I know that most of us celebrate the end of a year and the beginning of another year on December 31, and Jan. 1. For me, that was the norm for many, many years. It was, in fact, the norm because my life seemed to pass effortlessly from one year into the next. The major events during those times evolved around births, marriages, professional careers, acquisitons of house, car etc. the accomplishments of children, college and all those events that allowed us to somehow become oblivious to the infirmities of aging.
Once I entered the later decades of my life, my celebrations began to center around things like: Ending a good year with no major illnesses, losses, etc. I am finding as the decades advance that my yearly celebrations are marked by Lee's date of new lung, my surgeries, various weddings and divorces, deaths, and of course birthdays. Sometimes my conversations center around remembering a particular date as to how it happened to coincide with any of the above.
And so it is today that I reflect, as I approach another year in this decade of my life. I have to admit, that it is with trepidation, admitting that my life's journey is now traveling at "warp speed" toward its finality. I will, however, remember what I once read: "If you did not know your age, how old would you be?" Keeping that wise philosophical point in mind, I plan to do the following this week:
1. Cover all the mirrors in the house
2. Eat ice cream and cake
3. Order my favorite foods such as pizza and lasagna
4. Hide the weight scales
5. Visit as many friends as I can
6. Take short walks with no regard for exercise, and relish the splendor of outdoors on the farm
7. Sit on the poarch swing with Lee in the early evening and enjoy the sunset together
8. Watch the sunrise from my favorite chair, along with coffee and my favorite book and silence of T.V.
9. Call my children and insist on a conversation longer than 5 minutes
10. Remember that I am only as old as I feel...............and this week, I will be 26!
I know this blog has been all about me....................after all, it is MY birthday week! Seriously, I do want you to know ( and you may have guessed by now) that Lee is doing GREAT! This has been a fabulous Summer for both of us. Our life has been closer to normal than it has been in the past three years. He continues to amaze me with his fortitude, his determination, and his ability to rise above the challenges he continues to face each day. The blessings of his returning health, strength, and his love, are the BEST birthday presents I could ever hope to receive.
I will remind him that he is fortunate this week ( and this week only) to have a 26 year-old wife!
More Later....................................Brenda
Monday, August 27, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Eva Called!
Well, I am back again! Nothing like not writing for three months and then having the urge to resume writing.
I did get a nudge from my friend Eva today, and of course, I have missed all of you. She was concerned that I had allowed almost three months to lapse in blog time and called me this afternoon. We had lots of catch-up to do and talked for over an hour! So I would like to apologize to those of you who continue to follow our journey.....and it continues as it will for the remainder of our lives.
Next, I would like to thank all of you for still being there for us. I can't tell you how much that means to both of us. Even though Lee is doing really good right now, we are well aware of how quickly his condition could take a bad turn.
It was so good to talk to Eva. She brought me up to date on some of our nurse friends. To Diane: I am sorry that Bob has had some problems, but I understand that he is on the mend and Eva said he looked great! Congratulations Bob, we are happy this ordeal is behind you. I know that Diane is taking real good care of you. Also, for Eva: So wonderful to hear that Broadus is better! Now you two can enjoy your new home and the new location close to your son. So many good things that we shared during that conversation today.
Lee had to attend a funeral today for one of his relatives, and I had decided not to go. Glad I stayed behind or I would have missed Eva's call. Thank you Eva!
As you can see, Lee is on his own! He does whatever and goes wherever, whenever he pleases. In fact, most days I find myself calling him on his cell just to locate him! Isn't that good news?! He is a happy fellow now that football season is back. Each evening finds him watching a game and that is the way it will be until Super Bowl. It is unfortunate that he cannot attend the Panther games, but he has been able to share his tickets with the children and grandchildren. The crowds are just too risky for him. You never know when he may come into close contact with someone or a child with something catching. That, for him could mean a severe illness, rejection or even death. So............for now, he seems content to watch the games comfortably from his recliner.
Stay with me bloggers...................I will keep you updated and I will be more dependable in the future!
Hello to all my nursing friends, class of '61! Next Friday, August 24, will be our anniversary!
More Later........................................Brenda
I did get a nudge from my friend Eva today, and of course, I have missed all of you. She was concerned that I had allowed almost three months to lapse in blog time and called me this afternoon. We had lots of catch-up to do and talked for over an hour! So I would like to apologize to those of you who continue to follow our journey.....and it continues as it will for the remainder of our lives.
