about the shingles and about when I can go to church and out to eat. I probably know the answers now but it won't hurt to ask. I stop taking my immune suppressant meds on the 18th and I don't know what will be the next step, maybe some on my childhood shots!!!!

I'll write next week and I pray that everyone will have a wonderful week. Please pray for Beth that she will soon be out of pain. Remember never to take things for granted but remember who gives you all of these blessings. What an awesome God we serve.

Love,

Gloria

add on to day 232 after transplant

 

I am getting forgetful in my old age.

I wanted to add that Scott called this evening and said that Libby was at a birthday party this afternoon and that she was on a trampoline and she got pushed and she fell and broke her ankle! She will be going to the doctor tomorrow. I talked to her and she is "princess of the house", she is laying on the couch eating ice cream and watching TV ! She said that it didn't hurt too bad. Scott and Beth are getting adjusted to kids growing up. I am just thankful that it wasn't worse.

Love,

Gloria

day 232 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone,

I am doing fine - I do not go back to MCV until May 12 for a routine clinic visit. It is good not to have to go back so often. I am almost off my immune suppressant medicine (May 18 is the last day). My appetite is still not back to normal -- the smell of coffee still makes almost sick. I am not losing weight, just maintaining, which the doctor said is very good.

Hope that all of you had a wonderful week, even though most of it was cloudy and rainy. We really needed the rain and we can see how green everything is and the flowers are really starting to take off.

First thing that I wanted to let you know (I forgot to tell you last week) Ryan told me last week that an intern (she goes to Bridgewater College) that works with Ryan walked at the Bridgewater Relay for Life and the people that Ryan works with sponsored her. She did this in honor of me and another lady that is fighting a brain tumor. Also Rodney's Air Force buddy, who is more like a brother, honored me with a gift to the American Cancer Society. I was very humbled and I appreciated this very much. God is so awesome- he puts angels everywhere. This time of year there are many areas that have Relays for Life and if you get a chance to go it is very humbling and worth going to. Our local Relay for Life is this Friday and it depends on the weather but Rodney and I would like to go and at least walk the survivor's lap and maybe the survivor and caregiver lap. I always see many friends there and it is a real eye opener to see how many people have had to deal with cancer.

Monday Rodney got home at a decent time and he planted green beans and started to put up the fence to keep the rabbits out ( the rabbits have eaten our bean plants for the last several years), so we are hoping the the fence will keep them out. He finished the fence on Tuesday. Sue Gilkeson (our neighbor) was walking by and I guess she must have seen that Rodney needed help. She helped him Monday and she even came back Tuesday also-- thanks Sue!

Tuesday Jane Lowery (one of my dear friends) came up to visit with me -- this is the first time that we have seen each other since August. She had a heart by-pass while I was in Richmond and after I got home she had the flu and other sicknesses so we could not be together. It was so good to see her and get caught up on what has happened in our lives.

Friday evening we went to the greenhouse to get our vegetable plants (tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers and cucumbers). Rodney is not planting them now but we wanted to get them before all the plants are gone. It has rained all weekend and they are calling for rain all week. It will be a while before it will be dry enough to get in the garden.  I guess this will be a good week to get some reading done.

Ryan and Jennifer left last Friday for California for little vacation before the baby comes and they got back today. I can't wait to see them and hear how their trip went. I talked to them on Saturday when they got to LA and told them to be aware of the Swine Flu. Ryan said called on Wednesday and said that they were both fine but he couldn't stop "oinking" and when he called Friday he said that he stopped "oinking" but he still had his curly tail!

I guess that takes care of my week. This is a big week coming up --Mothers Day! Happy Mother's Day all. Remember your mother in some way - you wouldn't be here if it wouldn't be for her!  May your day be everything that you want it to be.

Write more next week.

Love to all,

Gloria

day 226 after transplant

 

Greetings to all,

This has been a week with lots of crazy weather. It started out cool, was wondering if it would ever get warm. On Wednesday we had just about every type of weather that you could have: cool, a mix of sleet and freezing rain, thunderstorm with some hail and then by Friday it was 90 degrees! It seems that it has gone straight from winter to summer and no spring in between.

One thing that I forgot to blog about last week. I love fruit, all kinds of fruit. I got a cantaloupe and let it ripen on the counter all week. Last Sunday I told Rodney that I couldn't wait any longer and I thought that it was time to clean and cut it. He did and I asked him to try it first to see if he thought that it was good (my taste buds have been so off). He did and he said that it was a very good cantaloupe. I was so excited and I couldn't wait to try it but when I tried it I had to spit out! I was so disappointed. I am wondering if I will like watermelon and even more home grown tomatoes.

This has been a week for people to visit. Monday evening Denny and Pam Cox and Ryan and Jennifer came up -- nice visit.  Tuesday evening Dad and Corinne came up and it was good to see them. Thursday afternoon Shirley Hohenstein came up and then in the evening Jennifer Pence came to see me. It was really nice to visit with everyone. Several people called during the week just to check in on me. It was nice to be remembered.

