Lee Kanipe

Springter? and ?Noro virus?

2012-02-10T15:41:00.000-05:00

O.K. Just a new word from me. I have been mulling over words to describe the seasons we have been experiencing. Since we have been swinging from Spring to early Summer and now back to maybe Winter, it just sounded like it fit.

As you have probably guessed, we are doing just fine! So wonderful to be able to casually say that! We are enjoying every moment we now have that seems normal. I really need to put some pictures on here for you to see how good Lee looks! Bad thing is, I haven't made any new pictures and have been very lazy in that regard. I'm afraid I have become very dependent on my daughter to make all the photos and send them to me, but she has been extremely busy since Christmas. Maybe we will catch up soon.

I wIsh I could report that Lee is back to "business as usual"; however, that will not be a part of his life again. He has been very good at adapting to a new lifestyle and seems to be on the go every day. He does find a lot of projects to do as he gets stronger. As for me, somedays I write a lot, other days I will sandwich in some reading, practicing the piano between the housework, laundry, cooking, etc. Life goes on.............

Last week I was fortunate to be able to meet my sister for lunch on Wednesday, on Thursday an unexpected phone call while shopping, found me at lunch with two friends, and on Friday morning I had breakfast with my retired colleagues from CVCC. We try to meet for breakfast the first Friday of each month. I was happy to be able to attend this one since I have missed so many. Friday night we attended our SS class dinner at our church. On Saturday I visited my daughter in Morganton and we, along with her two daughters had lunch together at a restaurant. Sunday, following church, Lee and I went out for lunch. I give you this detailed report because........the following Monday night, I had the dreaded stomach virus. It may have been the Norovirus. Anyway, I am supposing I got it from one of the six eating places! Fortunately, Lee has shown no symptoms and I am hoping he will not get it. Good thing is, he did not eat with me at the first five places!

Everyone who knows me is familiar with the way I usually shun eating out in restaurants, so this was a most unusual week for me. I sometimes go for a month or more without eating away from home! Now I realize why.....I usually get sick!

I have for many years accused Lee of having a "lead-lined" stomach and intestinal tract. I think this is to his advantage and for that I am grateful. I am fine now and the "bug" only lasted 24 hours!

This evening we are looking forward to celebrating our grandson, Will's birthday # 12! He lives in Morganton with his parents, Greg and Cathy. So, will close and get ready to leave.

More Later................................Brenda

Spring in January?

2012-01-31T09:47:00.000-05:00

We, along with all of you, and the rest of the U.S., have been somewhat baffled with the mild weather this Winter. I cannot remember a single January in my lifetime that was so mild. I have to admit that I have really enjoyed this mild season. It is very comfortable, it allows for more ventures out of doors and time to clean the yards. It is also comforting to know that those who have no home do not have to endure the extreme cold outdoors. How very sad to know that there are so many thousands of families in the U.S. who have no home.

Lee has been busy pruning his fruit trees and small vineyard in the backyard. He has been fortunate to have grandson, Jeffrey available to help him one to two days per week. He has been somewhat dismayed to see that his peach trees are beginning to bud. He said it would be a miracle if we had peaches this Summer. Nonetheless, it is so good to see him out of doors and able to help with some of this yardwork. Prior to his illness and since his retirement in 2005, he had planned and was able to plant his many apple trees, pear trees, and peach trees. In addition, he had begun a small vineyard for his muscadine vines. In 2008, he planted his blackberries and blueberry bushes. He now has his orchard, but it does require upkeep and maintenence. I might add, that if it is proliferative, it will require a lot of work on my part in preserving and freezing the bounty!

How wonderful it is to be able to write about our life as it is today! I honestly never thought we would be able to see Lee planning another day to work in the yard and to be pruning his trees and vines! This is truly a blessing! We do not miss a day without thankful prayers for the doctors and nurses and all the people who have helped Lee along the way.

As I write this blog, Lee is already outdoors at 9:15 this a.m. and he has plans for more projects during the afternoon hours. He never tires of planning and of having the energy to once again be working. Sometimes he finds it difficult to fall asleep at night because he is planning what to do the next day! He is looking forward to the Super Bowl on Sunday and to our grandson, John's thirteenth birthday party on Saturday evening.

And so it is, on this the last day of January, 2012, the weather promises to be sunny and warm @ 65 degrees, the days are getting a bit longer and Lee Kanipe is getting stronger and stronger. It is with great joy and a grateful heart that I end this month.

More Later...........................Brenda,

Simple Days

2012-01-24T08:08:00.000-05:00

It is so foggy this morning that I feel like we may have been somehow transported to the "Milky Way" overnight! From my vantage point the outside looks rather ominous with the bare trees encased in the dense fog. This is one of those mornings when I am happy to be retired and do not have to venture out. Good news is that the sun will come out later today.

Speaking of going out.....Lee seems to be on the move daily. He has some plan each day that requires his leaving the house most of the morning and sometimes in the early afternoon. He has replaced work days on the farm with many days of rehab at the center, business ventures, and lots of errands to complete that sometimes include my lists. He has discovered that activity is his key to regaining his strength, and that he is able to include his socialization with the many others he knows during these outings.

As you can see, we did not return completely to our previous lifestyles. We did return to some changes that have become a major part of our daily activities. These are good changes. I have enjoyed having some extra time for reading, for writing, and for catching up on absence of contact with my many acquaintances. In addition, there have been some medical issues for me that have required the time that I did not have during Lee's illness. These were nothing serious, , mostly just follow-ups that had been delayed.

Today Lee will go by his physician's office for his routine labs, then he will have breakfast at Bojangles and will probably meet with some of his friends there. He has some family real estate business for transaction after that. Most of his morning will be filled with activities. This afternoon he will probably have his usual social hour with the "guys" in his "man cave" downstairs. It has become the custom for 4-6 of his farmer, neighbor buddies to meet with Lee 3-5 days a week. The former meeting place used to be his shop/garage in the backyard. Prior to Lee's illness, all these friends would meet daily at one of three areas Monday through Saturday. It always followed a day of intense work on someone's farm with the reward at the end of the day to include some refreshments and to catch up on the gossip of the community. There were other important issues to be discussed, of course, such as politics, and they became the experts on that subject.....controversial maybe.....but still they were the "experts". Nonetheless, they have continued their friendship for the past 10-25 years.

Well.............time for that last cup of coffee. Lee is finally up for the day so I will join him before he leaves.

More Later.............................Brenda

No Rejection!

2012-01-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

We were both delighted and surprised to get our report from Duke. Delighted that Lee in NOT in rejection and surprised that we received the report the next day. Our experience in the past has been to get the report the following week, usually by Monday or Tuesday.

This was a relief because our conversation with the doctor on Thursday indicated that if he would show rejection again, the treatment this time would have to be another hospitilization @ Duke and the treatment would be with "horse" serum rather than the rabbit serum. This caused some anxiety on my part because I had been given access to some information regarding some others who had this treatment and it did have lots of complications. We are hopeful that the anti-rejection medications ( both the myfortic and the prednisone have been doubled ) are keeping his rejection under control. The down side of this much medicine is that it is very hard on the kidneys and the liver when maintained over a long period of time. His rejection began when he was either taken off some of his medicine in June of last year, or the dose had been reduced to one-half. At any rate, we are glad this is working now!

I will be getting my second cataract procedure on Wednesday. This will be eagerly anticipated! I have experienced some really bad headaches from eye strain on the cataract-affected eye, and a great deal of difficulty trying to drive at night! I discovered this nightmare when we were discharged from the clinic on Thursday, after dark, and I was the DD. My new lens showed a glare of haloes around the on-coming lights, and my cataract lens showed starburst. Because I had no depth perception at that time, I was a disaster behind the wheel! Somehow, I managed to get us to a local restaurant (Lee was starving....a long day with no food!) After we settled into the restaurant, he announced that he would be driving back (even though I had signed his release signifying I would be responsible for his not driving for 24 hours ), I did not argue with him and he drove the 4-5 blocks back to the condo. I know now that I absolutely will not drive at night until I get the other lens in place.

Actually, I am vey pleased with the restore lens! I can read with one eye, and discovered that I can read the piano music now with NO glasses..............I love it! Strange that now all our adult children are experiencing presbyopia (old age vision) while I am now experiencing normal eyesight. I even have to hold print closer to read! The bad news is that I am seeing for the first time an older me! In fact, I did not realize how blind I was until I began to see things I had missed. For example: While sitting in the clinic last Thursday, I happened to see something white on my favorite red winter jacket.....on closer inspection, I discovered it was part of the jacket's deterioration. By that, I mean, the jacket was literally coming apart in several places! I had not been able to see that! After that discovery, I began to look at the rest of my attire, and my comfortable tennis shoes showed more signs of wear and tear than I usually allow! I really do have nicer clothes, but always wear the most comfortable ones on our clinic days!

I am now shopping for another coat and some more comfortable sports shoes..........The others will just have to bite the dust!

More Later..............................Brenda

A Home Town Sunday

2012-01-08T15:50:00.001-05:00

Today as Lee and I were leaving to go to our church, I turned and looked at him. He looked so handsome in his new sports coat (one that fits and does not look so large!). It seems we both spoke at the same time, acknowledging how nice it was to be able to attend church again. Even though the weather was overcast with threatening rain, we felt the warmth of the day for the blessing of being able to resume our normal Sunday as before Lee's illness.

We are constantly aware of how important time is, and why we have to stop and speak of our deep appreciation of having that time once again. I suppose it is kin to the movie that Lee and I saw five or six years ago called "The Bucket List". At the time, we were only concerned about seeing two of our favorite actors portraying two senior guys and how they decided to spend the rest of their lives (which was, by the way, being shortened due to a diagnosis of cancer). Our anticipation was centered around the humorous aspects of the movie. It was only after we were leaving that the impact of what we had been watching really occurred to us...................time is valuable.................do what you most desire when the opportunities arise.

Looking back on the choices we made these past ten or so years, we are glad that we made those trips and did not wait for another time. We are glad we have spent so many wonderful weeks at the beach with our children and grandchildren. Lee is happy that he took that balloon ride many years ago when he visited his middle son in California. We have been fortunate to enjoy retirement, knowing that we were successful in our chosen careers, and that we gave it our best.

Looking ahead with the memories in the background, we still have things to do. Lee is committed to helping others along the way who may be experiencing the decision to have an organ transplant. He is also busy with some speaking engagements that encourage others to seriously consider becoming an organ donor. I, too, have become somewhat of an encourager to others based on my experience with cancer, and my time as a caregiver for Lee. We hope, that somehow, along our life's journey, we have had a positive influence on others we have met. We are grateful for all those who have had a positive influence on us as they have shared their life stories. Each day I listen as I hear Lee's prayers lifted up in thankfulness for yet another day. He doesn't ask for more, he has a grateful heart for all he has been given.

We will be returning to Duke next week for all the tests, etc. on January 12. This will require two overnights for us, and we plan to leave on Wednesday and return on Friday. It will be a very long day for Lee on Thursday: Clinic in a.m............see Dr. @ 1:00........bronchoscopy @ 3:15. We will probably be in the clinic from 8:00 a.m. through 7:00 pm. Good to stay at Duke Towers and get a restful night before returning.

I had my first cataract surgery this past Wednesday..............very pleased so far. Easy procedure! Unbelievable!

More Later...............................Brenda

Winter 2012

2012-01-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

Today we ushered in the first of cold weather, that will probably continue for the next three months. At least , that is the way it usually is. After a surprisingly warm December, this day, January 2, 2012 appears to be warning us that those warm days may just be a thing of the past. The sun is shining, but the bite in the air carries a chill. Guess we will turn on the gas logs tonight, and reset the electric blanket from 5 to 10!

Good news is that daughter, Julia was here over the week-end and now all of my Christmas is not only down, but neatly stored away until next year! She managed to accomplish in the span of 2-3 hours what would have taken me 2-3 days! After she completed that, she rewarded us with a batch of her wonderful home-made cookies! We were deliciously spoiled on New Year's Eve.

Having been caught-up in all the Holiday festivities, I failed to give you Lee's report from Duke. If you recall, our last trip there was for him to have another PH test to determine whether or not he was having reflux. The test confirmed that he WAS NOT. All tests were negative and he will not be having the stomach wrap. He was greatly relieved.

Wednesday of this week, I will be having the cataract surgery. I have elected to have the Restore lens. Hopefully, this will eliminate the necessity for glasses. My second lens implant will be on Jan. 18. My selected physician holds a record for his 6 minute procedure. A little Versed, and six minutes later I should be good to go! Wow! This procedure is way ahead of the dentist on the apprehension and pain scale! No need to be apprehensive for something that only lasts 6 minutes....and pain.....none according to my friends who have had the procedure, including Lee. We will return to Duke on January 29th for Lee's clinic and bronchoscopy on the 30th. After spending that night, we will return home on the 31st. As you can see, this is beginning to be a busy month for both of us.

Tomorrow will be our grandson, Alex's, 9th birthday.....Happy Birthday Alex! His will be followed on February 1st. by John, turning 13, and on February 10th by Will, turning 12. We have many tween and teen boys now! In addition, our great grandson, Easton, will celebrate his 1st birthday on February 25th. We will be attending many birthday celebrations during these first months of this year.

As you can see, we have so much to look forward to. We enter this new year with hopes and promises of good days ahead. We wish the same for you!

More Later................................Brenda

End of 2011!

2011-12-31T16:09:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe, but true......this is the final day of 2011! I must admit, that in spite of the many changes that occurred, it was truly a wonderful year! So much so, in fact, that I really want to hold on to it another day, another week, etc. When I look back and compare it to the ending of 2009 and 2010, I am reminded how difficult those years were with Lee's illness and subsequent lung transplant. We were both grateful to close those years and looked forward to the new ones approaching.

20ll has been kind to us. Sure, we have a few more wrinkles, and we sometimes have a few more aches and pains. The usually easy tasks have become a bit more time-consuming, and the strength and endurances are waning. Even though there have been the unwelcome frailities of aging, we have had a very good year. We have seen Lee's strength returning and it has indeed been a joy to return to some of the old familiar routines of our lives. What a joy to have been able to celebrate another Christmas with our families! We were blessed with our children and grandchildren for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In addition, we had some celebrations with other family members and with our friends. We felt as though we had stepped back in time to that period in our lives when all was well.

How priviledged we are to live in the twenty-first century that has advanced in medical care to the point of providing second chances at life. Lee and I realize that had we been living in the late twentieth century, our lives would be quite different. There would have been no chance for a lung transplant. He would have been diagnosed as terminal and that would have been the end of his life as he knew it.

We welcome this New Year with renewed spirit and a determined fortitude to keep Lee strong and healthy. We will do everthing in our power to make his lung transplant a success. Along with that, Lee has a "bucket list", and most of this is centered around being with his family and friends. He has made a committment to "Lifeshares of the Carolinas". He wants to volunteer to speak publicly on behalf of organ donors. It was his wish this Christmas to forego gifts from his family and accept donations to the Lifeshares program. He was delighted to find that all his children and others honored his request.

May each of you have the Happiest of New Year's for 2012!

More Later....................Brenda

Days before Christmas

2011-12-22T15:09:00.001-05:00

Three days before Christmas
and all through this house,
The only sound stirring is Lee,
asleep on the couch.

Casseroles in the freezer,
the coconut cake too,
I'm enjoying catch-up on the
computer with you.

The gifts are all wrapped in
silver and white,
Hidden downstairs
til Christmas Eve night.

Eve of the 25th, we will
celebrate the night before.
Then they will leave
for their own night of yore.

Christmas day brings more,
as we open the doors,
fling open the ovens for
Lasagne galore.

The children will play
shooting pool downstairs,
while parents and we
celebrate as adults
upstairs.

All will be merry, and
gratefully so
For this is Christmas!
From Christ whom we know.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

Greetings!

It is with joy and peace that we welcome this wonderful season of the year!

Our spirit of hope continues to be our beacon of light as we face each day. We have become accustomed to the dictates of Lee's schedule. It now feels comfortable, and we are grateful for the closeness of Duke as we travel to Durham for those necessary clinic visits regularly. There have been some extras for Lee this past year. He had cataract surgery in the Spring and prostate surgery in July. Unfortunately, in August he did get the dreaded report of rejection. After four days in the hospital with special treatment, we returned home and he was rejection-free until recently. A mild stage of rejection has been treated here at home and we are optimistic that it has been controlled.

On a bright note, he is feeling quite well, and is gaining his strength. He is very independent, and now finds time to do some work that he enjoys. He is loyal to his work-out sessions at the rehab center and is reaping the rewards of his hard work.

I completed my book in July, and it was published late last Summer through Publish America. I consider it one of my greatest achievements as a tribute to Lee. It is my desire that it may help someone along the way who may be facing either an organ transplant or the decision to become an organ donor. I named it "Now We Have Hope", because that is what we have.

In February, we welcomed our great grandchild, Easton Lee Spencer, to our family. He is the son of grand-daughter, Laura (Kanipe) Spencer. All of our grandchildren range in ages from six to twenty-five. Two of the older ones are married. We now have two college graduates, one in college, one employed,, and the others are in elementary, midfdle, and high school. Two of our adult children and one grandchild are actively pursuing their post-graduate degrees.

Lee and I continue to be amazed at his good fortune to have received his gift of life. We know, that because of his gift, we will be allowed yet another Christmas with our families, friends, and others. Please join us as we once again lift up our voices in praise for the blessings of Christ, and the promise of hope for all.

Blessings to all of you this Christmas,

Brenda and Lee

Heavy Hearts

2011-12-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

It was yesterday that we attended the funeral of our dear friend, Robert Morrell. His passing was filled with ambivilent feelings for Lee and me. We were saddened to lose him, but relieved, that he is finally freed from the very sick body that had become his prison since last Spring. The celebration of his life, in his church that he loved, was filled to capacity with the multitude of friends who loved him. Even though he had written a request for a simple ceremony, it was a grand tribute to our friend. He had asked for a choir, and said he would understand if they could not get enough on a week-day because of working responsibilities. Therefore, he said, let the congregation sing one song.....his favorite...."It is well with my soul." Not to be.....the choir was filled...no empty seats there! And did they sing!.......It was the most beautiful rendition of his song ever to be sung in that church! A choir of angels sang yesterday for Robert. Grandaughter, Sarah Ann, sang for her grandfather, and her brother, Chris, read "taps". Emotionally, it was a challenge, but these two brave children wanted to give this last gift to their grandfather whom they loved so much.