Next, I would like to thank all of you for still being there for us. I can't tell you how much that means to both of us. Even though Lee is doing really good right now, we are well aware of how quickly his condition could take a bad turn.
It was so good to talk to Eva. She brought me up to date on some of our nurse friends. To Diane: I am sorry that Bob has had some problems, but I understand that he is on the mend and Eva said he looked great! Congratulations Bob, we are happy this ordeal is behind you. I know that Diane is taking real good care of you. Also, for Eva: So wonderful to hear that Broadus is better! Now you two can enjoy your new home and the new location close to your son. So many good things that we shared during that conversation today.
Lee had to attend a funeral today for one of his relatives, and I had decided not to go. Glad I stayed behind or I would have missed Eva's call. Thank you Eva!
As you can see, Lee is on his own! He does whatever and goes wherever, whenever he pleases. In fact, most days I find myself calling him on his cell just to locate him! Isn't that good news?! He is a happy fellow now that football season is back. Each evening finds him watching a game and that is the way it will be until Super Bowl. It is unfortunate that he cannot attend the Panther games, but he has been able to share his tickets with the children and grandchildren. The crowds are just too risky for him. You never know when he may come into close contact with someone or a child with something catching. That, for him could mean a severe illness, rejection or even death. So............for now, he seems content to watch the games comfortably from his recliner.
Stay with me bloggers...................I will keep you updated and I will be more dependable in the future!
Hello to all my nursing friends, class of '61! Next Friday, August 24, will be our anniversary!
More Later........................................Brenda
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Time Flies!
Time flies when you are having fun! So, as you can guess by now, Lee and I have been having a great Summer! Lee is doing fantastic! He is much stronger now and it seems as though each new day brings us closer to the Lee that was left behind two years ago.
Since we came home from Durham in November, 2010, Lee has gradually gained weight, much of which has been muscle. He has gained 30 pounds since that day of discharge. He is now having to watch his calories a little more closely as he does not want to gain any more.
Each new day I marvel at his ability to demonstrate his new strength and endurance. After his breakfast ( some times he is on his own for that), he always has his day planned for some event that requires his renewed strength. Even though there are still many jobs he should not and does not tackle, he has become very proficient at supervising either a grandson, or young hired worker to do the job to his satisfaction. These young workers have been fortunate to have such a good teacher like Lee who has been gifted with knowing how to do work the right way. He takes no short-cuts and makes them take the time to do the
job right!
In addition to being able to take two trips to the beach in July (very Hot!), Lee has enjoyed having a garden this year! He had permission from Duke to work in his garden as long as he wore his industrial mask. Along with eldest son, Lee Jr., we were able to have a bountiful harvest of tomatoes, corn, squash and cucumbers. Our bean patch did not do so well, and only Lee Jr. was able to harvest some of those while we were at the beach. In addition, Lee's blackberries were fruitful, and after the many pies, I processed some delicious preserves for later use.
Yesterday, Lee came from the small vineyard of muscadines and handed me a handful of the lucious grapes. I will definitely make some muscadine jelly this year! They are so sweet and tasty! We usually have to wait until the honey bees have their share during the day and pick the grapes later in the evening after they return to their hives.
Speaking of bees......Lee and his "bee buddies" gathered in our downstairs "robbing the bees area" two weeks ago. Each of them brought their racks of collected honey from their farms and were able to extract the honey using Lee's extractor. The basement area was nice and cool and the guys enjoyed the comaradie that goes along with the "bee-keeping". This was always something that Lee enjoyed immensly and it was good to see him be part of the team again this year. The bees were a little less productive than previous years, but none-the-less he was able to put away a bounty of honey to be shared with our families.
Another thing that Lee has enjoyed was that he was able to meet with some of his Nationwide colleagues at Cross Creek in Mr. Airy, NC. last week. That used to be an annual happening with golf and companionship before Lee became ill. We were invited last year to dinner with all of them, and were able to go again last week. Lee has not returned to golf yet, so we planned a two-day outing in the mountains with dinner once again.
