Tuesday, January, 12, 2010
I love the freezing weather, especially when I don't have to get out in at
6:00 in the a.m. I have never gotten to enjoy the cold weather because I
have always had to get up and drag my burrrcicled self to work, and
with classrooms facing the outside pretty much since student teaching, I
rarely ever got to un-bundle during the day. Yesterday, I did have to
drag Finn and myself out into the chilly mini-metropolis of Mobile for my
labs and his six month check-up. Leaving the neighborhood at 8:00 a.m.,
my car's thermometer read 27 degrees! His check-up went great, and he barely fussed
with his shot. However, he is starting a little bit of stranger anxiety beginning with some
of Beth's sweet coworkers and wrapping it up with Dr. Sands. He weighs 21 lbs. and
measures 28 inches in length: I am rearing He-Man over here! When we arrived back
home and it had begun to warm up, we took a walk down to the pond to check things
out. Of course our new porch tenants, the ugly ducks, followed us down in a straight
line. Why can't the mallards be the ones crashing next to the house? Finn was all
wrapped up in his little brown hat and mittens. While we were checking out some large
deer tracks, the mallards flew over to join us. Finn watched the ducks follow us all the
way back up to the house, and expressed his dislike for coming inside as soon as I shut
the door behind us, but it wasn't anything that jar of Gerber sweet potatoes couldn't fix.
=) These little moments make staying home much sweeter: living in the quiet country
doesn't hurt either - another aspect of life I am growing accustomed to now. I never
realized how much of a city girl I was until I moved where I was thirty minutes from
everything as opposed five minutes from everything. Plus, it prevents as much frivolous
and impulse purchases, i.e. Target, Best Buy, Walgreens, etc.
I am actually looking forward to Tuesday's hepatology appointment in New Orleans, since
I get to go by myself. I am not going to stay the night since my appointment isn't until
9:30. Maybe I'll get to hit up a couple of the antique shops for my new project: the wall
in the dining area.
I was able to come down on my steroids again, and I can feel it. I am sleeping a little
better, the head-to-toe swelling is slowly going down, and the munchies aren’t as
ravenous, neither are the hot flashes. My next biopsy is on February 2nd, and hopefully I
will get to go down again (and color my hair)! Hehe. I will be four months out then; six
months is the big one; if I can keep it going like this many of my strong restrictions will
be lifted or “loosened.”
I also want to let everyone know that within a couple of weeks I will be moving to my
own blog and webpage. I have already purchased the domain name and host. I really
want to be able to reach more folks by showing up in search engines and in the blogging
community. I will also be able to insert photographs/graphics and details with more
freedom and creativity. There have been so many little things I have wanted to spill on
and get feedback for that I not able to do on here. Upon searching for blogs for pre and
post-transplant support I was very disappointed. Hopefully, I will eventually be able to
create a community for those facing the possibility of a transplant, living with heart
failure, and those dealing with their new lifestyle post-transplant. I also hope to put a
thriving face to organ donation and encourage those dear families having to face that
end of the spectrum. I cannot imagine the fear and unrest these families feel. Some of
them may never heal enough to be able to face the recipient of their loved one’s organ,
but I pray for peace to fill the souls of these noble angels