Even though we thoroughly enjoyed our early beach vacation, it has been good to be back on the farm. I told Lee this morning, I was enjoying the view from my kitchen window better than the view from the beach kitchen window. The beach window looked out into the backyard of neighbors and the farm view looks out into a large backyard with Lee's fruit orchard, grapevines, blackberries, and blue berry bushes behind the gazebo. The beauty is there and all around us. The beach is great too! It was wonderful to sit on the front deck in the swing for our morning coffee, knowing the ocean was only a few minutes walk away. Lee was able to go on the beach Sunday and Monday. We sat under the tent and watched the boys play in the sand. I enjoyed some long walks on the beach with our grandsons, Chase and Carson. I have to say that we have the best of both worlds.
I have been busy today with the many errands one finds necessary after a vacation. In addition, I have been busily preparing to celebrate the birthdays of Lee (again), daughter Julia, and daughter-in-law, Cathy. They will be over Friday evening for a Summer cook-out. Today I picked up my two grand-daughters after school and Lillie, the 13 year-old gave me a short fashion show in regards to her FIRST formal dance next Friday evening. This is a special event for all the eighth graders at her middle school. I suppose, in a way, it is a "right of passage" since they are finishing middle school and preparing for high school next Fall. Anyway, she was lovely in her lavender/sequined dress, sparkling dangling earrings and necklace, and the high-heeled silver shoes. I'm hoping she will tone down the eye make-up a tad! (She and all her friends have had a bit of the racoon eyes this year!) All, just a part of growing up!
Lee has had a wonderful day today. As we were having supper, he told me all the things he had done. This morning he went for labs, had breakfast with some friends at Bo- Jangles, then on to rehab in Hickory. After a quick lunch on his own, he and a friend went to the hardware store where he found the perfect hat to protect him from the sun. It is well vented and has a protective wide brim, with ties to keep the hat on when windy days are here. All this in the camaflouge design!
As if that were not enough, he put on his industrial mask and plowed some rows in the garden. After that, he thinned the pair tree in the back yard, inspected the orchard and the blackberry bushes. All this and he still found time to visit some of his neighbor farmer friends in the late afternoon. What a joy to see him feeling better and having all the energy today. This is the best day he has had in two-and-one-half years! He looks so good, and now when I listen to his lung, it sounds very clear. All I hear is air moving quietly in and out! His cough has almost completely gone away.......just a little cough in the early mornings. He thinks that is just a post-nasal drainage, and I believe he is right.
We give many grateful prayers these days! We feel so blessed to have been given these extra years together. Each day as I listen to Lee pray, his prayers begin with thankfulness for "Yet, Another Day".
Until Yet, Another Day.......................................Brenda
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
The Reunion
We have been at the beach for the past ten days and plan to return home on the 30th of May. There are so many events that have happened since I last wrote......I had even forgotten how long it had been since I visited the blog until I happened to run in to a good friend from Lincolnton at Wal-mart in Southport this morning. She reminded me that I had not written in a while and wanted to know if Lee was O.K.
Actuallly, Lee is doing fine. He did, however, break out in shingles two days before we left to come to the beach. Can't remember how much I have shared with you and forgive me if this is redundant.
Six weeks ago, Lee had a basil cell ca. removed from his right hand. One week later he had a small white lesion on his lower lip biopsied. This pathology report returned shortly thereafter with a very aggressive squamous cell ca. He was scheduled the next morning for the moh's procedure with a dermatologist/pathologist/plastic surgeon @ Piedmont Dermatology and Plastic Surgery in Gastonia. After spending most of the day for all those procedures, he was told that all the cancerous tissue had been excised. The cancer had spread all across his lower lip. His lip was about tripled the size and he had to eat from a straw for a few days. I named him "Hot Lips Leelagan". Don't think he thought that was very funny!
Any way, the lip has healed and the graft that was secured inside th lip looks good. He has a tiny dimple in the center of the lip, that is probably only noticeable by him and me. All the stitches have finally dissolved or I have removed them as they were worrisome to him.
It was during this time that we returned to Duke. He had another bronchoscopy that gave him the all clear! No rejection, no infection, no fungus, tissue looked healthy! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
We did have a lengthy discussion with the doctors about his medication and the fact that his immune system appeared to be severely comprimised. ( chicken pox in April and now the ca. )
They agreed and discontinued one med and decreased the other. Hopefully, he will now regain some strength and stop with these communicable childhood diseases.