Robert had made his final wishes known in regards to funeral, etc. and he had listed the names of pallbearers. Lee was humbled to be one of those honored.

Yes, Robert is no longer with us, but as we were reminded yesterday, in the sharing of many memorable stories during our time with him, his legacy will not be forgotten. His quiet spirit with strong determination for giving his very best in everything he did, will remain a shining example for all who knew him. He and his wife, Carole, will always be our dear friends, and we will never forget those wonderful Sundays with our "Sunday Lunch Buddies."

As we go about our busy days in preparation for the holidays, we will remember the Morrell family and their first Christmas without their beloved Robert. We will cherish the time we have with each other and try very hard to forget the fatigue that comes with all the activity that somehow manages to alter the true meaning of this time of the year. We will see each event as an opportunity to share a little time with those we love, and will be reminded that we only hold that time for a moment.

More Later...............................Brenda

An Old New Look

2011-12-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

I hope you enjoy the new photo on the blog.......My daughter, Julia and I decided on a Winter scene. We will post some more updated photos as we go along.

This picture was made on a snowy day in the Winter of 2008. Grandaddy Lee is taking nine year old grandaughter ,Lillie, through the pasture to search for a good sledding area. Grandson John joined them shortly after this photo was taken by Lillie's older sister, Michaela. I love this picture so much that I asked my daughter to paint it. It now adorns one of the walls in a bedroom. Lee was so strong and healthy at that time. He was also young enough at heart to enjoy sledding with some of his grandchildren. The older grandchildren and his sons have many fond memories of days of sledding down the hill in front of our house.

More Later......................Brenda

Test Results

2011-12-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

Sunday Morning.....December 4th! So much to do and so little time to do it before Christmas. I love this time of the year, and Lee and I always look forward to seeing our families, and sharing the many joys during this special season of our Christian celebration of the birthday of Christ. Unfortunately, we have to try very hard to arrange time for extra activities; I suppose, because we are burdoned with so many other committments.

Even though the clinic day last week was one of the better ones, we were given the bad news on Friday. Lee is in rejection again. His type of rejection involves the smaller respiratory pathways, which is apparently the most difficult type to control. There is also the suspicion from the doctors that Lee may be having non-symptomatic reflux. They are desperately trying to find the reason for the repeated rejection and the on and off again repeated infections. So it is, that we will begin on Monday of next week a regime with Home Health for some more Solu -medrol I.V's, Step down prednisone from high doses, and double his anti-rejection pills ( prednisone and myfortic ) on a continuing basis. In addition to this, we must schedule another two-day visit to Durham ASAP for another reflux test. We will know this date on Monday. It will be sometime between the 12, 14, or after Christmas, such as 26, 27, or 28. He is also to return to Duke for another bronchoscopy on January 30. In between all of this........if his reflux test is positive, he will be scheduled for a stomach wrap ASAP. That will require 5-7 days in the hospital!

There, you have it. Now you understand why time is of the essence for us right now. Unfortunately, I am having to rest my knee. I suspect another torn meniscus, since I have done this twice before. I do not have time for orthopedic visit, nor MRI, nor whatever.....so am treating it with rest (no stairs), ice, and Ibupropen. From past experience, this will work as long as I avoid stairs and too much standing, lifting, etc. Right now, we are just planning on taking this holiday season a day at a time, and not trying to include all that we usually do. We have become accustomed to our lives quickly changing within a 24-hour period.

Good news is that Lee feels good. The only noticeable symptom he has of rejection is a persistant, dry cough. That is what makes rejection so difficult to deal with. The symptoms are silent, however, they are serious and deadly when the rejection causes pneumonia. Even with that, the clues are only obvious when they are seriously ill. We have learned not to look for the "normal" signs and symptoms of an illness ( fever, chills, aches), because these only happen during the more chronic or desperately ill phase.

I will keep you posted on how things are going......we ask for you prayers for our patience, perserverance and renewed health and strength.

More Later.........................................Brenda

Clinic 101

2011-11-30T18:41:00.000-05:00

We are becoming so accustomed to clinic days, that we often find ourselves acting as guides to others. For example, one lady was trying to find her way from the waiting room in the pulmonary area to the x-ray dept. I overheard Lee explain that she needed to go to the first "intersection", turn left, and it is down the hallway about midway! I couldn't help but smile at his comparison of the intersected hallways to "intersection". Of course, he was correct, it just sounded odd.

Sometimes I think maybe I need to write a book on grocery shopping 101. I was explaining to Lee last week that it has been occurring with relative frequency, that I am singled out by another shopper, as to the choice of certain products! During these past few months I have been asked (by complete strangers ) about the best brand of coffee, best type of creamer for coffee, orange juice selection and a host of other groceries. All I have to do is linger over the pot roasts, read the label on greek yogurt and suddenly I must appear to be THE authority on each particular product. Maybe I should apply for my picture on certain products for endorsement. After all, who was Betty Crocker anyway?!

Enough of that. Back to Lee......today was a much better day at the clinic. We were fortunate to talk to the doctor and the person administering the sedative prior to the bronchoscopy. I am happy to report that so far Lee has had no untoward side effects. He was awake and alert within the hour, no chills, no fever, and we were able to go to the cafeteria at Northgate Mall for dinner tonight. We are back in the cozy and warm condo, and are looking forward to that delicious chocolate pie from Betsy while we enjoy a Christmas movie on the Hallmark chanel.

There will be a few medication adjustments for Lee, in case he is moderately rejecting again. Increase the prednisone and the other anti-rejection drug. We will get the results from the biopsy on Tuesday or Wednesday and then will know for sure if he is trying to reject again. Balancing the drugs is like balancing equations.......trial and error until it finally works!

We will be glad to be heading home tomorrow................................

More Later.....................................Brenda

Durham

2011-11-29T20:49:00.000-05:00

We are back in Durham, ready for routine tests for Lee tomorrow. We have accomplished many things today. We were up early this morning, packed and were able to leave our home by 9:00. Lee drove all the way to Raleigh, where we had a lovely "early Christmas" lunch with Dennis and Betsy. The food was spectacular (as usual) and Betsy made a wonderful chocolate pie! She even sent some home with us. It was so good to be able to spend the afternoon with them and enjoy some 3D t.v.

We checked in to the Duke Towers around 4:00, unloaded the car and Lee relaxed, while I visited some other acquaintences I had met when we were here last year. They happen to be staying in the condo we occupied for so long and we are next door.....actually, this one is a bit nicer! The bath has been redone and is complete with new fixtures. Around 5:00, we used the shuttle to go to the hospital to visit Wayne and Betty Lafon. Wayne had his lung transplant in May of 2010 , and recently had surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm. He is recovering from that major surgical procedure and should be able to go home in the near future. Betty looks great, as usual, and always a joy to be with. We enjoyed a short visit and left via shuttle, who dropped us off for dinner at Tripps. When we were finished, we called the shuttle and were back at the condo by 7:30.

Lee is relaxing (dozing) on the sofa while watching a Christmas program.....??Frosty????........He must really be tired! Actually, we are both tired enough to bed down now at 8:30. Probably a good idea, since Lee must be NPO past midnight, and at the clinic by 8:00 in the morning. He will have a bronchoscopy around 10:00. We are hoping for little or no complications this time. If all goes well, we will be able to return home Thursday.

I'll let you know how the tests turn out.......meanwhile, keep us in your thoughts and prayers. So good to have you there to talk to from time to time. Thanks.

More Later..........................................Brenda

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-28T06:57:00.001-05:00

We have had a whirlwind of activities these past few days, as I am sure you have too. Isn't it wonderful to have family with you and to be able to come together on a lovely November day to celebrate Thanksgiving. There were 15 of us collectively, and would have had more, but due to obligations to other families, our numbers were slightly reduced. With seven children and nine adults, the house was alive with happy sounds of our children and grandchildren. We somehow managed to settle in one area long enough to remember those early settlers who braved the unknown to sail through dangerous waters to a strange, new land. All for freedom. We are grateful for the freedom we now have because of their strong desire to live without being persecuted. Daughter, Julia began this tradition of remembrance many years ago, and we continue to share it each year.

We enjoyed the traditional meal of Turkey, dressing, cranberries, many vegetables and of course, the pumpkin pies. Immediately following our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, I decided to take advantage of my good fortune, to have available at that moment, my three, strong, male family members, who needed to work off all those calories from the huge meal. As the three daughters cleaned the tables, loaded the dishwasher and begin to put away the food, I supervised the "boys" as they rearranged the living room furniture to make room for the Christmas tree. The tree was brought up from storage in the basement and assembled and placed in the reserved location in the living room that it has now occupied for the past 17 or so years.

Unfortunately, some of the pre-lit lights would not work. After a lengthy discussion between the mechanical engineer son, and the computer engineer son, it was determined that those lights were indeed, dead. I was given a demonstration on how I could check each light to determine the culprit....unfortunately, they did not have the time as each had to return to another Thanksgiving dinner in the evening. Everyone left, and we were left with a bare tree and empty house. Lee and I did the sensible thing..... we napped, and we rested the remainder of the afternoon. In fact, we rested all day Friday!

On Saturday morning, I had begun putting away all the Fall decorations, when daughter Julia burst through the back door, accompanied with her two daughters and a friend of the older daughter. With gusto, she announced that they had come to help us clear away Fall ,and begin decorating for Christmas! Of course, a light lunch for the girls would help get them on their way. After the girls finished off the rest of the turkey, vegetables and desserts from Thanksgiving, they were ready to go to work. In a flurry, they were up and down the stairs, as they removed most of the normal house decor to make room for Christmas. Lillie, age 13, along with John from next door, assumed control of the golf cart, and made many trips to collect items and transfer them to the lower level of the house. They also helped Grandaddy Lee collect trash, load it onto the truck and make a trip to the convenience site.

Within an hour or two, my front bedroom was filled with Christmas! As each carried items up from storage, they used that room as a landing site as it would enable me to have easy access to retrieve later, at a slower pace, on my own! Our attention now turned to the giant tree that stood completely naked and unadorned in the corner of the living room. It seems that two complete sets of lights refused to light. This became one of our more challenging projects........................

And so it was that yesterday, with the ingenuity of my daughter, a practical minded elementary school principle, that the problem was solved by simply adding more strands of lights. We will meet again next Saturday and decorate the tree and the remainder of the house.

Lee and I will be leaving on Tuesday for Durham. He will have another routine check-up on Wednesday with another bronchoscopy and we will return on Thursday. We are planning to visit Dennis and Betsy for lunch on Tuesday, and a friend of Lee's for lunch in Winston Salem on Thursday as we return. Lee has had a wonderful Thanksgiving and good days. He has enjoyed picking up pecans from the yard and sharing them with neighbors. It is wonderful to see him able to do so many things again.

How grateful we are to receive the normal days again with family, friends and neighbors. Each day is welcomed and blessed.

More Later......................Brenda

A Lovely Week

2011-11-18T19:37:00.003-05:00

This has been one of those weeks when I am hesitant to close the day for sleep at night, not wanting the day to end. This past week has been so pleasant. I have been able to accomplish and complete a long list of "things to do!" Lee has rebounded with renewed strength and vigor! I guess you could say that I took advantage of that. For example: I have needed to clean the basement for the past year! (amazing how things no longer used get moved to the basement for storage) So it was, this past Tuesday that I declared a cleaning, organizing day. Lee jumped right in and by the early part of the afternoon, we were able to load his truck with enough "stuff" to fill the entire bed of the truck. Lee left for the convenience site while I stayed behind to tidy up a bit. He hired Mel to come on Wednesday to do some thorough cleaning.

I must admit, there was an incentive for all the cleaning. On Sunday, November 2 0, Lee will be hosting his football party and it will be held in his "Man's Cave" in the basement. So, with that in mind, we were both anxious to be able to present a cleaner and less cluttered environment. Lee is ready for his company, and I am thrilled to be rid of some junk stuff that caused all the clutter!

Don't know if you heard or not, but we had some really strange and scary weather on Wednesday! I was busy downstairs ironing when I noticed extreme darkness outside at only 4:00 p.m. I turned on the T.V. and sure enough, there were tornado warnings. As I continued to monitor the weather, it became more ominous and threatening. Realizing that Lee was outside visiting some of the neighbors, I called and reminded him of the bad weather. Fortunately, we escaped a bad storm. There was a tornado in Shelby ( about 40 miles SE of Vale). Later we learned of the devastation as the storm moved through Rock Hill and the Salisbury area.

We continue to stay in touch with our many friends who are also transplantees. We know that they will be lifetime friends with a common connection to our experiences. It is so good to share those "bumps in the road" from time to time, especially when we are able to gain hope from their renewals. All of us have learned that we must live each day fully, especially on those very good days. We try not look too far ahead and just enjoy each day as it is. After all, when you really look at all of our lives closely, that is all we really have.

We are looking forward to seeing our children, grandchildren and other family members on Thursday. We will miss those who are unable to attend the Kanipe Thanksgiving because of other family committments.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

More Later...........................Brenda

No News is Good News

2011-11-12T15:47:00.001-05:00

It's been a while......I guess that is what is meant by "No news is good news". We have been enjoying spending some days that are so good and so normal, that time slips away. With the exception of Lee's shoulder problem.......it has been a really good week.

He did go to the doctor about the shoulder, and the diagnosis is probably a muscle that is inflammed. He did this once before last Spring, when he overworked the shoulder. We think it is because he lost so much voluntary skeletal muscle, that even this muscle has to gain it's strength like all the others. It is still not strong enough to perform to Lee's expectations ( like fishing for 7-9 hours straight!). Anyway, the prednisone was increased for a week and he has shown much improvement since.

Several months ago, we began talking about possibly looking at another car. We have enjoyed the town car and it has served us well, but I wanted one that was smaller, with better gas mileage along with comfort at the same time. So it was that yesterday, I drove home in a new Toyota Avalon! I have to admit that I did experience some "buyer's remorse" on the way home. I was reminded that the car cost more than the first house I owned ( which, by the way took 30 years to pay!) Had to reason with myself to keep from turning around and changing my mind! Lee said he could have held out longer than I did and saved some money. I believe he was right and for that I have regrets! Nonetheless, the car is here, it is what I wanted, and I look forward to the drive.......................

Lee is busy preparing for his football friends and former Nationwide colleagues to join him here for a Sunday football game on his big T.V. downstairs. He is busy planning the "tail-gating" party, and all the things he will need for the afternoon. One of his friends suggested this so Lee followed through and arranged a date. Since he is no longer able to attend the Panther games, they will watch one of the away games here.

On the heels of that Sunday, I will be busy with the Thanksgiving preparations that will begin on Monday. Pumpkin pies to be made, tables to be decorated, etc......Each day I will be busy with preparations for the family to come and we will be blessed with the gathering of family during this special day. We will remember Thanksgivings past and those who are no longer here. It is their memory and their traditions that began long ago that we will continue. Even though this celebration is different, in many ways, it will be the same as we share my Mom's recipe for potato salad, my sister-in-laws's recipe for the sweet potato coogle, my sister's recipe for the coconut cake, and all the other foods that have become the staple for Thanksgiving.

The house will be filled with the blessing of family.....truly our Thanksgiving day!

More Later.........................................Brenda

Just Thinking............

2011-11-05T19:27:00.001-04:00

The Halloween decoration are gone now. Even though I had the jack-o-laterns out and left the porch light on, we were disappointed that no little goblins visited us. Too bad for the trick or treaters, because waiting on a table in the foyer was a small witch holding a bowl filled with assorted candy. We normally do not have more than one, our grandson John, who lives next door. We have had on rare occasions, some small children who will stop by shortly after dark. John is almost 13 years old, and believes he is way too old to dress in a costume and play trick or treat. The smaller grandchildren live in Virginia and Charlotte. And so it was, in knowing this, that we still left the light on until 8:00 p.m.

We missed having our annual Halloween party this year and last year. The children and grandchildren missed it too! There were too many complication during these times for both of us to even plan the gathering, much less follow through. Our children have begun their own traditions in their neighborhoods with the celebration of Halloween. The tradition continues to delight the children, along with their parents and the many friends they have. How fortunate we are to be able to enjoy this season that closes the door to Summer with fun and costumes, while opening another with short blasts of cold nights, and the promise of days by the fire and maybe some snow.

The house is still filled with the colors of this season. The wreaths of yellow, gold, orange and brown still adorn the entrance doors. They will remain in place until Thanksgiving day. Soon after Thanksgiving, the Fall colors will be exchanged for the Christmas colors of red, green, silver and gold. I will be busy with all the joys of the holidays. Pumpkin pies to be made and all the preparations for a feast.....then the decorating, gift purchases, wrapping and................ There is much to do!

This past week, Lee has been bothered with shoulder pain. It seems that he may have injured his right shoulder with all the fishing at the beach. He is still using ice packs which seem to relieve the pain, and he is more comfortable with the arm immobilized in a sling. He has decided that he may have to see an orthopedic doctor next week. He still has not regained the strength he had prior to this new anti-rejection drug he is taking. We will probably talk to Duke about that next week also. Other than that, he is doing o.k. He does get very disappointed when he loses his strength. We have observed that his strength can leave very quickly and will only return after much hard work on his part. This episode with the bad shoulder has prevented him from the level of activity he had previously.

Last night we had our birthday group over for dinner. Good that I made chicken 'n dumplings cause that is what everyone had said they were hoping for! We call our birthday group the ABOOF gang. There are four couples, and we have been doing this for over twenty years! What does the acronym mean?
(1) A bunch of old friends, (2) a bunch of old fools, (3) or a bunch of old................... Just use your imagination! Depending on the mood of the group,we will determine which group we belong to. We stopped giving gifts a long time ago and decided that we would each give $5.00 to commemorate the birthday. The person having the birthday is exempt. In December of each year, we count the accumulated birthday money, along with a special Christmas monetary gift and donate to charity.

As for now, we will look forward to the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, the joy of family and friends and the blessings of life.

More Later......................................Brenda

Home

2011-10-31T10:46:00.000-04:00

We departed the beach early yesterday morning, had breakfast @ Bojangles and was on the road by 8:00 a.m. Lee drove all the way and each time I offered to drive, he reminded me that he was fine. The trip home was somewhat eventful because we passed an accident near Lumberton and a traffic jam on I-85 near Gastonia. Other than that we were able to arrive home by 1:30 after stopping for a few groceries and subway for lunch.