Wednesday Rodney and I went to Richmond-- he had a meeting so I dropped him off and then went to the clinic. I was scheduled to have a pulmonary test at 11:30 and then to the clinic for my by-weekly checkup. The pulmonary test was better this time than the first time (I had the 1st one done before the transplant so they would have a base line to work with). This technician was really good and I didn't hardly even feel the needle stick. When I got to the clinic I saw Richard, one of the nurse pract. He looked at the results of the pulmonary test and he said that everything was very good -- he said that I breathed better than he did! He said that all of my blood work looked really good. We talked about when I would be starting to get my childhood shots and he said that it would be soon, depending on how my graft vs host disease does when they take me off of my meds. With an out break of measles and swine flu it can't be too soon. I am not scheduled to go back to Richmond until May 12.

Saturday was in the 90's and it was probably the worst day for me since I came home from Richmond. It was so hard for me to stay here in the house when Rodney was outside doing the yard work. Rodney does the mowing and I always plant the flowers and the vegetables. Rodney does not enjoy working in the dirt like I do. I wanted to be out in the flower beds so bad. Rodney did let me sit in the garage and supervise him planting flowers in pots for the deck. I know that I have to listen to the doctors so I won't get a set back or end up in the hospital. Now the garden is plowed and Rodney is going to plant some beans, tomatoes, cucumbers and hot peppers. Ryan and Jennifer will probably fill the rest of the garden up with pumpkins and gourds.

Today we took Rodney's aunt and mother out for a ride just because it was so pretty today. I think that they both enjoyed getting the chance to get out.

Well, I think that pretty well covers my week.

You all take care and have a wonderful week and I will write again next Sunday. I am hoping that soon I will be given the ok to go to church but not for now.

Love,

Gloria

day 213 after transplant

 

Greetings to all,

Hope all of you had a wonderful week. The weather was a little warmer especially Saturday. I bet it made everyone get spring fever. I know that I would have liked to have been able to be out working in my flower beds and starting to get the garden ready.

Monday I had to go to UVA for a CT scan and an MRI. I was not looking forward to getting stuck in the arm. I told them on the phone when they called to give my instructions that I could not be in the waiting room with all the other people and they were very accommodating. They took me right back and the nurse came to me to put in the IV. She took one look at my arm and said that she could see three good veins. I said, "Good, you only need one so please get it the first time." She did! It took only about 15 minutes for the CT scan but I was in the MRI machine for almost 2 hours! The guy was good at giving instructions during the procedure but he did not have a very good bedside manner. He wouldn't let me take my black bag (that goes EVERYWHERE with me) in the MRI room. He told me I had to put it in a locker that was the only battle that he won! After the MRI he wanted to take out the IV and I told him that I was going to see a doctor and I was sure that he would want to get some blood work. He told me that he would get in trouble if he left it in. I told him that I didn't want him to get in trouble but he was not taking the IV out that every other time they had left it in. He said that he had to go see his supervisor -- he told me not to go anywhere (like where was I going ? ) He came back and said, follow me. I did and he took me to the girl that had put the IV in and she said that was fine, that they do that all the time. When I got to the doctors office, sure enough I had to have blood work. I didn't see the doctor until after 5:30 and I didn't get home until 7pm.  The doctor said that he would call me on Tuesday to let me know the final results (on his preliminary look he said that he didn't see anything suspicious). I questioned him about one of the meds that I was on in the hospital that one of the affects is that it could dissolve gall stones. When he looked at my MRI he said that he only saw 1 stone -- the last MRI I had 4 or 5. I hope that the final results will show the same. The doctor has yet to call but I hope that no news is good news.

Rodney left for Richmond on Monday for a computer programming class and he didn't get home until 8 Wednesday night. I put a light house puzzle together. In the beginning it was like the cardinal puzzle, I was beginning to wonder if I would still like light houses by the time I got it together! But I do.

Friday night I listened to the TA ball game on the radio since I could not be there in person. I wore my TA hat and TA won 7 -2.

Saturday was a beautiful day-- in the 70's. We went to Riverside Plants to get our hanging baskets for the front porch ( I sat in the car while Rodney picked them out). Put them in the trunk because I can't get close to live plants. They are beautiful as I look at them from the picture window. Rodney did a lot of yard work (which we always do together) and the flower beds look so nice now. We also had to do the inside house work. It was a busy day and we were really tired when we went to bed.

Well that was my week. I go to MCV on Wednesday. Rodney has a meeting in Richmond so he is going to take me and drop me off. I have to have another pulmonary test and I am not looking forward to that- another stick in the arm, only this time they are looking for an artery and they really stick! As you can tell, I don't like needles.

I pray that all of you will have a wonderful and safe week. Make a special effort to make someone's day special. Give them a smile or give a compliment. Remember you may be the only Bible someone has ever seen.

Love to all,

Gloria

day 212 after transplant

 

Hello, to everyone!

