An Average Day...? Not So Average

Wednesday, September 1, 2010





The one thing I have learned that there is no such thing as a normal, average, or routine day around here. The last 3 days have been crazy and in such a way as there is not any warning about what is coming up next from moment to moment.



The morning may begin like any other day; nice and routine but when the blood work results come back from the lab, chaos could break loose and I end up staying all day. If the blood work results are favorable, we are out of there by 11:ooam. But if not so good, that could mean more IV's, a blood transfusion, a trip to have an CAT scan or x-ray. We even had to go down and have my PICC line redone. This all takes time and can be very tiring. Yet, we are coming to grips with it and just don't plan on anything and are grateful when the day goes our way.

Sunday was a blessed day. We left the clinic at 10:30. So we decided to go out and see Pittsburgh. We chose a park located downtown that has an incredible Conservatory. It is called the Phipps Conservatory and was first opened in 1893. The buildings are all glass and are beautifully built. The conservatory is divided into several sections and the current theme was "Gargoyles meets Gorgeous." Each section was dedicated to different cultures and their ideas on the mythological gargoyles. Each garden was filled with native trees, grasses, flowers & then native gargoyles. It was not only incredibly beautiful but you really got the feel for the culture that each display depicted. The only thing was I got tired fairly easily and after an hour we only made it through approximately one-third of the displays. So we went down to the cafe where we had a delicious sandwich, then proceeded to the gift shop where Steve bought a T-shirt with magic frogs all over it. We haven't seen why they are magic but we get lots of comments on the conservatory. We will definitely go back to see the rest, especially the butterfly house. It was a great few hours and did us a lot of good. A gift from God.

Today's highlight was a visit with the bone marrow specialist. That is a very scary thing for me as they are always doom & gloom or they want to do another horrendous bone marrow biopsy. While he did not spare any of the doom & gloom, he did give us the clearance to go ahead with the transplant. He left us saying that we will probably come back after a couple of years of fair health and need a bone marrow transplant. Oh Joy! I need lots of prayer on that, that is a tough battle on its own. We left very depressed and I was in tears for about an hour. One thing the doctor did say was that the visceral transplant is my only chance of survival and that it was a "no-brainer." It is all in God's hands.

We are anxious to move to our apartment only 2 more weeks, then Kim is coming out for a week, I just pray we have the time and energy to go out and do things. Then Rob wants to come for a few days, I don't worry about him so much as he wants to meet the docs and see what all this is about. I might have a chance to adopt a female jack russell, as long as we can find a "village" to help with her. Steve does not want to worry about her if he has to be at the hospital with me. He got the "village" ideal from good ole Hillary, "it takes a village to raise a child." I can not disagree with him so I have to go with it. If it is meant to be, it will happen.

Okay, thats enough about us for one post. Please let me hear from you all and what is going on in California, Oklahoma, Nevada & Florida. I will post some photos from the conservatory, I hope you enjoy them. Please keep the prayers going.

God Bless & Keep all of You,
Steve & Steph