Lee's cough from the bronchoscopy Oct. 20th has finally subsided. I called his lung transplant nurse last Thursday and she was able to get a prescription order from the doctor for an antibiotic. Within 24 hours, the cough was beginning to wane. He seems to be fine now and will continue the antibiotic until the 10 days have been completed. I believe his lung was inflammed from the biopsy, and it had not healed. He had begun to run a low grade fever.

Unfortunately, he has had a complication from his fishing day last week. It seems that the constant throwing out the line and reeling with his right arm and shoulder has caused extreme discomfort. He gets some temporary relief from "icy hot" patches, but is not able to use his right arm with shoulder movement without experiencing the pain. This is the same shoulder that has the prosthesis that he had in 2006. We are hoping he did not tear a muscle. This morning he has gone to his family doctor to have his labs done and will talk to him about the shoulder. His plan is to go to rehab and at least get his leg exercise in today.

He has been given a new anti-rejection drug that he must take twice a day. This is in addition to the ones he has been on during this past year. We are suspicious that it is draining some of his energy that he had prior to the last visit to Duke. There are several types of drugs that may be used, but Lee has at some time during this past year tried them all with adverse effects, such as low blood pressure or debilitating fatigue. This is one of the last to try and since he had rejection, they really want him to stay with it. Unfortunately, it saps his energy.

It is good to know that you are still there as our friends and family, reading the blog and caring about what is happening in our lives. We love hearing from you with all your comments. Doug, I know your Dad will be happy when he can share some days of golf with you. Dennis & Betsy, thanks for your counseling on my behalf and all that you do for us when we visit Durham. We had such a good visit over your "early" Thanksgiving meal and enjoyed the take-home food at the beach.

So, there you have it. The good, the bad, the ugly....................We are focusing only on the good because Lee and I believe that is the key to his success. How fortunate we are to have family and friends who never give up on us and continue to send prayers and good wishes our way! Good news is that we are home, looking forward to the holidays, family visits, and all the good times ahead. We wish you the Good, also.

More Later...............................................Brenda

Last DAY

2011-10-29T12:53:00.000-04:00

This is our last day at the beach. We plan to leave early Sunday morning and get Lee home in time to watch the Panther's game. We could have left today, but we were both a little tired from staying up late to watch the last game of the World Series. Actually, that is not quite as accurate as it sounds. I went to bed @ 10:00, only to awake @ 11:30 to watch it to the finish. Lee went to bed @ 11:00 and just gave up. He figured the game was probably already won...and of course, it was. I did get to see the celebration and jubilation from the winning team.

Today we are playing catch-up on laundry and all the tasks that must be completed prior to our leaving. It has been a lovely week. The weather has been perfect..........sunshine every day.............Indian Summer weather with most days in the hight 70's. Perfect! And, of course, the big event.........Lee enjoyed a day fishing.

Yesterday evening we were invited to our neighbor's house to enjoy the catch from the fishing trips. They had caught whitings, sheepheads and spots. We joined another couple and were treated to lots of fried fish, baked potatoes, and cole slaw. Lee and I had to watch our portions since we were still full from a big lunch earlier.

We were able to have some of our transplant friends , Gloria & Jerry from Wilmington, and Nancy & Veda, from OI, over for lunch. It was so uplifting to hear the three of them, Lee, Jerry & Nancy share so many of their stories before, during and after their lung transplants. To look at each of them today, you could not imagine how sick each of them had been prior to the transplant. It was as if we were all witnessing a miracle! Each of the three have experienced some form of rejection during this past year, and each one has been able to overcome it.

That was one of the issues we addressed as we sat around the living room and talked for several hours. We, the transplantees and caregivers, have come to terms with the fact that this is an ongoing process, and how important it is to use precautions. Precautions are necessary, but at the same time, one must get on with their lives. Jerry has returned to playing golf a couple of days a week, Nancy is planning to return to her home in Alabama, and Lee was able to go fishing for an entire day this week. His plans now are to return to golf in the Spring. I have no doubt that he can do that!

So, for today, we will wind down our week here..............start packing up the car....return home and begin looking forward to the Holidays! There is much work to be done!

More Later..................................Brenda

Gone Fishing!

2011-10-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a day when Lee was able to meet another benchmark! He spent the entire day, on a boat , between the waterway, the Cape Fear river, and the ocean! Our neighbor, Ted, has a good fishing boat with all the necessary gear. He, along with another fisherman from Oak Island, invited Lee to spend the day with them. Lee had been feeling so good, that he decided he could do this.

So it was, that early Tuesday morning, I fixed him a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, biscuits, packed his lunch and all medication, loaded him with sunscreen and bid him farewell for his adventurous day ahead. I have to admit that it was with trepidation that I experienced his leaving and being in the sun all day. I could not remove the thoughts such as: Will he remember his medication? Will he find shelter from the sun? Will he remember to use extra sunscreen?

You are probably wondering why those thoughts were any concern for me. That is part of being a caregiver. This has been something that I was not prepared for. When you become a caregiver for your loved one, your role expands beyond that of marital partners to include those of nurse, mother, guide, advocate, decision maker, etc. What happens is the shifting of responsibilities from one partner to another. Sometimes it is gradual, but in our case, it was rapid. Even though it was a quick transition, for me, I was slow in realizing the shift of all the responsibility. Now I am trying to change the tide of the shift back to Lee. Once again, we both have to establish the trust for each other that we had before his illness. It is coming back and Lee has once again become the person in charge of those areas he once dominated. I, however, must now learn to move out of the "Mothering" role and let him go. This, of course, is happening....it is only still there in my emotional challenges.

I share this with you in hopes that I may somehow help other caregivers along the way. I was not prepared for those emotional challenges I mentioned. In a sense, a caregiver, along with the person being cared for, must relinquish former identities, and assume those that have now become an inevitable force in ther lives. The days now become focused on the immediate care involving the situation at hand. There is no time to mourn for roles that no longer exist. Catastropic illness thrusts you forward into a lifestyle that only weeks before would have been totally alien to you. Our return to former life roles has been gradual, but the good thing is that it continues to return. His fishing day was a huge step forward in that positive direction.

When Lee returned around 4:00 from his fishing trip, I had good news for him from Duke. He does NOT have any rejection. Our transplant coordinator was delighted to learn that he had spent the day fishing! We will return on Nov. 30th for another bronch to see if the fungus is completely cleared. Today, Lee wants to go to a nursery to look for some trees......so we will be exploring today..............as you can see.....most of our previous roles and identies have returned..........we're.......back to where we were.

More Later.....................................brenda

More Later.................................................Brenda

Rest, Food, etc....

2011-10-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

After that exciting trip down from Raleigh on Friday, Lee and I have spent most of our time recuperating. I suppose that is a better word than telling you we have been very lazy. Everything we have done during these past three days has been with leisure. No housework yet! No Laundry! No big projects! Just being lazy and probably consuming way too much food!

On Saturday evening, we collected some of our neighbors and had a pizza feast......then last night we were invited over to Ted & Diane's for Ted's famous oyster stew. Lee and I waddled home around 7:45 to watch the world series. We were so loaded with warm milk and crackers that we had to fight to stay awake! Lee finally woke me,( as I was sitting up sound asleep on the sofa), and told me to go to bed. I suppose it can be annoying to try to watch a game with someone making sleep noises adjacent to you. (I will not use the word snoring!) Anyway I was banished to the bedroom only to discover that bedtime rituals (bathing, brushing teeth, etc. ) brought me back to full awakfulness. I returned to Lee and was permitted to stay and watch the exciting game with him. When the game was over, he went to bed.....not me.....I was on full alert! After trying to read, drinking a little milk and nibbling on peanut butter and cracker, I began to relax and finally was ready to sleep again by midnight.

Needless to say, we slept in this a.m. and enjoyed a late breakfast and leisure time with the newspaper. I and my neighbor decided to venture out to the Christmas shop in Southport and enjoyed shopping on this beautiful Fall day. So good to have a friend to share my time with. Lee found a few small chores to do around the house and was on his own for his lunch. Each day he is feeling better after the bronch he had last Thursday. He has finally stopped coughing so much.....still occasionally, but hope it too will subside. We should get the report from that by Tomorrow. We are hoping that he is no longer in rejection.

Even though we have had this lovely beach weather, Lee and I have had to limit our time on the beach. He must use precautions and I have an outbreak of rosecea on my chin. This happens sometime when I am exposed to the sun, or the chemicals in the sunscreen are too strong. We are still able to enjoy the breeze from the ocean and to inhale the fresh salty air. Perhaps we will be able to return later in the week.

We are looking forward to lunch with our former Duke Towers friends on Wednesday and dinner with other friends here on Thursday. I had purchased some new jeans prior to leaving last week, and if I continue to overeat with little activity, there may be a struggle to fit into them! In addition to my body making a fast trip South, it is detouring in the worst of places for these jeans! Old Age.......you have to humor it!

Our return to Vale may be determined by the report from Duke Tomorrow. At any rate, we will have to return by Monday. Until then, our days are restful, there is peace and harmony here and we have the exciting baseball game and dancing with the stars tonight.

We wish you peaceful, restful days also.......................

More Later............................................................Brenda

Beach & Sunshine!

2011-10-22T16:12:00.000-04:00

We are at the beach and enjoying a lovely Fall day! The temperature on the beach is warm enough for shorts and t-shirts. (Lee said Bikinis, because he saw some girls on the beach....guess I missed that!) Lee and I took the golf cart to the beach and he enjoyed some good fellowship with two of his fishing buddies. I relaxed in the sun, took off my shoes and let the sand gather between my toes. The ocean was calm and a soft breeze would occasionally cross our paths. There were some sailboats on the horizon and the sky was a beautiful "Carolina Blue". As I sat, determined to read an exciting novel, I had to stop more frequently to take in the sites of the day than to read the book. There were some beach walkers, mostly people in our age group. The children are in school so there were no children on the beach where we sat.
We could have stayed all afternoon, but after about 30-45 minutes, I realized that Lee would be toast if we did not return to the shade of the house. All of his medications warn against being in the sun as he is more prone to skin cancer now. In fact, his exposure is now exponential to what is was before the transplant. We are always being warned against this when we return to the clinic. In fact, we have encountered at least two post lung transplantees who have developed skin cancer.

I have to say, this was not one of our better trips to Duke. Thursday was a very busy day for Lee. We arrived at the clinic @7:45 to begin with labs, chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests and then to the surgical area for his bronchoscopy. We were surprised to find that he would be done as close to the appointed hour of 9:00. ( usually, we have to wait and hour or so). Not so this time............he was whisked to surgery @ 9:20. I made my usual exit to the waiting area and prepared for the long wait.....again, not so......he was back in the recovery area long enough for me to be called back by 10:15! He was discharged from that area around 12:00. This is not unusual. However, Lee could not seem to recover from the anesthesia as fast as usual. Anyway, we had our lunch around 12:15 and decided to relax in the waiting room until his doctor's appointment @ 2:30.

It was a long wait! He was called back @ 3:30 and saw the doctor @ 4:30. We left the clinic at 5:00. Back at the condo, Lee began having hard chills, his face was flushed, and he had a fever of 100.8. The instructions were to call if fever was above 101. Tylenol reduced it to 99.8, he continued to sleep...could not even stay awake for the world series. This sleepiness lasted throughout Friday, but no fever. We visited friends Martha and Larry @ Duke Raleigh and had lunch with Dennis & Betsy. ( a feast! ) I drank lots of caffeinated coffee because I knew I would be driving to Oak Island.

Well! After a long ride on I-40......about 40 miles from Wilmington......we had a tire to go bad. Exited @ a little town called Rose Hill ( Duplin wine country) and was able to get a used tire after the second inquiry. After being advised to travel 7 more miles to a little town called Wallace, we were able to purchase a tire. We were told that we were an accident waiting to happen! ( and I had been moving along @ a cool 70-75 miles an hour!) Our only warning had been a quiet little thump, thump in rapid succession. We made new friends in Wallace.....the owner and his wife were very cordial and had us back on the road in record time....all for $25.00!

All is well now................we are safe in our house at the beach................Lee is finally (this a.m. ) awake and with energy................and we are happy!

More Later.....................................Brenda

Good Report today

2011-10-19T16:58:00.000-04:00

We arrived in Durham around 2:00 p.m. after a foggy, drizzly drive from home. Lee drove all the way. I relaxed and slept some of the way. Good to be relaxed and let him do the driving! Those of you who know me already know and understand that I do not enjoy driving on crowded interstates...........especially around Burlington and Greensboro. I can do it, but not without tense muscles in my neck!

We are staying @ Duke Towers again for two nights. This afternoon, Lee had a 3:30 appointment with the urologist for his 3-month post TURP check-up. He is doing so well, that the doctor released him to his urologist in Hickory for any follow up treatment. Such Good News!

We plan to check out a good restaurant for dinner this evening....just need something warm and comforting on this cool, rainy evening. Also good to get out because Lee will have a full day tomorrow. The day begins with the usual Labs, x-ray, breathing tests, bronchoscopy, and finally all wrapped up with a visit with the lung transplant doctor @ 2:30 in the afternoon. That is when we get most of the results.

We will stay here at the Towers Thursday night, visit Martha & Larry @ Duke Raleigh on Friday a.m. and hopefully meet Dennis and Betsy for lunch before heading down I-40 to Oak Island for a week. Lee is looking forward to fishing with Ted and I am looking forward to seeing Diane. We may do some shopping in Southport or just read on the beach...............weather permitting. Ted loves to cook and I'm sure his famous pot of oyster stew is on the menue! At any rate, we are anticipating a good week at the beach.

More Later..................................Brenda

Mall Sitter

2011-10-15T21:01:00.000-04:00

Today I have had the good fortune to spend a good part of my time as a Mall Sitter. That is what I get to do whenever I am invited to accompany my daughter and teenage grandaughters on a shopping expedition. There was a time (just a few years ago) when I could maintain my stamina and keep up with their pace as we wandered in and out of ALL the stores in the Mall. They have always been more attracted to those stores with the loudest music which is also fast-paced. When we moved from store to store, there would be different music in each area.....none was calm and soothing...........no, the music and the rhythm had to be loud and fast in order to keep the teens hopping among the various stores. These stores were all alike: jammed with clothes that were arranged in such a way that one had to be a shopping sleuth to find their way among the maze. I believe you could leave a child in there for a week before someone found them! After several years of this, I discovered the various benches and chairs that were scattered along the walkways of the Mall.

I have become accustomed to this new method of shopping with them. I leave them in the store after announcing that I may be reached outside in the comfort zone. I am usually notified that I am necessary by text message. I do not worry about losing them at all because I am the keeper of the money. They would never lose Nana!

And so it is that I have learned to use my time wisely as a Mall Sitter. I have become very observant during my sitting time. Mall sitting can be an educational experience. One thing I learned today is that a person's gait belongs to the age one is in. For example, children do not walk.....they jump, skip or run. They are always moving forward or side to side and they move quickly. If they happen to be in a stroller, they want out and they let everyone within 10 feet know that! Then you have the teens. They are everywhere. They are easy to spot because they have cloned themselves in the way they wear their hair and dress. Jeans, flip-flops, tops that are usually layered. and the same long hairstyle. Most of the teen shoppers are girls and they always come in pairs. Occasionally I would see a young couple holding hands as they strolled along. Next were the parents. The mothers looked tired....they never smiled. They were too busy trying to quiet the toddler or hang on to another child. The fathers would usually saunter along beside or behind as though they had not a care in the world.

Finally, I found my category.............the seniors. Some would waddle as they walked with weight bearing more side to side than forward. This, of course, depended on the bulk being walked. They would stop from time to time and look all around. I knew what they were looking for, and it was not for a particular store. They were busy looking for an empty bench or chair so they could join the other Mall sitters for a while.

Where was Lee while I was shopping? He was invited to join many of his neighbors and friends for a bonanza birthday bash in our friendly neighborhood. They had a big BBQ feast. As I was leaving for my shopping day, I kindly reminded him to carry hand sanitizer and a mask. He was very abliging and did not seem to be offended by my little hint. (I prefer to not call it "nagging"). He has had quite a week! Every day during this past week he has been involved in some type of work. He is visibly enjoying being able to do some of the work around here. Not all of his strength has returned, but enough has returned to make him feel comfortable doing some of his chores. He loves to do anything that is work outside.....tried to convince him that vacuuming, mopping, etc. would be the same as an exercise program, but to no avail for me.

A great week....................even as a Mall Sitter!

More Later.................................Brenda

Connections

2011-10-12T11:37:00.002-04:00

I don't remember if I have shared with you the connections we continue to have with others who have had lung transplants. I will explain: During our first month in Durham, I was fortunate to meet a group of caregivers whose loved ones had already had their lung transplants, and were in the rehabilitative stages. One of the wives compiled an e-mail address list that has now grown to over 40 contacts. Lee and I are part of the contact group, and are able to receive and share stories and events that surround his continuing recovery.

This has been a valuable tool, because it helps prepare us for some unforseen complications that may occur and it also allows us to share and give feed-back to others who may have been or are experiencing the same "bump in the road" as these crisis are referred to. I have to admit though, I do have ambivilent feelings sometimes when I have learned of  more serious complications of one of our former asquaintances. There have been some, and of course that tends to put us on guard.

Post lung transplant, in addition to all the precautions related to coming in contact with various infective organisms, we must deal with the adverse effects of the anti-rejection drugs. These drugs are a necessary part of keeping Lee from rejecting his lung, however, the drugs are also very harmful to his body. The kidneys and liver are the ones @ highest risk. We pay close attention to all his lab reports for any signs of the beginning of kidney or liver damage. We have also learned that the longer the length of time post lung transplant, the more we must participate in being pro-active and iniating calls to Duke rather than waiting for them to contact us.

Each person is unique and the way their bodies respond to the drugs is also unique. Some may do very well and live a fairly normal life while others may have extreme adverse effects of the drugs on their bodies.   So far, Lee is doing amazingly well. The medical team was impressed with how well he did on the RATG treatment for rejection. He rebounded with strength and vigor that we had not seen for a long time. We pay close attention to all his labs and contact Duke for any adjustment in medication as soon as possible. Lee is an amazing person and was gifted with a strong, healthy body prior to his illness. He had been careful during his life to not abuse his body with overindulging bad habits. He was physically fit from hard work, and prior to that from all the athletics he maintained through 33 years of officiating basketball, and 40 years of officiating football. I believe his lifestyle contributed to his recovery..........................that along with his fierce determination, strong will power, faith and the prayers from so many of you.