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL. Hope that you had a good week and that you are looking forward to going back to work or school this week. I know that I am ready for some warm weather -- it was sunny today but the air was cool, it was 27 degrees when we got up at 7 this morning.

I had a very good week. It started out a little slow but it ended very good. Just ordinary things on Monday and Tuesday I was here all day and evening by myself-- Rodney had a class Tuesday evening. I still have a runny nose and Rodney is congested on his chest, we still think that it is allergies. Hope to be able to hold out until Thursday when I have to go to clinic.

Wednesday was very cool and I just stayed in and cleaned out my cardstock closet. Got things ready to go to MCV tomorrow.

Thursday left for MCV at 8:15-- Barbara Hite neighbor up the street took me. We had a good day. I got blood work done and then got to see Dr. McCarty. He was very pleased with the results of my biopsy and blood work. Praise the Lord. He said that he knew I was tired of just staying in the house and that I was probably wanting to get out and do more but he said that now is the time I need to be patient. He is slowly taking me off of my prednisone and tac and that if I did something to bring on G vs H again I would have to go back on the meds again and next time it would take longer to get off of them. One thing about the G vs H it can come back different ways (not just a rash on your back or chest) but it could attack any organ. He wants me to have a pulmonary test the next time I go to the clinic. There will be some new tests that I will have to have now that I am 6 months out. Fun, fun!

Friday I did some sewing for Jennifer-- she had some curtains that she asked me to make. Boy, it sure felt good to get behind the machine again. Rodney even said that he was glad to see me at the machine again. Ryan spent the evening with us, Jennifer had a baby shower for one of her friends and Ryan said that he didn't want to be there with all the "hens"! We enjoyed his company.

Saturday morning Scott, Beth, Grady and Libby came up for the night. It was good to see them. We celebrated Easter on Saturday evening. We watched the movie "Bolt" with the kids-- it was a cute movie.

Today we went to see Rodney's aunt and then Scott left and we felt a little down because things were so quiet. We really had a good time with the kids. Libby loves bugs and she got a bug park for Easter! She was outside all morning looking for bugs to put in her bug park. Grady rode the big wheel down the hill.

Well that was my week. I really wanted to go to church this morning but the doctor said no not yet.

I pray that you all had a good week and that you spent it at church today. The reason for Easter is not the visit from the bunny but that God gave up His only Son for us. To save us from our sins. Now have a wonderful week and I will check in next week.

Love to all,

Gloria

day 205 after transplant

 

Hello to everyone,

Wow, can't believe that it is so late and I am just now blogging. This has been a week of rain, wind and sun. The grass is green and the trees and flowers are in full bloom -- spring is here !  Just in time for Easter.

Not a real exciting week but sometimes that is good. Monday nothing out of the ordinary happened but when I went to bed I noticed that my throat felt a little scratchy but didn't think much about it.

Tuesday morning I woke up to a sore throat but no other symptoms. After showering and eating breakfast and drinking a cup of hot tea it went away but I felt like I should let the clinic know. They have told me how fast something small could turn into something big. I called and they wanted me come down but when I told them that I could not get there before 4 pm they said that since I didn't have a temperature to wait until in the morning and call to let them know how I felt. Not to take anything that would hid a fever, like Tylenol, etc.

Wednesday I felt fine but my nose started running.I called the clinic and told them how I felt and they said to just keep an eye on it. They didn't want me to drive all the way down there just to get a nasal wash and throat culture. I sure appreciated that.

Thursday was a day to get some paper work done and to straighten the house. I felt fine, still a runny nose.

Friday I called the clinic again and they told me to take some Benedryl and that cleared it up right away. I slept like a baby! They seen to think that it may some allergy (since all the trees and flowers are out). I went with Rodney this morning to look at a car and it was way out in the country and it was beautiful. Tall green hills with the flowers and trees in bloom and a river flowing. I ended being out all day with him -- he kept getting another car to look at. We had a good day together. At least when I am with him he can keep me from doing things that I shouldn't be doing!

Saturday was the day for cleaning the house and doing laundry. Rodney mowed the yard for the first time this year.  A lot of outside work to do and it is driving me crazy that I can't get out there and work in the flower beds. I am not suppose to be outside when someone close by is mowing.

Today was Palm Sunday and I was so in hope that I would be able to go to church but since there is still a lot of "bugs" going around I thought it would better if I didn't go. I hope that everyone else got to go and that you will be in church next Sunday to celebrate Easter. What an exciting time of year.

I have to go to the clinic for a scheduled appointment on Thursday -- it will be over two weeks since I have been there. That is the longest I have gone between visits. I know that I have some tests to go through since I am coming up on 6 months after transplant. I hope that Thursday I will get the final results back from my biopsy.

Well that is my week and I pray that you all have a good week. If you are traveling I pray for you safety and remember the real reason for Easter. God sent His only Son who He loved very much to save us from our sins. That is how much He loves us. Please give him some of your time to do something for someone else this week -- everyday for that matter.

Take care. I miss all of you so much.

Love,

Gloria