Lee's last visit to Duke was July 11, and he received the BEST report ever! In fact, the doctor said he was doing so well that unless he had problems, he did not need to return until October 24 for just an office visit! He will not need another bronch (unless a problem) until May of 2013! He is still on high doses of prednisone and the new anti-rejection drug. Unfortunately these drugs do have serious side-effects and Lee has had two bouts of skin cancer. The drugs also lower his hemoglobin, and his is low right now. He is taking iron and we try to boost his iron with his diet. In addition, his immune system is low and we have to be aware of crowds, particularly during seasons of cold, flu,etc.
We continue to stay in touch with our many transplant friends. We feel their elation for good days, and we grieve for their bad times. Occasionally there is news of death, or rejection complications from an acquaintance, and we have to face the reality of his many challenges. It is during those dark times that we are once again reminded of Lee's good fortune to have been given an extended time for living. Our awarness of the fragility of life is always in the shadows. Lee is mindful of this as he begins each day prayfully:
"Lord, for this another day, we give you thanks"..........................................................
More Later ( and I hope not so long).......................................Brenda
Since we came home from Durham in November, 2010, Lee has gradually gained weight, much of which has been muscle. He has gained 30 pounds since that day of discharge. He is now having to watch his calories a little more closely as he does not want to gain any more.
Each new day I marvel at his ability to demonstrate his new strength and endurance. After his breakfast ( some times he is on his own for that), he always has his day planned for some event that requires his renewed strength. Even though there are still many jobs he should not and does not tackle, he has become very proficient at supervising either a grandson, or young hired worker to do the job to his satisfaction. These young workers have been fortunate to have such a good teacher like Lee who has been gifted with knowing how to do work the right way. He takes no short-cuts and makes them take the time to do the
job right!
In addition to being able to take two trips to the beach in July (very Hot!), Lee has enjoyed having a garden this year! He had permission from Duke to work in his garden as long as he wore his industrial mask. Along with eldest son, Lee Jr., we were able to have a bountiful harvest of tomatoes, corn, squash and cucumbers. Our bean patch did not do so well, and only Lee Jr. was able to harvest some of those while we were at the beach. In addition, Lee's blackberries were fruitful, and after the many pies, I processed some delicious preserves for later use.
Yesterday, Lee came from the small vineyard of muscadines and handed me a handful of the lucious grapes. I will definitely make some muscadine jelly this year! They are so sweet and tasty! We usually have to wait until the honey bees have their share during the day and pick the grapes later in the evening after they return to their hives.
Speaking of bees......Lee and his "bee buddies" gathered in our downstairs "robbing the bees area" two weeks ago. Each of them brought their racks of collected honey from their farms and were able to extract the honey using Lee's extractor. The basement area was nice and cool and the guys enjoyed the comaradie that goes along with the "bee-keeping". This was always something that Lee enjoyed immensly and it was good to see him be part of the team again this year. The bees were a little less productive than previous years, but none-the-less he was able to put away a bounty of honey to be shared with our families.
Another thing that Lee has enjoyed was that he was able to meet with some of his Nationwide colleagues at Cross Creek in Mr. Airy, NC. last week. That used to be an annual happening with golf and companionship before Lee became ill. We were invited last year to dinner with all of them, and were able to go again last week. Lee has not returned to golf yet, so we planned a two-day outing in the mountains with dinner once again.
Lee's last visit to Duke was July 11, and he received the BEST report ever! In fact, the doctor said he was doing so well that unless he had problems, he did not need to return until October 24 for just an office visit! He will not need another bronch (unless a problem) until May of 2013! He is still on high doses of prednisone and the new anti-rejection drug. Unfortunately these drugs do have serious side-effects and Lee has had two bouts of skin cancer. The drugs also lower his hemoglobin, and his is low right now. He is taking iron and we try to boost his iron with his diet. In addition, his immune system is low and we have to be aware of crowds, particularly during seasons of cold, flu,etc.
We continue to stay in touch with our many transplant friends. We feel their elation for good days, and we grieve for their bad times. Occasionally there is news of death, or rejection complications from an acquaintance, and we have to face the reality of his many challenges. It is during those dark times that we are once again reminded of Lee's good fortune to have been given an extended time for living. Our awarness of the fragility of life is always in the shadows. Lee is mindful of this as he begins each day prayfully:
"Lord, for this another day, we give you thanks"..........................................................
More Later ( and I hope not so long).......................................Brenda
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