During his intense battle for recovery @ Baptist (prior to the transplant), one of the doctors told him that if he could take Lee's determination and will power to recover, and put it in a bottle, he could cure a lot of patients!   There you go...................Our Lee!

More Later................................Brenda

A working Man

2011-10-11T11:14:00.001-04:00

Lee has lately been reentering his former life of a "working man". Following our breakfast together, he begins planning his day. Sometimes he is planning his entire week. When the weather is nice, his plans are to travel a short distance or to find something to do here on the farm that does not include working around hazardous materials ( soil, hay, dust, etc.). He has been spending more time in his shop out back and it is good to hear him discussing ways to repair or fix something that he uses.

Yesterday, he and his brother-in-law, Tom, spent most of the afternoon traveling to and from a not too distant golf cart sales store. They were able to secure Lee's trailer to his truck in preparation for the short journey to Lenoir. Lee had the strength to be actively involved with the work that was necessary in the transaction of loading the golf cart onto the trailer and unloading it when he returned home. Last evening as he was talking to his son, Todd, in Charlotte, I overheard him making plans to deliver a tractor to him on Friday. Todd is planning to remove excess trees and foliage from his back yard, and Lee is now planning to load the John Deere on the trailer and take it to him. He has invited a neighbor to go along. At the moment, Lee is working with his bee hives. He has faithfully been supplementing their food daily, and seems to be enjoying every moment of the work that must be done to keep his hives healthy and thriving. His plan for this afternoon is to hang some pictures for me in his downstairs "man's room". A good chore for this cool, rainy October day.

Work is so good for him! I share another quote from Kahlil Gibran:

"You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's proscession that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite. And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God. Work is love made visible."

When we lose our ability to work, due to sickness or an accident, a major part of who we are, and who we have always been, has been removed from our lives. Lee's love of work, and the satisfaction he receives from being able to make a contribution to not only himself, but others, has been restored. It has not been restored to the capacity that he had two years ago, but nonetheless, it is returning, and for that I am eternally grateful.

We are enjoying these bountiful blessings!

More Later..............................Brenda

To Sleep or not to Sleep

2011-10-10T06:28:00.000-04:00

Stealing a quote from Shakespeare, and changing it to fit my life......to sleep or not to sleep, that is the question.....................................

There are many unexpected events that continue to susrprise me as I age. The one I have been dealing with lately is sleep. I do get sleepy as the day moves into evening, and I fall asleep eventually. It is now becoming my habit to awaken one to three times during the night. The earlier the wakefulness ( as 12-1:00), the raiding of the kitchen for a late night snack, and the later wakefulness, ( as after 3-4:00), the more apt I am to remain awake. This morning is the latter of the two.......awake @ 3:00, dozed until 5:00, and now @ 6:00, awake for the day. I read an article recently that encouraged all to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep as we age, because it will probably increase our lifespan, help us to feel better, and may even enhance our looks. Looks like I may lose out on that!

Where is Lee during the night? Blissfully sleeping like a baby! Last night he turned in at the same time I did, 10:00, and has been peacefully asleep since then. Isn't that wonderful?! After all he has been through these past almost two years, and he can sleep even better than before. I am greatly encouraged to see that he is (a) increasing his lifespan, (b) will probably feel better than I today (c) and everyday is enhancing his looks! If this keeps up, someone will eventually ask if I am his Mother!

I must admit that there are advantages to rising before dawn. I love the peaceful time that I can spend in prayer. There are so many friends of ours who need prayers.......It is good to be allowed some quiet times to remember them and lift up their needs in prayer. It is also a good time for me to visit with you, my bloggers, and to share some of the more poignant events of our life. I'm sure most of you are still sleeping as I write. I wish for you, a day that is filled with the wonder of our creation, along with the peace and love that is available for all of us to share with others.

Sleep well tonight.............................

More Later.....................................Brenda

A NEW LOOK

2011-10-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

I decided to change the picture on the Blog so that you could see what Lee looks like now...(he actually looks even better now -- this pic was made in May at our Mother's Day celebration). At the time of the picture, he was still on high doses of Prednisone which made his face "puffy". Today he is on lower doses, and he looks more like he did before his illness. I will add more picture updates as we are able to have more family gatherings where pictures are taken (and when my daughter is here to help me post them!)

On this lovely autumn sunny day, we are enjoying a visit from daughter Julia, and son Doug with his wife Elizabeth and their two children Alex and Max. Earlier today, under Granddaddy's supervision, they all worked to remove fence posts from the garden. Granddaddy commented that the boys were such good workers, that he wished they lived closer so that he could put them to work on the farm more often. The grandsons are excited to be going to a Panther's game tomorrow with their parents (they both play football).
Max (almost six) will be having a "football party" for his birthday November 3rd, and he plans to play on the Panther's team when he grows up.

Today is what I would refer to as a "normal" Saturday on the farm. Family is visiting, and trucks and tractors are going up and down the driveway. How nice to enjoy "business as usual" here.

How lovely....

More Later -- Brenda

Out and About..........

2011-10-06T21:03:00.001-04:00

It seems that Lee and I are passing each other frequently, either leaving or returning for one or two of us! I had some errands to run today and Lee was scheduled to go to the rehab center in Hickory. He departed around 9:30 and I left at 10:00. I had decided to make a day of it, and in between errands was able to spend some time with my sister Bonnie, and Aunt Kat, who live in Lenoir.

By the time I finished the visits, filled the car with gas (now $3.29/gal), stopped by the grocery to pick up a few things......( I thought just a few.....spent $103.00!). I think it was because I was hungry. One pack of peanut butter crackers and water, along with a few slices of apples apparently weren't enough for my lunch on the run today. One should never grocery shop when hungry..........................

Anyway, after leaving the grocery, I decided to check in with Lee and tell him the expected time of my arrival home. No answer. He was not at home. I called his cell and he was out shopping with his friend, and the two of them had been looking at golf carts in Granite Falls. I arrived home around 5:00, carried in the groceries, put them away, and started supper. Lee arrived about 45 minutes after I came home. I could tell by the smile on his face that he had a good day with his friend.

He continues to get stronger each day. As his strength is returning, he is becoming more mobile. There are some days when I just have to look the other way or swallow the words such as: Do you have a face mask and hand sanitizer with you or, please try to stay out of the hay areas.........I have learned to try to refrain from my "mothering" and learn to trust his judgement.

I share this day with you so you may be able to see a good normal day that we are able to have from time to time. We have rediscovered the relationship we had for so many years, that includes recognizing space for each other from time to time. This has not been easy returning. I remind you that Lee and I have spent almost every day together for the past two years. There is a saying about marriage by the great Labanese poet, Kahil Gibran, "Let there be separateness in your togetherness".

I love sharing these good days and stories about Lee with all of you. There were so many days in the past when I could only speak of the difficult days he had to endure. Tonight I am spending time on the computer while Lee is............................Where is he anyway?

More Later...................................................Brenda

Apples!

2011-10-04T17:42:00.000-04:00

Lee and I spent the afternoon preparing Granny Smith apples for the freezer. It was an exciting thing for both of us......................and very uplifting, because this is the way we were before Lee's illness and transplant. It has been our custom every Fall to gather apples and prepare them for the freezer. Before Lee sold his orchard, we were able to pick our own, share them with other family members, friends and neighbors. Our orchard is gone, but we were able to purchase these from a local apple orchard in Vale.

I remember one year in particular when we had a beautiful Autumn such as today, with an abundance of apples in the orchard, especially those delectable "Granny Smith's". It was the time for our annual Halloween party with our children and grandchildren. Lee hitched the hay wagon to the tractor, loaded all the children and grandchildren, dressed in their Halloween costumes, and headed for the orchard a few miles away. For many of them , this was a first time event! We made many pictures that warm, sunny afternoon just before dusk. The children delighted in finding their very own apples, and from time to time I would see the little girls gathering apples in the fullness of their little princess dresses. Our little boys, dressed as warriors or transformers (fighters) delighted in finding an apple with a worm and scaring the girls! I remember the squeals of delight and laughter as we moved among the apple trees.

So, this afternoon, Lee and I prepared the downstairs for our work. Lee secured the apple-peeler to the table while I washed the apples and prepared the area for my work. Lee is quite the pro with the apple-peeler. It is a unique apparatus. Once the apple is secured into the three prongs on one end, Lee turns the handle on the opposite end and as the apple is turning, it is peeled and cored all at the same time! He then drops the apple into a large basin of salted water. ( the salt keeps the apples from changing color and also removes the bitterness from the green apples) I, in turn, separate the "wheels" and place them on paper towels to dry. After they dry, I put them into zip-lock bags. We were able to put 18 quarts and 2 gallons in the freezer.

While working together, we remembered those joyful events and each in turn shared a memory thought to be long forgotton. Even though we cannot have the annual family Halloween party this year, We savor all those memories! How wonderful to look at him now.....happy and laughing at the shared memories, while peeling all those apples!

I suppose your are wondering why I am so excited to be writing about something that is a lot of work. I am sharing this with you because Lee thrives on work. To be able to watch him doing something he enjoys, and to know that he is be able to have the strength to do it is a tremendous blessing to me this day. Blessings are meant to be shared.

More Later.....................................Brenda

Football etc....

2011-10-02T17:38:00.001-04:00

Thank Goodness for Football! I don't know anyone who enjoys it more than Lee. He always looks forward to the games on Sunday afternoon, and again on Monday for "Monday night Football!" This is good, because right now he is having to limit his activities, and restrict his being around crowds of people. Of course that eliminates church, restaurants and some of our family visits.

We did get the report from his labs last week and the lymph count is only 5. (Normal is around 30 ) You can see how we have to be careful because he needs a higher lymphocyte count along with thymocyte (the killer T-cells) to fight any kind of infection. He must use the next three weeks with caution to allow his body to build the cells again. A viral infection would be extremely dangerous right now.

Lee encouraged me to go on to church without him, and it was good to be able to see our friends there. I was able to sit with Carroll Morrell who is experiencing many difficulties during her husband, Robert's illness. Please remember them in your prayers, along with special requests for Lee to recover from his rejection and for him to continue to restrict his time with others until we return to Duke for another evaluation that will determine whether or not he is indeed out of rejection.

This afternoon I was able to visit with my daughter and grandaughter as they shared a CD of Michaela singing at the Whiperwill festival in Nebo yesterday. She is very talented , plays the guitar, and loves to sing ballads. She is only 15, and a delightful girl to be with. We enjoyed a lovely Fall day while sharing a freshly made pumpkin pie and coffee. This visit was a pleasure that I no longer take for granted. Lee and I have learned to treasure each and every moment we are able to spend with family and friends.

Later this afternoon, we decided to take a long ride through the country, and travel around some areas that we had not seen in a long time. As we were driving, it occurred to both of us how fortunate we were to be able to live in the country, and enjoy such an outing. All we had to do was turn right at the end of our driveway and keep going! We realize that for those who live in big cities, a day like this is impossible for many people. We count our blessings. I wish for you....a lovely Fall day with a slow drive through the beautiful countryside. Enjoy!

More Later......................................Brenda

Short note

2011-10-01T18:21:00.001-04:00

This will be a short note to let you know that all is well. We have been trying to adjust to the sudden change of weather. We have had a steady wind all day ,and the temperature this a.m. was a low 46 degrees. I think it has stayed around 58 to 60 this afternoon. These changes in the weather do seem to have some effect on the way Lee feels. He has been coughing a little today, and I am hoping that is because he has been outside some today, and not rejection.
Earlier today we went North of Lenoir to look at some trees that we need to purchase as replacements in our yard. All the beautiful Bradford pear trees developed the blight and were dying. Lee had them removed and now we are in the process of replacing them with a mixture of Cleveland pear trees and Crepe Myrtles. He has arranged to have them planted sometime during the next two weeks.

Yesterday was one of those beautiful days that reminded of the days Lee used to enjoy when working on the farm. On those days he would leave the house shortly after sun-up and return after dark. He never tired form work; quite the opposite, he thrived on work. He confessed to me that those days were the hardest for him because he cannot do the things he loves. He does acknowledge, however, that he feels blesssed to be alive and to breathe freely again. He continues to enjoy his independence with driving and visiting his neighbors and friends. He still has not tried golf. Every time he begins to talk about starting golf again, he has a "bump" in the road, and once again it gets put on the "back burner".

Well, I guess the short note became a longer note. Just wanted to give you a glimpse of our days. Right now, Lee is watching a GeorgiaTech vs. State football game and I am about ready to start supper. I guess you could say, this has been one of those very, very good days for both of us. One of those wonderful, normal days!

More Later...............................Brenda

answered prayer

2011-09-29T08:04:00.000-04:00

After I had posted the blog, I looked out the window to see Lee walking down the driveway to get the paper. Our dog, Bella, was walking along beside him.

I want to share this with you because from the time Lee became ill, my prayer was that I would once again be able to see my husband walk to the mailbox, free from oxygen, and with renewed strength. He has been able to do this most every day since we returned home last November.

My prayer was answered. Thanks be to God!

More Later..................................................Brenda

Autumn @ Home

2011-09-29T07:58:00.002-04:00

As I gaze out my window, the signs of autumn surround me. Some of the trees have shed most of their leaves and others are beginning to turn the golden color. The maple trees are so wonderful in their contribution to the canvas of color. It is so good to be home this time of the year. Earlier this his morning, the air was fresh at 58 degrees, now, the sun is up, and everywhere I look there is a sense of the beauty of this earth. What a blessing to find so much beauty to lift us up when we have the bumps in the road.

Lee is doing better each day. I would liken the recovery from the RATG treatment as to recovering from the flu. It did sap his energy, and he is having to work to get back the strength he had before the treatment. He has not returned to his rehab sessions this week which is, probably just as well because of the lowered immune system right now. He will return next week if all goes well.

Lee continues to have a high potassium blood count and we have tried diligently over this past year to adjust his meals around a potassium free or a low potassium diet. That is very hard to do, but we have managed. He has had almost no tomatoes, potatoes, dark green veggies, many fruits ( particularly citrus), dried beans and peas, and the list goes on to include good things like melons. I talked to the doctor about this and he did concede that it is caused by his medication for rejection. He said to allow some of these foods, space them apart and to watch the proportions.

As you can see, each day is a challenge. Lee's status can change in a 24 hour period. We are grateful for each good day he has and we try hard to be alert to any changes that will created a problem. It is so good to know that Duke is immediately available via phone and only 3 hours drive. It is comforting and reassuring to know that whatever the problem, they will aggresively try to resolve the situation.

I have been in touch with many of our transplant aquaintances via e-mail. It is good to have the support group that we met while in Durham. Having these conversations helps us to be prepared for any changes that may occur and how the problems are being resolved. There are times when we don't get good news, but sad news, and that of course, makes us face the reality we face on a daily basis.

Good to be back with you bloggers.......thanks for being there to listen and for allowing me to unload some of my concerns.......

More Later........................................Brenda

Stomach bug or food?

2011-09-27T11:45:00.000-04:00

I did not write yesterday because both Lee and I have been trying to get over a peculiar "belly ache". We were both stricken at the same time late Sunday afternoon with nausea. With the help of Lee's nausea medication for him, and dramamine for me, we have slowly begun to feel better. We have narrowed it down to one of two things: Same food we both ate on Sunday, or we came in contact with a bug at approximately. the same time. I have recovered quickly, but Lee's still lingers somewhat. I believe this is due in part to his lowered immune response.

Today has been a better day for both of us. Lee was able to drive by himself to the doctor's office for the routine lab work and the drive-through for his Bojangles biscuit. He also went through the drive-through at the Drug Store for a pick-up of my prescription. It is good to be doing the normal routines again. We really do appreciate the "normal" days now when we can have them. I would suggest to all of you bloggers to just stop and realize how important your normal ( sometimes called, mundane or boring) days are. Now that we have many of the surprising and not so normal days, we look forward to those we once simply brushed aside.

I once read and have never forgotten this statement: "You never know the worth of a man, until he is gone."
I suppose we never know the worth of our days, our time, our lives and all it encompasses, until it is gone. I suppose I could go on with, "you cannot appreciate the full cup, until it is empty", or unto each life a little rain must fall, .................................................O.K.....enough!

More Later.................................Brenda

In Charge Man

2011-09-25T19:37:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was amazing! We have now learned how to get discharged from Duke in a timely manner. Lee began his day at Duke Hospital and as soon as he was visited by the nurse, the PA, and the pulmonary doctor, he began making them all aware of his goal to be out of the hospital no later than 3:30 p.m. Next, he asked the nurse if she would try to begin the four-hour I.V. by 11:00 a.m. She said that could be done. He then approached the PA and asked if she could have all his discharge papers and medications completed by 3:00 p.m. She said she could do that. After getting the official discharge from the doctor, everyone worked very hard to meet Lee's request. He had taken control and was the man in charge of his departure!

Based on past experiences, we now know that efficiency works if everyone knows the plan. When no one realizes the plan, then hours may be sacrificed. Lee remembered the time Labor Day week-end 2010 (our first trip home since May31 ) and how it took three hours to get out of the hospital after the doctor wrote the official discharge! One of the longest and most exasperating waits was for the transport person. What we did not know then, and know now, is that whenever you are discharged from Duke, your name is sent to the transport service and they will only come get you on a "first come, first serve" basis. If your name is at the bottom of the list............long wait!

So, in view of this, I decided to find our own wheelchair for Lee. This is not an easy find @ Duke as all the wheel chairs belong to the transport dept. I walked along all the adjacent hallways and was about to give up when I finally found one lurking around a corner, in front of another patient room. It was empty, and as I stood there for a few minutes, I felt sure that it was not being used. I cautiously approached the w/chair and took it to Lee's room. When I told him how I got it, he accused me of stealing someone's w/chair and told me to go get approval from the desk person. Feeling like a guilty child, I did, and it was then ours. We would not have to rely on the transport person.

The last I.V medication finished at 3:00 pm.. The designated picc-line person ( per Lee's request also ) came and pulled the picc line. Lee dressed quickly, I put him in the wheel chair, and we were out the door to valet service for our car promptly @ 3:30 p.m.

We had a good trip home, maybe a few minutes longer than if Lee had driven, but I do not ride with a driver who has slurred speech! The benadryl was still in his system! After a stop for food for supper, we arrived home around 7:00 p.m. All is well.............................

More Later..............................................Brenda

Great Day!