Two days before we left to come to the beach, he broke out in Shingles. He began the medication immediately and had a very mild episode. So far, they seem to have disappeared.
WHEW!!!
Now to the explanation of the title for this blog! We had a reunion beginning on May 16, and ending on May 20 with our dear friends we met during the transplant experience.
Larry and Martha Floyd came from Georgia
Wayne and Betty Lafon came from Roanoke, Va.
Jerry and Gloria Woodell from Wilmington
George and Nancy Findley from St. James (near here)
Everyone stayed for overnights except George and Nancy. We had a lovely brunch here on Friday and a luncheon at Gloria's and Jerry's in Wilmington on Saturday. We also enjoyed eating at the golf club on Saturday evening. (We go there because of the small crowd)
It was truly a support group seminar! We all compared notes and it was good to feel the company of those who know exactly what we are experiencing. The guys laughed and shared their "war" stories, while the girls did a lot of kitchen duties , some beach time and shopping. It was a wonderful time for all of us!
On Wednesday evening, we were invited to have dinner with some of our friends who were vacationing at Caswell Baptist Center. We had a great meal, wonderful fellowship and enjoyed the evening program. On Thursday norning the entire group visited us via bus. I'm sure our neighbors were surprised to see a bus parked on the street in front of our house!
Lee just called.............our neighbors have invited us to dinner and some of our children and grandchildren will be here late this evening for the Memorial Day week-end. Life is good.............no.........it is wonderful!
More Later....................and I hope....................sooner!....................Brenda
Actuallly, Lee is doing fine. He did, however, break out in shingles two days before we left to come to the beach. Can't remember how much I have shared with you and forgive me if this is redundant.
Six weeks ago, Lee had a basil cell ca. removed from his right hand. One week later he had a small white lesion on his lower lip biopsied. This pathology report returned shortly thereafter with a very aggressive squamous cell ca. He was scheduled the next morning for the moh's procedure with a dermatologist/pathologist/plastic surgeon @ Piedmont Dermatology and Plastic Surgery in Gastonia. After spending most of the day for all those procedures, he was told that all the cancerous tissue had been excised. The cancer had spread all across his lower lip. His lip was about tripled the size and he had to eat from a straw for a few days. I named him "Hot Lips Leelagan". Don't think he thought that was very funny!
Any way, the lip has healed and the graft that was secured inside th lip looks good. He has a tiny dimple in the center of the lip, that is probably only noticeable by him and me. All the stitches have finally dissolved or I have removed them as they were worrisome to him.
It was during this time that we returned to Duke. He had another bronchoscopy that gave him the all clear! No rejection, no infection, no fungus, tissue looked healthy! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
We did have a lengthy discussion with the doctors about his medication and the fact that his immune system appeared to be severely comprimised. ( chicken pox in April and now the ca. )
They agreed and discontinued one med and decreased the other. Hopefully, he will now regain some strength and stop with these communicable childhood diseases.
Two days before we left to come to the beach, he broke out in Shingles. He began the medication immediately and had a very mild episode. So far, they seem to have disappeared.
WHEW!!!
Now to the explanation of the title for this blog! We had a reunion beginning on May 16, and ending on May 20 with our dear friends we met during the transplant experience.
Larry and Martha Floyd came from Georgia
Wayne and Betty Lafon came from Roanoke, Va.
Jerry and Gloria Woodell from Wilmington
George and Nancy Findley from St. James (near here)
Everyone stayed for overnights except George and Nancy. We had a lovely brunch here on Friday and a luncheon at Gloria's and Jerry's in Wilmington on Saturday. We also enjoyed eating at the golf club on Saturday evening. (We go there because of the small crowd)
It was truly a support group seminar! We all compared notes and it was good to feel the company of those who know exactly what we are experiencing. The guys laughed and shared their "war" stories, while the girls did a lot of kitchen duties , some beach time and shopping. It was a wonderful time for all of us!
On Wednesday evening, we were invited to have dinner with some of our friends who were vacationing at Caswell Baptist Center. We had a great meal, wonderful fellowship and enjoyed the evening program. On Thursday norning the entire group visited us via bus. I'm sure our neighbors were surprised to see a bus parked on the street in front of our house!
Lee just called.............our neighbors have invited us to dinner and some of our children and grandchildren will be here late this evening for the Memorial Day week-end. Life is good.............no.........it is wonderful!
More Later....................and I hope....................sooner!....................Brenda
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