2011-09-23T20:52:00.000-04:00

Lee has had a great day! The treatment is visably working....he is stronger, looks so good, color is good and the cough is already gone. Rejection is incidious.....it creeps on ....and there are barely noticeable symptoms. I can see now that with this immediate improvement that the rejection was making him very tired and was responsible for the cough. I believe it probably started around the first week of July because that is when he started to cough and he just could not develop any strength.

It is such a relief to see him feeling better. He has been doing laps around the hosptal corridor like a pro-runner. (compared to this time last year). The doctor said that he could be discharged from the hospital as soon as he finished his third treatment tomorrow. That will be completed by 3:00, but it has been our experience that it takes a long time to actually get out of the hospital! So...............if it is late, we will spend Sat. night here and go home early Sunday a.m.

All in all..............this has been a Great Day!

More Later...............................Brenda

addendum to yesterday's blog

2011-09-23T10:52:00.000-04:00

A better morning for me and for Lee. I am still at the condo because the 2nd treatment will not begin until after 12:00. I prefer to be with him during the treatment so I can observe for any possible adverse reaction and call for help if needed. I talked with Lee this a.m. and he said he was feeling great! He had already been up walking in the hallways after having had another big breakfast. The headache from the evening before left around 9:00 and he was able to sleep soundly all night. Such good news! I, on the other hand, could not go to sleep until after 12;30 and was awake @ 6:00 a.m. Sometimes I have a difficult time shutting down the conscious brain.

I have tried, without success, to grab a nap this a.m., but finally gave up......did make a run to Whole Foods for some milk and yogurt for me. I will pack a lunch bag for me, take the kindle and finish the John Grishman novel "The Confession", and plan to leave here within the hour.

The weather here is heavy! Very warm and the moisture just hangs like a blanket in the air. We are to expect flash flooding in areas here and adjacent to Durham, perhaps a thunderstorm. I plan to take the shuttle to and from the hospital.

Thought I would write early in case I am late returning.....I will give you and update as soon as I can. As for now, Lee is doing great.............I am the "zombie" from lack of sleep!
More Later................................Brenda

RATG

2011-09-22T20:41:00.000-04:00

You are probably asking, "What is that?" So did I, especially since the pronounciation is RAT G. I have had many medical persons explain this term to me, and after some confusion on my part, I did some research on my own ( these wonderful internets!). By definition, RATG is an acronym for rabbit antithymocyte globulin. (yes, a rabbit is involved). To explain further, it is a polyclonal antibody preparation to decrease rejection of the lung by reducing the lymphocyte counts and modulating t-cell formation. ( These are parts of our white blood cells that protect us from bad invading organisms).

Lee's protective cells in his body are recognizing his lung as an alien and is fighting to throw it out....Ratg....will reduce his fighting cells and reverse the rejection. The down side is that he will have no protection and it will take 4-6 weeks for him to build back to a level that his body will can live peacefully with the transplanted lung. So there you have it.....Rejection and Treatment 101 from me!

The I.V. was started @ noon following precautionary meds I.V., such as benadryl, steroids, tylenol. We were advised that he would most likely get a headache, maybe a fever and generally feel like the flu. He had all of the above but not the fever. Fortunately after about two hours, he fell asleep for two hours. The benadryl worked.

I stayed with him until the I.V. was DC and came back to the condo around 6:45 this evening. He still has the headache and feels very tired, but all the other reactions have disappeared. I will return tomorrow and the next I.V. will probably begin around noon. If all goes well, this one may run 4 hours instead of 6.

I will keep you informed of his progress.

More Later.................................Brenda

Rejection

2011-09-21T19:44:00.000-04:00

Lee and I were hoping we would not have to write a blog titled "Rejection", but then again, we were advised in the beginning that it is not IF your will reject, but WHEN. We are now experiencing the WHEN.

We were here at Duke last week for a check-up and follow-up post infection for the past two months. Last Friday he had the usual lab, breathing tests and a bronchoscopy. We were told at that time that his breathing test were down and showed some reduced air flow in the smaller respiratory areas. His lab work is beginning to show some increased levels of creatinine and his blood potassium is too high. We could not get the reports from the bronchoscopy until Tuesday so we decided to go on to the beach for a few days. That was a good decision. The weather was beautiful and Lee and I were able to have a really good respite from the bumps in the road that he has had to experience lately.

He was admitted to Duke Hospital this afternoon and will begin the agressive globulin (HgT) treatment in the morning. He will have to be monitored closely with one on one nursing.....lots of lab tests and stats. He will be observed closely for any adverse reaction to this treatment. Reactions can range from mild to severe. It is unique to each individual, so each is cared for in case of a severe reaction. He will remain on contact isolation while this is being done.

All in all, it has been a good 10 months since he was discharged in October last year. We have enjoyed family gatherings, dinners with friends and to church when we think it is safe. Lee has steadily become more and more independent and now he functions very much as he did prior to his illness and transplant. He loves to get in his truck and go wherever he pleases. I'm sure he misses work on the farm and I know some of the decisions he had to make were difficult. He sold all his cows and leased all the farmland to a neighbor. To date he has sold all of his farm equipment with the exception of his two favorite tractors and some other small pieces of useful equipment. He wanted to do a garden, but finally decided it was too stressful to try to tell others how to do it the way he wanted, so eventually left it alone.

Lee continues to go to the rehab unit at Catawba three days a week and his strength is returning. Getting his legs back has been the most difficult. In talking to others who have had lung transplants, we have discovered that others have the same loss of strength in their legs.

I have to say that it is good to know you are there tonight, blog followers......it is hard to stay in the condo without Lee....very lonely. We have been "joined by the hip" for almost two years now!

I had to close the blog when my book was sent to the publisher. One of their requirements as dictated by the contract. If you are interested in my book:
Check the web site: publishamerica.com
Mention my name:
Title of my book: Now We Have Hope

More Later......................................Brenda

We are Back

2011-09-21T06:21:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I have visited you......going home......summer........readjustments to our new lifestyle. I am writing this from the beach. We have been here since Saturday after leaving Durham for a check-up for Lee. We were called by the lung transplant nurse yesterday and advised to return to Duke for Lee to be hospitilized for a few days. His bronchoscopy last week shows rejection.......the kind that must be treated aggressively. I will be busy packing to return and will catch up on the blog tonight. I have lots of news to share with you so stay here.

More Later.............................Brenda

Blog goes on vacation!

2011-04-07T13:35:00.000-04:00

I want you to know that as Lee gets stronger, we are becoming more sociable! It seems that we have something to do almost every day. Of course that is a great thing. Lee is doing great! In fact, he is doing so well now that I sometimes feel like I need to put him on a leash. He is like a kid in a candy store who just cannot get enough! He loves to roam around the farm and enjoy the great outdoors. He has now been able to join his fellow farm friends in the afternoons for their daily conferences. It is during this time that they catch-up on the happenings in the neighborhood ( and you thought only women gossiped!), discuss politics with some antagonizing solutions along the way, and of course, solve all of the world's problems. Most of the fellows are able to contribute lengthy diatribes that have been bolstered by the brew. Lee, however, is restricted to his Non-drink and probably is the only one who can make a logical assesment of the above mentioned problems.

He loves Springtime and so do I. We have looked forward to each awakening day as the sun breaks through a little earlier each morning. The trees are proudly displaying their new leaves, much as a new Mom show off her newborn. The climatis that adorn the lamp post and the sides of the house are growing about a foot a day with promises of lovely flowers soon to appear. Everywhere we look, we see the beautiful white dogwoods that are scattered throughout the woods both in front of and behind the house.

Lee is also blossoming with the serenade of Spring. As the world around us bursts with renewed life, so is he. He has a renewed spirit and energy that is not be contained one minute during the day. He is constantly on the move! All this, in spite of the cataract surgery that he had yesterday. Today on the return post-op visit, he was given an excellent report. Yesterday he was not supposed to drive for 24 hours, however, within an hour of returning home he was on the road.

I am in the process of completing the lasts requests from the publisher for my book. I must relinquish and remove my blog for a period of 90 days. I will return sometime in July, and if you are still interested, check in. Until then, we will just wish the blog a restful vacation.

More in July.................................................Brenda

Oh the weather outside is........................................

2011-03-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

Perfect! One word to describe the beach. Temperatures have held from low 50's in early a.m. to mid to high 70's in the afternoon. Plenty of sunshine and breeze. (maybe a little too much breeze on the beach). Lee and I tried to sit on the beach Saturday, but the sand storm we encountered looked like the small sahara! After about 15 minutes, we gave up and came back to the house. Yesterday evening, the weather was so beautiful that I decided to walk on the beach. Lovely here, but cold and windy on the beach. I was able to enjoy a short walk and headed back to the house.

We talked to Lee's lung transplant coordinator yesterday and we do not have to return to Duke until June 14 & 15. We decided to have the bronch on a day separate from all the other tests. We do not want to dehydrate Lee again. She gave us a good report on all his tests and there was no rejection as reported from the bronch. We will have to wait another few weeks for the report on the fungus infection of the lung. We were told that this is a long treatment process and that it takes at least six months. After she talks to the doctor, she will let us know what he can do in regards to bee-keeping, planting and harvesting and using pesticide spray. This has been a major issue of Lee's. It is very hard for him to give up some aspects of farming.

Lee is enjoying his time at the beach and is getting much stronger with climbing the stairs. Last night we were able to meet with some friends and eat at a small restaurant that was not crowded. It felt good to do that. Tomorrow we will have lunch with our friends, Jerry and Gloria in Wilmington. So far, this has been a wonderful week.

I had time to finish proof-reading my book and sent it to the publisher. I hope to hear from them by next week. Will let you know how that turns out. If nothing else, I will have my own permanent record for the family. I would like to be able to share it with Duke and other recipients. It is my wish that the book will encourage others to become donors and that the recipients will learn to gain strength in their fight.

Time to help Lee with his breathing treatment and perhaps another trip to the beach and just read a book and relax. (weather permitting!)

More Later........................................Brenda

"Honey, I feel..........."

2011-03-19T16:15:00.000-04:00

Thursday , March 17 was clinic day @ Duke. We had traveled from our farm the day before and spent the night @ Staybridge where once again, we enjoyed meeting some "lung colleagues" from Duke lung transplant program. It was good to sit in the lounge and share success stories along with some of those who are still anticipating being accepted into the program. We talked with one couple from Alabama and another from Arkansas. One was recovering and the other was eagerly awaiting being on the list. How well we understood the anxieties and apprehensions they were experiencing. Lee is so good to offer an encouraging word to all he meets. When they hear his story and see how good he looks now, we can see a light begin to emerge from their almost senseless eyes. It is indeed rewarding. Lee had spent the earlier part of the afternoon visiting the workers at the Center For Living. He is very attached to those workers (especially, "his" girls!)

Since Lee was to be fasting after midnight on Thursday, I had encouraged him to hydrate with lots of water after dinner. At 9:00, he did eat some peanut butter and crackers and a large glass of water, then to bed. We were to be at the clinic @ 7:30 in the morning so early bedtime was essential.

We areived at the clinic at 7:30 and Lee was quickly ushered to the nurses station for vitals and then for a breathing test. From there he had lab work and then to x-ray. All of the usual routine work when we return to the clinic. He had a bronchoscopy scheduled for 10:00 that morning in the hospital so all the previous tests were rushed. We had decided to walk through the tunnel to the hospital (not realizing it was about a mile long!) and after a short distance an attendant told us he needed to ride in the w/chair. After seeing the long walk we were glad we did!

The bronchoscopy was completed by 11:30 and the doctor gave Lee a good thumbs up in that all looked very good! Lee drank three small cokes and it was back to the clinic via w/chair for the scheduled doctor's appointment at 2:00. On the way, Lee reminded me that he was hungry and we would need to eat before the appointment. However, as soon as we arrived at the clinic, his name was called and we were surprised to be called that early. We passed on the chicken sandwich and I hurridly retrieved a pack of peanut butter crackers and a bottle of water from my bag. We felt this would last until we could see the doctor.

I might add here that Lee was especially proud of how good he was doing and was excited about seeing his favorite pulmonary doctor (a female ) who had not seen him since October! Well, we waited and waited and waited and by this time, it was 2:00 p.m. Lee decided to walk around and then returned. When he sat down he said "HONEY, I FEEL LIGHTHEADED!" I quickly checked his blood sugar and it was normal. As I turned to look at him, he was chalky white, perspiring and OUT! The nurse walked in and then was followed by two others. I meanwhile had automatically assumed my nursing persona, and am telling Lee to put his head down to his knees! I heard someone ask to check his blood sugar and I announced that I already had and it was 120. Well, folks, here I am at the Mecca of medicine capital of whatever and I am acting like I not only WORK there, but have assumed CHARGE DUTIES!

Anyway, his favorite doctor did get to see him, alas, in the worst of conditions, and had to call 911! We were transported by ambulance to the emergency room. After two hours and failed (4) attempts to start and I.V., the emergency room physician decided to feed Lee a chicken sandwich (per his request) and lots of coke and/or water. After two chicken sandwiches, another coke and water, blood work and a normal EKG. the diagnosis was confirmed. Lee was hungry and dehydrated! He was discharged to go home. Unfortunately, we have not completed our clinic visit and are awaiting reports via phone next week. Meanwhile, we are enjoying some beautiful weather at the beach and all is well.

More Later...............................Brenda

March Goodness

2011-03-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

I know we usually refer to March as "March Madness", but our lives are so good now that I must refer to March as "March Goodness"! It is so good, that right now, I do not even know where Lee is! He went outside around 9:30 this a.m. and has not returned. It is now 2:00 in the afternoon and he has now become the Lee Kanipe of the T.V. anchor, Matt Lauer as in "Where in the world is Lee Kanipe?" If you recall, several years ago, Matt L. traveled across the world and that was the title of his adventure. I did call around noon to try to locate him and remind him of his noon sugar check with insulin. He was in downtown Lincolnton buying a battery charger. Who would have guessed?

Well, he returned briefly, only to disappear again. He is enjoying his ability to move about freely and breathe freely. This is such a blessing! I joke about his wherabouts, but I am extremely overjoyed that he is able to pursue his lifestyle as before with limitations. He has been very busy meeting with interested parties who want to buy some of his farm equipment. I have to admit that I feel very sad for him when I hear him discussing the sale of his equipment. I have asked him from time to time if this is bothering him, and his response, is that he has accepted that part of his life to be gone. He is just happpy to be alive and able to return to his family, his home and his neighborhood. He reminds me that he has other interests such as golf, fishing and just enjoying his return to a normal life. I am so proud of him!

We will be returning to Duke March 17 for a bronchoscopy and all the other tests. We will leave on Friday for the beach and will stay there until the following Saturday. We are in hopes that the fungus in his lung has completely disappeared. He appears to be improved and we are hoping that it is gone.

Even though the weather is a bit cool today, we are enjoying the bursting of Spring that is blooming everywhere on the farm. The bradford pears are beginning to bloom, the weeping cherry trees are bright pink, daffodils and forsythias are like sunshine, the grass is green and the birds are singing. Aaaaah! Life..................what a wonderful gift!

More later.....................................Brenda

Home again

2011-02-21T20:50:00.000-05:00

The beach trip was wonderful but it is always good to be back home again. Lee has not stopped since we arrived. It seems that I spend more and more of my time wondering, "where in the world is Lee?" Now that is a good thing! He is either walking about in the yard or his truck will be missing and he has gone onto yet another one of his little adventures.

Today was the day to get back into the physical therapy that he missed last week. He proudly wore his Duke T-shirt with the lung-transplant logo on the front and the back. One of the other clients there inquired as to his transplant experience and once again he was able to help another along the way. Lee is such a good communicator and is able to share his experience at Duke in such a way that will inspire others to either prepare for a transplant or to some others who may be considering becoming a donor. He seems to have found his new vocation of sorts in helping others. I am so proud of him.

Today we are able to do so many things that seemed an impossibility this time last year. In fact, this time last year, unfortunately my thoughts were mostly about whether or not Lee would survive. Truly, he is a miracle man. He and I were talking about that this morning and he told me that he always believed that he would get better. How is that for determination and will-power? I do remember that one of the doctors at Baptist told Lee that if he could bottle Lee's determination and will-power to survive and recover he would be able to cure a lot of people!

Amazing isn't it! We are two of the most grateful people you will ever meet! We will never forget nor will we ever lose our sense of gratitude for having Lee with us again. He looks so good and every day is becoming more like the Lee we knew before that fateful November day in 2009. Our prayers today are those with thankful hearts filled with love for the Almighty!

More Later....................Brenda

Great Week!

2011-02-19T19:08:00.000-05:00

As I write this it is our last evening at the beach. It has been a wonderful week! Most of the time the weather was more like March than February. Today it was like May! We have enjoyed spending some time out doors and particularly being able to sit in our swing on the front deck and enjoy a morning cup of coffee for the first time this morning.

I decided to venture to Southport this morning and as I was preparing to leave I could not find Lee. The golf cart was gone and I suspected he was in it somewhere. Inspection of his visiting areas to two nearby neighbors did not find Lee. I decided to go on hoping he would show up eventually. As I drove toward the beach I found him at the end of the street parked in front of a house talking to some new neighbors. I stopped and he introduced me. What a joy to see him with the freedom to ride the golf cart around this neighborhood and to be enjoying himself immensly!

Yesterday we had two of his lung-transplant "colleagues" over for lunch. Veda and Nancy (transplant), who reside here on the island, and Jerry (transplant) and wife Gloria from Wilmington. The weather was a bit cool but we had a very good reunion of sorts. How grateful we all were for them to be able to return to a normal lifestyle (with some restrictions) once again. Veda left early to go to the art gallery with her beautiful paintings and Lee and Jerry sat on the deck in the swing and reminesced for about an hour. Gloria and I caught up on our long "talks".

This afternoon Lee and I drove to Calabash and to the art gallery and I bought some of Veda's paintings. I went to the Christmas house, but it was no fun without all my daughters with me so I bought nothing. Surely do miss them when it is time to shop. It wont be long until Summer and then the fun begins!

Isn't is wonderful to be able to write such a blog as this?! I do remember those difficult days in Durham and I truly am relishing the time we have now. Lee is doing beautifully! He looks very healthy and I believe he feels very well. The stairs here at the house have been very challenging for him and he does miss being able to work outside. He did, however conduct quite a bit of business via phone and with meetings in regards to the new sewer connection and yard work to follow.

Take care and I will greet you with

More Later........................................Brenda

Beach time

2011-02-15T17:04:00.000-05:00

We had a good drive from our home to the beach. Lee drove all the way. We were bringing the golf cart and we both felt more secure with his driving. We took our time and stopped many times along the way to walk, or whatever. When we arrived, our neighbors were waiting in their yards to help us unload the truck and carry our belongings up the stairs. We are so fortunate to have these many friends. The trip was a bit tiring for Lee and by the end of the day, he was ready for the bed. As usual, I had my midnight raid on the kitchen for peanut butter and milk. That seems to be my recipe for sleeping aid. It works!

I had mentioned that I was to receive my thyroid report and failed to share it with you. I still have multiple nodules, but the good news is that they have not changed. Will continue to monitor them and report any changes I might notice. It was a good report.

When we left our home, the temperature was warm and and continued as; we moved through Charlotte, however, as we got closer to the beach the temperature kept dropping. When we arrived, the weather was sunny, chilly and very windy. Too bad as we were looking forward to sitting in our swing on the porch. Maybe we can on Thursday or Friday when the weather is predicted to be in the 70's.

In spite of the disappointment in the temperature, we are amazed that we are even here! It was this time last year that Lee was confined to a hospital bed and in such a debilitated physical state that we could not allow for even a thought to return to our place at the beach. We are indeed grateful that Lee has recovered enought to be able to make the trip. We do not take anything for granted and we do not treat his gift lightly. We say a prayer of thanksgiving many times during the day.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to seeing our old friends, Jerry and Gloria who live in Wilmington. We will be joining them for lunch and they plan to visit us here on Friday for lunch. Life is Good!

More Later.............................Brenda

Soon to be at the beach!

2011-02-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

We are excited that Lee is now able to travel to our beach house. He is an amazing man! I can't describe how many times I would dream that I would be able to once again see Lee as he is now. He gets stronger each day! For example, last Friday he left around 8:00 a.m. in his truck and made several errands at four different locations before returning home. Again on Saturday while I was spending some time with my daughter in Morganton, he visited some friends in the community, fixed his own lunch, gave himself insulin. When I returned home later in the evening, he was out back with some perspective buyers for some of his farm equipment. He is a busy fellow.

I am especially proud of Lee for his newest venture. He is actively pursuing knowledge in regards to becoming a donor spokesperson. He has been asked to speak for different organizations in regards to his experience. He wants to make sure he is well informed. I don't think it will be much longer either before I report to you that he is on the golf course.

Next week he will probably try to do some fishing with his buddy Ted. The four of us plan to do some fine eating also. (Ted is a fantastic cook!) We also plan to get together with some of our lung-transplant colleagues from Durham who live in Wilmington and Oak Island. The weather promises to shine brightly on us while there. We are looking forward to the 68-72 degrees that is in the forecast.

Take care and we will give you,

More Later.................................Brenda

Finally, a Normal Sunday!

2011-02-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

Today, Lee and I enjoyed the first normal Sunday since November, 2009. We were able to join our Sunday School class and attend worship service in church. Each week I can visibly see Lee's strength returning more and more. He still rides the elevator to the second floor to our class at church but today he was able to walk down the stairs as we were leaving for the sanctuary. When we got to the bottom, I asked if he needed to rest and he said he was fine and continued walking. He was also able to speak to the congregation and express his gratitude to all for their prayers and all the cards and phone calls that we received while we were in Durham. It was a day filled with joy that was accompanied by bright sunshine and good 50 degree temperature.

Lee is now watching the superbowl and so far, according to his bets among the neighbor friends, I believe he may have to buy some chicken dinners. (That is, of course, if the Steelers lose). He is really pulling for Green Bay, but somehow, the bet had to be a certain way. Maybe you understand, I don't.

Anyway, this has been a really good Sunday. We, finally by all outward appearances are now back into our normal lifestyle most of the time. It is truly amazing to be able to even say that after the year that has just passed. There were so many times when I found it impossible to believe that we would be able to return to "normalcy".

This past Saturday our grandaughter Laura was given a baby shower. She & Jonathan will welcome a baby boy around March 11! We are looking forward to being great-grandparents! They were well-showered with so much for probably the best-dressed young man around town! Afterwards, I was able to shop with Elizabeth, Julia and two of my grandaughters, Michaela and Lillie. In spite of a drizzly, cold day we had a wonderful time.

Tomorrow begins another week. Monday, the usual lab work, a quick short-order breakfast, exercise for Lee at Catawba Rehab, shopping and errands for me. On Tuesday, I will receive the results from my ultrasound of my thyroid and the thyroid function tests. We are hoping that all will be fine. I had biopsies two years ago which were benign so this is just a check up. A Super Sunday on Superbowl day!

More Later......................................Brenda

Fickle February

2011-02-03T17:52:00.002-05:00

I'll try this post again. I had just written the title and hit the wrong key only to realize the page was telling me that my post had been successfully published! My apologies for that.

The weather has been either lovely or threatening. The most recent forecast shows freezing rain tomorrow with a possibility sprinkling of snow! Yesterday it was about 60 degrees and beautiful!

Lee continues to amaze me at his progress. Two days ago I had to go for a doctor's appointment for an ultrasound of my thyroid and when I returned discovered that he had spent time shopping! He had driven to Lincolnton and decided to do some shopping on his own! How's that for progress.? I am so proud of him. Now if he can just hang on through the rest of this Winter I think he will be fine. He is getting a little "antsy" to get outdoors. One of his big projects this Spring will be to clean out his garage or better know as "the Shop". He also wants to be able to prune his grape vines and his fruit trees. Of course he can do these. He just cannot be messing around in any soil.

We are planning to go to the beach February 14 and stay for about six days. Many of our friends will be at their beach houses @ that time and we are looking forward to seeing them along with some of our friends that we made @ Durham. It is so good to be able to go again. The last time we were at our beach house was October 2009!

Well, I did shop for the milk and bread, along with lots of other good food, just in case we have ice or whatever tomorrow. Seems that most of Lincolnton joined me at Bi-Lo today! Nothing like a little wintry weather forecast to get the milk and bread off the shelf!

More Later.........................................Brenda

Teaser Thursday

2011-01-27T14:36:00.000-05:00

We are having a glorius Thursday! The sun is shinning and the temperature is 50 degrees! A real teaser for January. This day is deceptive because we know that it is temporary. Actually the forecast is predicting some of the coldest weather for this winter to arrive next week! I will enjoy today! There is still much to do and some of it is outdoors, so I will use the remainer of this lovely day to do those outside chores that can be very much dreaded when it is very cold.

I will probably make sure the cats have plenty of food. I don't think I have shared with you the news that Lee's cat, TR died. She did, however, leave behind a yellow cat named Tiger and a gray cat (looks like TR) that I have named, Smokey. I have enjoyed watching Tiger greet me each morning by jumping up into my kitchen window over the sink. He seems to find great entertainment in watching me move about the kitchen as I prepare breakfast. Smokey has not learned this trick, but will climb onto the lower windows at the front of the house. They are both very playful and as of yet we only know the gender of Tiger (male). We hope Smokey is also a male..........may find Him/her with kittens in the Spring, because she is very wild and will not let us touch.

Lee continues to do GREAT! He had another good day at the Rehab. Center. He is very independent with the weights and does not require a lot of assistance any more. He is usually there for 1 1/2 hours three days a week. I know that he misses his strength because there are still many things he cannot do. We, however, like to focus on what he CAN do and how he is progressing. To date, he has only gained 6 pounds since October. That is probably good in that extra weight would be too much work on his heart and lung.

Today I purchased a piece of furniture to accomodate his medicine and all the parphernalia that we must have. It just seemed to be time to give up the plastic on wheels! We will have to use all the necessary items from now on and it just made sense to put it in a more aesthetic container.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get it out of my car!

More Later...........................Brenda

++

Friday with Friends

2011-01-21T18:05:00.000-05:00

Lee and I have been trying to catch up with spending some quality time with friends over lunch. This past week we were able to accomplish that. In addition to spending time with some couples, Lee was able to have lunch and some visits with some of his buddies. He continues to do very well. He did develop a bit of a cough this morning but that went away after he had his breathing treatment. Unfortunately we were a day late with the breathing treatment and and it seems that that may have been the reason for his cough. The Duke lung-transplant coordinator called this evening with Lee's lab results that were done earlier in the week. His potassium level was a little high and he was advised to watch his potassium intake. I think maybe he has been eating too many of our frozen peaches over his cereal. We will have to cut back on that and the strawberries. It is amazing how many of our foods are high in potassium. For your information I will list some of the more common ones: Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, corn, strawberries, peaches, all berry fruits, oranges or all citrus. These are just a few but the list is long.

We are watching the local news and it looks like more wintry mix on Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. This will be our third and you know what "they" say.......it comes in threes! At least that is what my parents always said. It is still very cold even after the warm sunshine earlier today. Tomorrow promises to be even colder. Tonight 18 degrees and the high tomorrow will be 38 degrees. I give these weather statistics for my neice in Colorado where they have had unseasonably warm weather this winter and for my nephew and his family in California. Sunny California! Hopefully it will ease any homesickness if there is any.

Must close and begin preparations for supper. We usually eat around 6:00, but I found Lee in the frig earlier and caught him with a chocolate delight dessert. He can probably wait a little longer. Maybe I will have the dessert! About that dessert. I was looking for it in a number of my cookbooks and finally decided it may be in one of my "old" cookbooks. I found it in the Catawba Valley Vittles that was published when I worked at CVCC in 1980. I found it in the index and was thrilled it was there. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was "MY" recipe that I had submitted many years ago.

Ah..................aging...........isn't it wonderful!

More Later.................Brenda

What a Good January Sunday!

2011-01-16T19:03:00.000-05:00

This has been one of those Sundays that Lee and I used to wish for when we were in Durham. We would put the CD on and watch the previous Sunday @ First Baptist and try to catch as many glimpses of our friends there as the CD would allow. Today we were able to attend our Sunday School class (Harmony) and spend the time with our good friends. Later we were joined at our home for lunch with four of our friends from church. We had a wonderful visit in the afternoon and following their departure, we were visited by Lee's brother and his wife. Our spirits matched the lovely day. The sun was shining and the temperature soured to a high of 50!

Lee continues to take the necessary precautions when we are around crowds by wearing the mask as necessary and always having the hand sanitizer immediately accessible. We have learned to spend our time with smaller gatherings and find them very satisfying.

I need to take the time to share some things about Lee. To date, he has gained 6 pounds since we returned home in late October. He is definitely showing more strength in his muscles that are finally returning to his body. The rolator has been put away in the closet and he is gradually using the cane less and less. He seems to enjoy just leaving the house and allowing me to discover that he is missing. I suppose that is the mischief that is still there! Each day when I look at him I can see the "old" Lee returning. He is beginning to lose some of his round prednisone face. Other good news that I will share is that each time he records his breathing tests, his scores are higher! That is the way we judge how good the new lung is functioning. According to all his breathing tests here the lung is breathing very well! He is still on the anti-fungal medication and will be until he has the next bronchoscopy that is scheduled on March 17.

As you can see, I am so proud of Lee's accomplishments. He has worked very hard and we are both able to see the results of all that hard work. I will try to get one of our more computer savy children to make a picture to share with you in the near future.

Good to be blogging again. I'll try to be more consistent. Thanks for being there.

More Later..........................Brenda

Finally Out of the House

2011-01-14T19:53:00.000-05:00

After being snow-bound all week, Lee and I finally were able to leave the house on Thursday. I dropped Lee off at the rehab center in Hickory and was able to have lunch at the Atlanta Bread Factory with three of my friends and former co-workers from CVCC. It is so good to be able to return to those activities that were part of our normal, everyday life before Lee's illness. It is indeed heart-warming to be able to observe how quickly Lee is returning to some of his former activities also. For example, today while I was running errands he decided to join four of his neighbors and friends for lunch. They went to Cherryville to the famous home-cooking restaurant (greasy-spoon) for some fried chicken and even fried green beans! Oh well, there goes his cholesterol!

After some shopping, I was able to join Debbie Canipe for lunch. If you recall, her husband Bill Canipe died the end of October before he could get his second lung transplant. Debbie is struggling with her grief and her loss of Bill. She is now back at work and I believe that is helping her some. Please keep her in your prayers and better still, give her a call or drop her a note.

It continues to be very cold here. Today was the first day we had temperatures higher that the 30's. The rest of the week hopefully holds some warmer weather. Our snow was beautiful, but we are certainly looking forward to the Springtime. Lee is getting "antsy" to tackle his shop and put things back in their proper places once again. Unfortunately, it really needs a good Spring Cleaning and he will have to use caution when doing that.

Our lives today are comfortably dull. We enjoy sitting by the fire (gas logs ) napping or reading. We have been enjoying the time to be "couch potatoes" again. It is indeed wonderful to resume life as normal again!

More Later............................Brenda

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

2011-01-10T16:40:00.001-05:00

Oh! The weather outside is frightful, but the......well you know the rest of the song! We awoke to a lovely white outdoors. Everything looks very serene, quiet and still. Lee and I have spent the day enjoying the gas logs, reading, phone calls etc. For me, that has included catching up on laundry, making a big pot of chicken noodle soup, oatmeal, cranberry muffins and creating good smells throughout the house.

Speaking of reading: I asked for and received Mark Twain's Autobiography for Christmas. If you have an opportunity to read that book I highly recommend it. Mark Twain requested that the book be published 100 years after his death and not before. As I read the book I can almost imagine that he is sitting before me sharing his stories. You can actually start anywhere in the book and begin reading......there is no sequence from the front to the back. This is the first of three volumes and the first is so thick it promises to take most of this year to read!

Lee was getting a little stir-crazy to go out earlier today and drove his truck around our drive that encircles the house to the mailbox to retrieve the morning paper. He did not return for the mail as we are almost certain that it did not arrive today. We have about 5 inches of snow and it has snowed off and on all day today since I measured earlier this a.m. We may have 6-7 inches now. The temperature is still cold......around 27 degrees and promises to get much colder tonight. We are to expect some freezing rain and sleet on top of the snow. Guess I will have to cancel that much-needed hair appointment tomorrow.

I am sure we will welcome Spring with glad hearts! We are hoping to be able to spend a considerable amount of time at the beach this Spring and next Fall. Now that Lee is feeling so much better, he really does enjoy his liberation.........by that I mean that he really enjoys his independence. He looks so good! I wish all of you could see him. As I look across the room it is hard to believe how he was so close to dying this time last year. To look at him today, one would find it hard to believe that he had been so deathly ill last year.

I wanted to share with you that I am in the process of publishing the blog. It is at the present time in the proof-reading stage and will probably take me another few weeks to get it exactly as I would like to present to those of you who might be interested. I am considering putting it on amazon.com and will try to keep the price very affordable. I will let you know when it is available and where you can find it. I have left all of your comments intact and there will be pictures for you to enjoy. I did manage to get the rough draft proof ready in time to give it to Lee for Christmas. To date, he is still reading it from time to time. There are many circumstances that he could not recall and has found them by reading the book.

Guess I will catch the early news and see when this storm will end. Happy Sledding!

More Later............................Brenda

New Year, New Lee

2011-01-08T17:14:00.000-05:00

Many apologies to all of you (if you are still checking my blog) for not being available to write. We had a wonderful Christmas with our family and as you have surmised by now, one that kept me extremely busy. Each day I would think I would be able to write only to discover that I did not have one bit of energy left from the full day! If you are still there, I ask your forgiveness. Now to catch up:

The good part to tell you about Christmas is that we were able to have part of the family here for Christmas eve and the rest of the family for Christmas Day. There were, however some changes in schedules and sadness that accompanied our time together.

On Christmas Eve, it has been our custom to have my children and their families and on Christmas Day we have Lee's children and their families. Christmas Eve was a small gathering because of changing lives. Greg's wife, Cathy had a cold and had to stay home. His son Daniel traveled abroad to visit friends, daughter Rebekah was staying in Kernersville. Bo stayed home with the twins who had colds. So we only had my daughter Julia, the two girls, Greg and youngest son, Will. We were a quiet, somber family.

Christmas morning, Cathy's father collapsed at home and died. We found some comfort in knowing that while Cathy had to stay home on Christmas eve, she had found time to visit her parents. It was the last time she saw her Dad.

Christmas Day was with the three Kanipe families but because it had begun to snow heavily, everyone had to exit much sooner than anticipated. Everything seemed to go in a great rush! None-the-less, we were able to enjoy our time together.

The time after Christmas was to attend the funeral and gatherings for Cathy's family. It was a very sad time for all of them but they somehow managed to get together for a New Year's celebration at one of the family member's home. After a week of grief they were somehow able to share in some rare moments of relaxation.

Lee and I greeted the New Year on New Year's Day because we retired before 10:00 on the eve. Somehow the warm bed was more enticing than watching the ball drop at Time's Square!

I finally got all of Christmas decor put away and the tree down! It is always good to get the house back together again.

We just returned from a visit to Durham. We were there on January 6th for Lee's visit with the cardiac and the lung doctor. The cardiac doctor discharged him from his services and said his heart appeared to be doing great! After all the clinic rounds ( lab work, chest x-ray, lung-function tests), Lee saw the lung doctor and was told that this was his best clinic visit every! His pulmonary function tests had improved by 11 % on one and by 8 % on another. That was great news! We were told not to return until March 17th. Guess we will have to wear green!

Lee is doing fantastic! He just gets in his truck and travels! Sometimes I do not know he is gone until I get to missing him and the truck is gone! Can you believe that! What a miracle!
He is looking more like he did prior to November '09. Getting stronger and walks freely without the aid of a rolater. He is now anticipating going to the beach house sometime in February!

What a joy to watch his amazing metamorphasis! We feel so blessed and are so grateful that 2010 is behind us. We were delighted to usher that year out the door and welcome 2011!

Happy New Year to all of you and I hope to hear from you somewhere along the blogging way.

Results of clinic visit last week

2010-12-12T11:02:00.000-05:00

Sorry to be so late in returning to blogging.........just that time of year when I really need more hours in each day!
Before leaving Durham, we received a good report from the doctor. Two of his medications were decreased and she said that if the Bronchoscopy, that was to be that afternoon, was without infection or rejection then he would not have to have another before Feb. We were delighted to hear that. All his labs were within normal limits and the chest x-ray and lung function tests were very good.

We were able to enjoy a short visit from my brother Dennis and a dinner with Jerry and Gloria from Wilmington. It was good to have enough time for those visits. Wednesday was an overwhelming day that began at 7:15 a.m. and ended at 7:15 P.M. Clinic, Dr. and Bronk all in one day! That was very tiring for me let alone what it does for Lee.

Lee was able to drive all the way to Durham and I drove on the return trip. (No driving until 24 hours post Bronk). Since he has been home he has been coughing more and more. I was becoming very concerned about the cough but decided it was probably some irritation from the bronchoscopy as he has done that before. This cough; howevcr did not want to stop.

The Lung transplant coordinator called to reiterate the above reports but also added that the biopsy did show a fungus in the lung. So that is why he is coughing so much. On Monday the special medication will be delivered to us and must be administered vial special breathing apparatus. In addition he will begin on an oral anti-fungal medication. (This had to be special order through Wal-green). Hopefully by the end of this next week the cough will be gone.

You may be wondering why he got the fungus. This is not at all uncommon in post lung transplant. The new lung is moist, not dry like our normal lungs are and he now has no immune system. His white cell count has been lowered to 2 (normal is 9) and that gives you some idea of how vulnerable he is. He only has to breathe the outside air and if the wind is carrying some microbial spores of fungi and it gets in his nose or mouth, then he has a perfect place in the moist, dark lung for it to multiply. So, as you can see, just being outdoors can be detrimental to Lee. We are gradually learning all the precautions that must be taken and more and more learning how important is is for his survival.

Other than that, he seems to feel o.k. Energy level is low right now. We were hoping to begin an exercise program in Hickory next week and will still try for that.

Meanwhile, the shopping, baking and wraping of gifts continues with all the joys of this very special Holiday season.

More Later......................................Brenda

Long time, No Blog

2010-12-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

As you can see, a lot of time has passed since I last blogged. I have been unbelievably frantic with so much to do during this season. It is so good to be home that I want you to know that I am not complaining, just out of time. Since Thanksgiving there has been the usual hustle and bustle of decorating the house, the trees, shopping and all those wonderful things we do for Christmas. This has been a little more difficult this year because I usually shop all year, beginning in January and last year did not allow that. So I did get behind in my shopping.

Lee is doing great. He still has some down days but they do not last long. He just can't seem to get rid of the cough that plagues him from time to time. He is enjoying leaving by himself and driving his truck wherever he wants to go. He still cannot do any work that he enjoys but that will come with time. He walks mostly with or without his cane and that is a good thing. His strength is not returning as fast as I would like to see, but then again, I must remember what his body has been through. We are leaving today for Durham for the routine monthly appointment and for the bronchoscopy. I really think he will be fine after that. His new lung just needs to be irrigated. Unfortunately it is part of this process to have mucuous to accumulate in the new lung the first year or until the lung finally begins to adjust.

So I have little time to write...........needed to touch base if you are still there. We are looking forward to seeing Dennis for a short while at the clinic and Jerry and Gloria have the same schedule. We will be at Duke Towers again. Will follow up when we return.

More later.............................Brenda

Brenda

Plenty for Twenty

2010-11-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was truly a wonderful holiday filled with plenty of good food, many of our family members and many blessing to be thankful for. Our day began early and the 20 lb turkey was in the oven by 6:30 a.m. The day began with a flurry of activities in the kitchen.

Doug was the first to arrive, followed by Todd. They both came early to help while their wives and children stayed at the other grandmother's helping her begin the preparations for the evening meal. Ours was to be a noon meal. The boys began by bringing our storage of prepared food from the lower level kitchen to the upper one. They were also the master carvers of the turkey and presented us with a tray fit for the finest chef. My tables were set for the expected 17. Within minutes, more family arrived and we were surprised to see our grandaughter, Rebekah and boyfriend Adam along with grandson Daniel. We did not think they would come since they usually go to the other grandparents for the noon meal. I quickly arranged the table to accomodate three more!

Around 11:30, the house began to fill as the rest of the family arrived. The girls all carried casseroles and more trays of food to add to the table while I held all the little children at bay as they entered the door. I was immediately surrounded by five little boys, ages ranging from 5 to 12, and two grandaughters ages 12 and 14. I explained to all that since they were school children, a purple mask must be worn to protect their grandaddy. They all complied and even seemed to enjoy wearing the purple "protection" for their grandaddy. Each time they entered a room in his presence, the mask came up. They were all especially thoughtful.

What a joy it was to once again be with our family and enjoy this holiday. We all gathered in a circle in the living room prior to eating and expressed our gratitude for having Grandaddy Lee with us again this year. This had marked exactly one year ago when he became ill. After feasting, I was able to relax while all the girls cleaned the tables, dishes, etc. I was truly blessed!

Later, Michaela(14) played the guitar and sang some of her songs and after the boys finished a game of tag football on the lawn I was able to convince them to play the piano for me. Max(5) played first and we named his beautiful song, "Running Waters", since he enjoyed rippling over the keys. Carson (9) followed with his recital piece and Chase(12) played his very own composed music. Truly a joy for his Nana!

Today as I talked to my brother Dennis, I learned that Betsy's mother died earlier this morning. She had a stroke two weeks ago and another one today. Please remember their family in your prayers. Betsy's Mom, Alice Newton was a wonderful, genteel lady and I will remember her with great fondness.

So good to be able to blog a little now. Lee continues to improve and is doing very well. Today he was able to drive his truck for the first time in about a year. He took it for a ride and had it inspected. He now walks mostly with a cane and is indeed enjoying his independence.

More Later...........................................Brenda

Preparations for the Holiday

2010-11-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

Earlier this evening I had decided that I would not have the time to write this blog tonight. Writing, however, releases so much of my stress that I sometimes feel compelled to write. I have been very busy with food preparation for Thanksgiving and we are both looking forward to having our family gathering here once again. Today I made a carrot cake with some black walnuts that I had in the freezer. Later I was able to make the pie crusts for the traditional pumpkin pies. What a joy to be able to participate in the preparations for this Thanksgiving Holiday.

There were so many times during the past year that I doubted whether or not we would be able to have this celebration again. There were so many times that I was afraid we would lose Lee. As I write this blog I can share with you the good news that the husband who was with us last year for Thanksgiving is indeed here today and looking forward to seeing all the children and grandchildren next Thursday. I'm hoping he will once again be our master carver of the turkey.

Today was another good day for Lee. The lung transplant coordinator called and gave us the update on all his lab work that was done on Tuesday. We were told to lower his anti-rejection drug and that his potassium level is now within the normal range. That was good news. To date, Lee has not shown any signs of rejection and that was one of his main concerns. He has prayed that he would not reject his new lung. We walked at the Family Life Center walking track again this morning and then left to visit the Bill Canipe family @ noon. Please remember to pray for Debbie and Bill's son, Bradley. They are both going through the pain of loss of a loved one.

Once again, Lee decided to take a drive all by himself this afternoon. He now walks more and more with just the cane and is sometimes able to actually do a few small chores. I believe he is enjoying his new-found independence as much as I am!

I will be very busy with all sorts of preparations for the next few days and may not have time to visit with you on the blog. I'm glad some of you are still there and I look forward to writing to you again after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Enjoy your Turkey, your football games and your family.

More Later................................Brenda

He's on the Move!

2010-11-18T21:07:00.000-05:00

Lee has had a phenomenal week! I can see his strength returning each day. He is now able to move about freely throughout the house without the aid of a walker or a cane. He does, however, use the walker first thing in the morning to navigate from the bedroom to the den.

Today we both had dental appointments for cleaning, x-ray and general check-up. Lee had not been to the dentist in over a year and we were concerned about some obvious staining of his teeth. We suspected that it was due to some of his medication and were afraid it might be permanent. Good news is that it is due to the oral nystatin (swish) that he must use four times a day. The hygienist was able to remove it all and he is now scheduled for cleanings every three months.

This afternoon Lee decided to go for a drive all by himself. When he left around 4:30 p.m. he told me he was making some special deliveries to some of the neighbors and not to expect him back until after dark. Wow! that was a surprise to me! It was a good feeling to watch him leave with just the cane and to be able to drive away. He was back around 6:00 and I have to confess that letting him go like that was akin to the first time one of my teen drivers left alone! You see, we have been practically "glued at the hip" for the past year and I have assumed a more responsible role in our relationship. It is good to finally see Lee developing more independence and releasing me. At the same time, I am having to wean myself from my more "parental" role that was imposed upon me due to his illness.

Even though I am filled with joy with Lee's progress, it is with sadness that we both had to experience the loss of our good friend, Bill Canipe today. Bill was anticipating the possibility of becoming a successful candidate for lungs @ Duke. Unfortunately he was too ill by the time he got there and had to be hospitalized. Please remember his wife Debbie and family in your prayers. Bill & Debbie were such great supporters for us during our entire time @ Durham. We will miss him very much.

My prayer is that each of you will enjoy your family this Thanksgiving. Cherish the time you have together and the memories you will be making. We plan to do the same.

More Later.................................Brenda

Familiar sightings of home

2010-11-15T19:35:00.000-05:00

As Lee and I were riding to the Family Life Center for our walking exercise, I was more aware of the familiar sightings along the way. Only in our country area of Vale can you find names of rural roads like "June Bug Lane, Cat Square and Hog Hill." Many of our rural roads are named after the families who either settled there first and laid claim to the area or they are named after that family because of the number of family members who currently reside there. Our road is named after two families, who at one time joined into marriage, thus the combined name of the road. Our roots here do not go deep enough to merit the naming of a road, however, when my brother wrote a book that included the geneology of my father's family, I learned that my roots in this county go back to the late 1700's. I have not to date found any roads named after the "Hermans" or the "Kanipes".

Exercise today was very good for Lee. He was able to walk for 30 minutes and I walked for 40 minutes. I met with a friend from church and she and I were able to catch-up on news in our absence. It is always easier to walk with a buddy. Afterwards there were the usual errands to run, then home for lunch followed by Lee's breathing treatment. This afternoon I decided to get a start on holiday baking and made two pecan pies. Later this evening a neighbor brought a freshly made pumpkin pie (with the pumpkin from his patch)......yum!

Since we have been home we have been the recipients of many home made goodies. We have Robert's famous sourdough rolls now residing in the freezer in anticipation of one of the holiday meals. Another friend from church brought a delicious pumpkin pie over last week. Margaret has given us some of her really good pimento cheese among other things. In addition, so many of Lee" farmer friends have been by to help feed the farm critters and cows and to always stop along the way to the convenience site. We are indeed blessed.

We did go to church on Sunday............only to our SS class. It was wonderful to see all of our old friends again. Lee wore a purple mask and a blue glove. Quite the dapper fellow! Everyone was very cautious to keep distance, to avoid hugs and handshakes. Lee spoke briefly to the class and reminded them that when he had to leave a year ago there were only about 12 people in our class. Sunday there were 28 and he reminded them that he did not want to have to go away again just to get new members in the class! We are so grateful to all of our friends for their support and prayers and the many vigils that were kept on our behalf. God's blessing to us.

This afternoon Lee's farm buddies came over and they had a "social hour" in Lee's "Man's room" in the basement. It is so good to see him able to return to some of his previous activities.

All in all, this has been another wonderful day in Vale. So good to be home!

More Later.........................................Brenda

Sweet Saturday

2010-11-13T20:51:00.002-05:00

I call this "Sweet Saturday" because in trying to describe it that just seemed to fit. Lee and I began our Saturday with coffey and followed that with Lee's choice of pancakes with peaches. We still have lots of peaches in the freezer and these are the ones that came from Lee's small peach orchard behind the gazebo in our backyard. We both believed they were just the best we had tasted because they were cultivated and harvested by Lee in the Summer of 2009. We consumed this tasty breakfast with thankful hearts.

Our routine here is beginning to be more normal for the two of us. Our mornings are filled with personal care, breakfast, all the medications, exercises and the logging of all the activities and stats that are required by Duke. For me, of course, other chores must be sandwiched in between. The laundry must be done and the house kept tidy. By the time we have finished, it is time for lunch and more medication and more log ins of transactions. We really do not have any free time until the afternoons.

Currently our week is something like this:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday: To the Family Life Center @ church to walk and do weights

Tuesday -Thursday-Saturday: Focus on personal care other than routine baths

Sunday: Hopefully soon, church (not tomorrow since Lee's BP is too low and his K is too high!

All in all, this has been a day more similar to the way we "were". I washed windows and did a lot of laundry. Lee was able to take the golfcart to the shed and meet with a buyer for some of his farm equipment. He is on the phone often with business and other interest.

We encourage visitors to call and arrange a time in the afternoons between 1:00 & 5:00. We continue to limit visitor time and at the moment have decided that it is in Lee's best interest to have all visitors to mask when entering the house. At first we did not do this but in light of this being the flu and cold season from here through March, I feel that it is in Lee's best interest to do this. I have to admit that I have a certain degree of paranoia in regards to Lee catching something. I ask you to please be forgiving of me in that regard. After being in and out of hospitals for a year and being away for 5 straight months, I really do not want to have to leave again. I ask you to be patient with me because an illness for Lee means a return to Duke and a hospitalization once again. Wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer is a small request considering the consequences that may occur when this is not done.

I want to thank those of you who continue to follow me on this blog. It is a way for me to communicate and at the same time it allows me to experience the support that I know I have from all of you.

More Later...........................................Brenda

Warp Speed

2010-11-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Funny how much faster time seems to be moving since our return home to Vale! While in Durham, the days seemed to just drag by most of the time. Since returning, it seems that we leave one Wednesday only to be there again suddenly! I think a lot of that has to do with being so glad to be home again and also with the age we are now. As we get older, the time actually does move at "warp speed."

I thought I would share today with you and let you see for yourself just how well Lee is doing. Our day began early as we had to leave for the weekly bloodwork at our physician's office. Once again, Lee was given the V.I.P. treatment and we were finished within 20 minutes or so and were on our way to breakfast at Bojangles. It was there that we met our dear friend Robert and also met some friends of Lee's from long ago childhood years. After our meal, we went to the Family Life Center at our church to check out the walking tract above the gym and the weight room. Lee has decided to do his fitness exercises there because it is both convenient and crowd free. We have both decided to go on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I will be joining him on the walks and the weights. We can become a physically fit "couple".

Our transplant lung coordinator called this evening and was quite pleased to get the results of all Lee's lab tests. She said they were all "perfect"! She asked how he was enjoying his time at home and said that since he was doing so well we only had to do the lab work every two weeks instead of each week.

Today was such a wonderful day! The weather was a perfect 72 degrees with lots of sunshine. Lee was able to take the golfcart out into the yard and pick up some of the pecans from the four pecan trees. After lunch I could not resist getting outside and cleaning some of my flower beds. After that I tackled some of the windows and topped the day off with a big supper of potroast with all the trimmings. We shared with Jennifer, Lee Jr and children. It was quite the "Walton" family gathering! So good to be back in my big kitchen enjoying cooking for family and able to see my backyard from my kitchen window (that is now sparkling clean!).

Tonight as I write, we are a typical couple enjoying after dinner time in our home. Lee has a football game on while he is reading the local newspaper and I am catching up on blogging and visiting with you for a short while. Our experience @ Duke seems in the past and we are looking forward to the good lifestyle that we are beginning to enjoy. We know that we will always be connected to Duke and it is indeed comforting to know they are there.

As we approach this Thanksgiving season we are reminded of our prayers of thankfulness for the gift of Lee's lung.

More Later................................Brenda

Sunday Morning

2010-11-07T10:32:00.000-05:00

Our second Sunday at home. This has been an uneventful week so far as being negative, but a very eventful week on the positive side. Lee continues to improve on the breathing test that we daily log. We are very encouraged because this test is the one that is most indicative of his progress and his recovery. Today I almost did a cheer because he had the highest level since his surgery on June 23! Now that is something to cheer about!

I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to reach our children, relatives, neighbors and friends in a short while. While we were in Durham, the three hour chiasm seemed much greater. Now we are minutes from those who are such a part of our daily lives. On the other hand, we miss our family in Raleigh whom we had become accustomed to calling and seeing almost on a daily basis. In spite of the unfortunate circumstances that contributed to our relocating to Durham, it offered me the wonderful opportunity to reunite with Roger & Genice, Dennis & Betsy and to Michele Sever. What a blessing to know that with just a phone call they were immediately accessible to us when needed. I felt especially blessed to be able to spend the time with my brother and his wife, Betsy. Our separation began many years ago when they became foreign missionaries to Colombia, South America and later to Quito, Ecuador. This separation continued over the span of 14 years. When they came back to the states, it was to live in a state other than N.C. to reside for 7 years. We were thrilled when they announced the move to Raleigh 12 years ago. For Dennis and me, my time in Durham was a time to reacquaint ourselves as siblings and to recapture so much of our long ago childhood.

As you can see, Lee and I are still transitioning to the move home. We are missing friends and family we had the five months in Durham and we are trying to recapture our lifestyle here with the changes that we are making. It is not quite the same, but it is very good and we know with time that we, too, will adjust.

Sunday morning.......................we would like to have been able to go back to our church today, however, our a.m. schedule is very busy and we would like to make sure it is safe this time for Lee to be in large crowds. Another lifestyle that we must not take lightly. As Lee becomes stronger, and when we feel it is safe we will venture out, especially on Sunday morning.

More Later..........................................Brenda

"Clinic visit" in Lincolnton

2010-11-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

I refer to it as a clinic visit because we are now able to see our family physician for Lee's routine blood work each week. Today was the first day for that. Lee was treated like the "Grand Duke of Wherever" by the entire staff. He was quickly ushered through a private entrance to a treatment room away from a highly trafficked area. There was no waiting.................each person, including his doctor was there to examine him, draw the blood and to do the nasal swab for the RSV test. Truly he had the "red carpet" treatment. Everyone seemed so happy to see him back again and we know that they were genuine in their expression of happiness. The words "Thank-you" seem inadequate, but we do thank-you all so much.

Afterwards, we went to Bo Jangles for breakfast and in spite of the cold rain it was good to be doing what most people are able to do all the time. For us it was a real treat because it was the first time in a year. From there we ran several errands and were back home by noon. This afternoon Lee was visited by his brothers and later his "social buddies" came by for a visit. There is so much motivation here for Lee to become more active. He walks freely throughout the house and this afternoon he walked downstairs and back up again..............that is a first and such good exercise for him. He has already told me that he plans to be able to drive his truck in the next two weeks!

I have been especially relieved to see daily that his breathing stats are staying very good. When those stats begin to drop it always means either fluid retention, infection or rejection. So far, his has been steadily higher! So far, coming home has been the best medicine, not just for Lee, but also for me. I am really enjoying having my own laundry area again. At the condo I could only use the laundry room after 5:00 pm except on week-ends. Now what used to be a chore has actually become a luxury!

We decided to end this chilly, drizzly November day with one of our favorite comfort foods for supper. Hot, oyster stew! We plan to have one more bowl before bedtime. The best sleeping medicine we know.

It is good to be writing again and so good to be writing joyfully. Once again, my cup is full and I am appreciative of the time we have at home with some of our family close by. Because of our experience this past year, we no longer take our time nor our lives for granted. Life and all it offers, is indeed, a gift.

More Later.....................................Brenda

More Later.............................................Brenda

The Whistler

2010-11-03T17:34:00.000-04:00

This afternoon I was downstairs doing laundry and I heard a familiar sound....................it was a whistle! Lee was whistling for me to get my attention. He was trying to tell me to answer the downstairs phone. I must explain how exciting it was to hear that whistle. You see, Lee has not been able to whistle since last November! His oxygen dependency only allowed for breathing. Since surgery he had so many complications that he was too weak to do anything but once again concentrate on breathing. And now................The Whistle! Strange how this simple method of communication can become a joyous response and measurement of Lee's progress.

In our relationship, the whistle had become an important part of our communication system. For instance, when I was mowing the lawn with him many years ago (two lawn mowers), he had to whistle to warn me that I was about to mow down his prize tree that he had just planted. Another time, he had to whistle to warn me that I was about to back into another vehicle. How could I forget the "wolf" whistle as I walked through the yard and did not know that he was anywhere close by. That was always a good whistle! Now you understand how important it was to hear that whistle!

Lee has also been practicing his driving here. He drives around the circle driveway and gets the paper. When the weather permits, he walks. I can already see more of his strength returning and he says that he feels stronger each day. His appetite is very good and he has begun to ask for "refills". Now he has not done that in a long time. Each afternoon we have gone for a drive, and Lee is amazed at the changes that have occured in just a year. I stopped by Belks in Lincolnton yesterday and felt like I was in a different store as they had changed it all around. Too bad for Belks............I did not buy as much because I could not find anything! I had not been there since last November.

Well............time to get into our routine.............blood sugar, insulin..........prepare supper....................

Another wonderful day on the farm!

More Later....................................Brenda

Missing Blogging!

2010-11-02T17:37:00.000-04:00

We are home in Vale and guess what? I am missing my communication with you bloggers! So.......because of my extreme loneliness for you guys I just have to continue blogging a little while longer!
What a trip home! Our sons, Doug and Todd arrived Friday @ 9:00 a.m. from Radford, Va. and Waxhaw, N.C. They began loading the truck, van and car immediately. Betsy came from Raleigh to help me finish packing and I just put her in the kitchen and the frig and said , "clear it all out!" Between the four of us, we were able to have everything loaded and were pulling out of the parking lot at Duke Towers by 10:15 a.m.

As we were entering the entrance ramp onto I-85, I noticed in my rear view mirror that Doug, the driver of Lee's truck had pulled over and Todd was stopping right behind. Lee also saw this in his side mirror. He told me to pull over because they might need our help. Now I ask you, what could this female driver do other than to continue driving and what could Lee do with his walker in his present condition?! That is exactly what I said to him along with letting him know that I was sure the boys could handle any problem. ( Always the parent, even when the "boys" are 41 and 43!) When we saw them later at the rest stop we learned that Lee's recliner moved as they were moving along and had to stop and reposition the chair. No problems the rest of the journey home.

Even though I have had boxes sitting in practically every room and much to do, it has been wonderful to be home again. Daughter Julia arrived this afternoon and in a whirlwind began unpacking and putting things away. In the space of two hours, things were in their place once again! She amazes me! At this time Durham seems far away even though we know that we will be going back frequently and as necessary. Truly this is a miracle to have Lee back. He looks so much better and I know that now that he is home he will continue to get stronger and stronger. He seems very happy. I know that I am very happy to be here with him. I am finally better and my cold is gone. I had it for three weeks. I went to the doctor yesterday at Lee's insistance even though I felt like it was gone. I am very, very tired. I know that I will recover but I felt like I was experiencing the fatigue of the past five months all at one time. I honestly do not know how I found the energy to pack and to drive home.

Since we have been home, we have both enjoyed sleeping long hours at night. The third night here, I slept 10 hours without waking and Lee did the same. Each night we sleep at least 8-9 hours and Lee usually has a nap during the afternoon. I suppose we are catching up after all those lost hours of sleep. That, too, has probably contributed to the fatigue. My doctor did lots of blood work and chest x-ray yesterday and today I received a very good report on all.

Thanks for being there again for me, especially. I have missed having you there to support me through all the difficult times. It would be selfish of me to not share the good times with you now so I will continue sharing the progress with you. If you wish, visit the blog two to three times a week and I will be there waiting for you.

More Later...................................Brenda

DISCHARGED

2010-10-27T10:30:00.000-04:00

Today Lee will be discharged from the hospital! Usually when he is discharged, he is discharged to remain here in Durham. This is THE discharge we have been waiting for. Lee is discharged to go home to VALE! We learned this yesterday and we have both been very excited, so much so that I had trouble sleeping last night.................just kept thinking about packing and moving back home. I finally found and old Spencer Tracy, black and white movie thinking it would lull me to sleep only to discover it was one of the best movies I have ever seen! After more milk and peanut butter & crackers & advil, I finally dozed off after midnight.

This morning I met Gloria in the courtyard for our last coffee as we reminesced about our journey here at Duke. It has been as amazing journey. When we arrived here on May 31st, with Doug and Todd to help us get moved and settled in, it was with mixed emotions that are to this day impossible for me to find the words to describe. After the boys left, I looked around our small living room and the two large cylinders of oxygen by the door, the twenty small cylinders in the corner by the sofa, the portable carrier for oxygen and all the tubes and accompanying paraphanalia for Lee to breathe. He had brought his large red leather recliner and the bedside table. The room was completely filled with unopened boxes. I began to fill my time with unpacking and creating more moveable space for us. It only took me about two hours to unpack and when I finished, the tears came. Once I started crying I just could not stop. Lee tried to comfort me, but there was no consoling at that time.

You have to understand that coming to Durham offered a 50/50 solution to Lee's problem. I knew that he stood as good a chance of dying as he did of recovering. We were now at that precipuce. We had made our decision to take that risk regardless of the consequences..................we knew that it was the only chance for Lee to be able to have his life back. And so I was crying because I knew now that we could possibly be closer to losing Lee. The reality had consumed me.

That was our first day and today I am giving you the last day. It is with great joy that I write this, the last blog. This has been a journey that has allowed us to experience every emotion that we have been endowed with. We have felt fear, physical and emotional pain, uncertainty, disappointment, and tribulations. We have also felt your support, your love, your encouragement, your prayers, your committment and the freely giving of your time to help us along the way. I truly believe that we could not have gone through this without all of you being there for us.

I am so grateful to have been introduced to this blog. I want to thank Julia and her husband Bo for their idea of the blog as a way to help me communicate to all of you. They were kind enough to establish the blog and Bo spent our last day before leaving teaching me how to use it.

In addition to connecting me to all of you, this blog has allowed me to place my journey for not only you to see but also for me to see. It has been in the daily writing that I have been able to see the day more clearly, thereby, being able to cope with what I have seen once it was written down. There is an amazing amount of healing in both writing and reading. Writing has helped me remove the persistant thoughts from my head and reading what I had written allowed some ensight as to how I would be able to either resolve or cope with each day along the way.

This journey has provided the opportunity for us to cross paths with so many amazing people. Fist of all, those who are part of Duke's transplant program are very caring and concerned about the recipients. It is their goal to assure that the Donor lung is treated with utmost respect in regards to the care of the recipient. At all times we have been encouraged to treat the gift of this lung as what it is...............The greatest gift one can receive from another family. Secondly, we have met many new friends who have shared their experiences, their history of the disease and through these brief acquaintance we have been drawn into a wonderful support group of those who were otherwise complete strangers. We feel that we have made lifetime friends of Wayne & Betty, Jerry & Gloria, Nancy & Veda, Justin & Suzzane, Ralph & Coleen, Larry & Martha. There are many others, but these have been especially special to us. We have learned that it is through adversity that we are able to become who we are and who we were meant to be. It is not the worst that comes out in us when we are struggling, quite the contrary, it is the best.

Lee and I have resolved to do everything in our power to take care of this gift. We realize that we will both have a change of our lifestyle. We also realize that we will have to ask our children, our grandchildren, our friends and neighbors to be a part of this change. Even though we will not be able to resume "business as usual", we can and will be able to enjoy our family and our friends. There will be limitations and changes, but we are excited about getting home and beginning our new life. The Holiday celebrations will have to be different, with small groups and gatherings with each at different times and with short visits, but we will still be able to enjoy our new types of celebrations. We are asking that you give us some time to adjust being at home, allow Lee time to get back into some physical therapy and to please call before visiting. Due to this being the cold and flu season, we will be asking you to mask during your visit, use the hand sanitizer and to limit your time until Lee gets settled in. Lee is looking forward to the "motivation" his home environment provides . He is looking forward to being able to drive his truck again and I believe just seeing it in the carport will be a big motivator. He had his license renewed when we were home last and it will be good to see him gradually getting back to his old lifestyle.

Today as I write, I look around the same room. There are NO oxygen tanks needed, No oxygen paraphanalia and I am relaxed knowing that Lee can breathe normally again. The old red recliner will return to Vale to reside in the downstairs office, "Man's Room" for Lee to once again enjoy ballgames on his big screen T.V. Even though he cannot return to the Panther's games, he can have his buddies over for football in his room and he is already making plans for his very own "Super Bowl" party with his buddies. What a contrast in today and May 31st! Today I am filled with joy, my cup is now full and not empty. Lee is alive and he can breathe, walk and once again enjoy this greatest gift that we all have. The gift of LIFE. Lee's final word: Thank The LORD!

I suppose you knew that when I began showing old Halloween photos and talking about Lee's cat that I must be running out of things to write. You were right! With that in mind, I will end the daily blog reports as of today. I will, however, continue a blog with updates on Lee's progress from time to time. We will be returning to Duke Clinic each month for the next three to four months and his time here will gradually be reduced. I would like to continue to keep you informed. So, you may want to check each month if you are still interested. Thank you for staying with us on this, " Our Incredible Journey."

More Later............................Brenda

The Rest of The Story

2010-10-26T15:31:00.000-04:00

On Monday, Margaret planned her day to take T.R. to the vet to be "fixed", wormed, anti-rabied, and anti-dystempered. While she was at the Animal Hospital she called me and the converstion went something like this. "Brenda, I think I have the wrong cat!" My response, " What do you mean you have the wrong cat?" Well, during the conversation we finally decided she did indeed have T.R. as there was no other female cat that size at our house. Let me tell you, T.R. did not go without a big cat fight. It seems that Margaret, Jennifer and John all have the battle scratches from Lee's precious T.R. She fought against being confined to the cage.

Margaret assured us not to worry because she had planned a " haven" of sorts for T.R. to rehabilitate at her house. T.R. would reside in the hall bath with her very own bed, litter box and food and water bowl. I relayed this to Lee. He said to tell them to return her to her natural habitat (the woodshed) because he did not want any more damage to Margaret or to her house. (This is one wild and scared cat!)

Any way, to make a long story (day for Margaret ) short...............T.R. is resting comfortably in a large dog carrier in the wood shed, Margaret, Jennifer and John are tending their wounds and Lee is happy that his cat is " fixed"! End of story..............................

I just returned from the hospital and Lee will be officially discharged from the hospital tomorrow. He is very excited about only one more night in the TENT, and that he has responded very favorably to the treatment.

More Later........................................Brenda

A Cat Tale

2010-10-25T20:36:00.000-04:00

I don't think many of you know this but Lee has a CAT. This cat came to our house in August 2009 in a rather unusual way. One of Lee's farmer friends who lives about 10 miles from us, has over the years acquired a large number of cats. The cats live around his barn and his barnyard equipment. On a hot August afternoon, Lee's friend dropped by to visit and during the visit one of his cats had hitched a ride under his truck on the spare tire that was located there. After failed attempts to entice the cat back to the truck, Lee decided the cat could stay. For several days the cat could not be found and Lee began leaving food on his hay baler after seeing the cat there. After many weeks, Lee was able to gain the cat's trust and could pet her when he would feed her. I named the cat T.R. (at this time we had not determined the gender, so we dubbed her T.R. for "Truck Rider". Lee had become very fond of his new furry, feline friend.

It was during this unusual friendship that Lee became very ill and was away from his little friend from December until March. While we were home March - May, T.R. slept in front of Lee's bedroom because she had recognized his voice. From time to time she would greet him at the back door. At this time, he was the only person she would allow to pet her........for everyone else, she ran away. When we left May 31 to return to Duke, T.R. had just had her second litter of kittens. She had her first in October after she came to live with us. That is when we confirmed her gender.

When we went home Labor Day, T.R. had just had her third litter and Lee decided it was time to "fix" T.R..................that is where our good friend TGFM (Thank God for Margaret) comes in ................

Tune in tomorrow for the

Rest of the story!

By the way, Lee is doing very, very well! He is walking a lot and he says that he feels so good and strong. He is constantly on the phone for business, etc. He is getting excited about feeling so good and is now more motivated than I have ever seen him. We are both so excited about the prospects of getting closer to the time of discharge.

More Later.......................................Brenda

The Keys and I

2010-10-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

Interesting title for today's blog because.....................I seem to have a problem with the house keys! I believe I shared with you earlier that I must feel safe here because when I got up Friday morning I discovered that my Keys were still outside in the lock. On Saturday while on my way to the hospital via shuttle, I related the same story to the shuttle driver, David. He cautioned me to be careful with that.

Imagine my surprise later that evening, while talking to Donna, I heard a knock on my door. I checked the view hole and saw that David was outside. When I opened the door, he pointed to my lock...............my keys were hanging there again and would have been there another night if David had not happened to walk by. The shuttle drivers here have a dual role. They are both drivers and security guards for the Duke Towers. It is indeed comforting to know they check on someone as absent-minded as I am.

Lee is doing very well. I try to spend two-to three hours a day with him, but do not want to pass any lingering "bugs" back to him at this point. When I am there I must wear the isolation gown and the mask so I am very uncomfortable while there. Lee is now independent enough to move about freely in the room to the bath, etc. He can come and go at will from his room to walk the hallway as long as he wears a mask. It is good to know that he does not have to wait for others to help him. He is also eating better and completely cleans his tray with each meal. So good to see him with his appetite returning.

He always enjoys Sunday afternoons because he has many football games back to back. I am sure he is watching one right now. Hopefully he will get to see one to the end before he has to go into the "Tent".

Good news here is that our neighbors, Gloria and Jerry have returned from a long week-end in Wilmington. Jerry has to have the nissen plication (stomach wrap) on Thursday. They will probably be here another 7-10 days.

To Julia..............thanks, daughter for the effort to come see us today and I would love for that to happen. Hope you don't mind that I talked you into staying home and resting yourself. Love you so much!

After tonight in the Tent, Lee will be more than half-way finished! Three down and two to go!

More Later...........................Brenda

The Tent

2010-10-23T17:45:00.000-04:00

When I talked to Lee early this morning I could tell that he was either still sleepy or just beginning this day with just a bit of the "grouchies"! This was due to his having to sleep in a tent from 10:00 p.m. until about 5:00 a.m. I reassured him that at least he only had four more nights to go and the treatment would be finished. I did not get a very favorable response with that and assured him that I would be there shortly after lunch and would bring some snacks and a few othere things he requested.

I caught the shuttle to the hospital and finally arrived at Lee's room around 12:00. It was at this point that I could certainly understand why the "Tent" was not a good thing to try to sleep in. It is reminicent of the old oxygen tents of thr "dark ages" of medicine. It is made of plastic and hangs at the head of the bed from a type of metal T-bar. The T-bar extends longitudinally across the top of Lee's bed. Attached to this T-bar are metal rings connected to see-through plastic that may be extended the entire length if the T-tube in order to surround and enclose lee completely down to the middle of his body, thereby ensuring that his ventilation areas are covered. Hanging high enside the plastic tent is a huge air-exchange box that measures about 2x4 feet. This box does not go gently into the night as it is noisy. This is responsible for a continuous air exchange without loss of the medication that he has to enhale through a face mask! So in addition to the "Tent", he also has to wear a face mask that is connected to a pump that works like a nebulizer to administer the inhaling medication!
It is also during this time that he is receiving special I.V. medications (type of antibodies) that must be closely monitored.

IS IT ANY WONDER THAT HE CAN NOT GET ANY SLEEP?!!!

This has to be repeated each night for a total of five nights. One down and four to go..................so I am asking you to think of Lee tonight when you get all cozy in your beds to remember that he is one uncomfortable fellow. Please remember him in your prayers and pray for his ability to rest and perhaps get some sleep along the way.

More Later........................................Brenda

A Good Friday

2010-10-22T19:50:00.000-04:00

After a good nights rest I felt almost back to normal this morning. My cold seems to be responding to treatment and I finally feel all the pressure in my head leaving. Lee finally settled in around midnight last night at the hospital. It seems that his bed was "broken". He could not get any of the controls to function and it took a couple of hours to get another bed. He did get a decent nights sleep after that was resolved.

He looks really good. I was amazed at how strong and healthy he looked today. I don't know if I am making comparisons with how he looked the last time I saw him in a hospital bed or what, but he just looked much stronger and his color is very good. He is beginning to develop lost muscles in his chest, shoulders and arms and the leg muscles are beginning to show signs of developing again. This is one thing he will have to be especially careful about since he is back in the hospital. He must continue to walk, walk, and exercise. It is so easy to lose all with just a few days of inactivity.

I noticed when I walked down the hallway to Lee's room that there were about five other patients who are also on contact isolation. I was told that there are three other post-lung transplant patients there who have the same virus as Lee. It is my understanding that a common area is being investigated.

I have already begun throwing things out that could possibly recontaminate Lee on his return here. For example: His toothbrush, toothpaste, all breathing and inhaling equipment. We now realize how easy it is for him to get an infection. Hopefully we will all learn from this experience to be very concientious of Lee's vulnerability as he is trying to recuperate from this enormous change in his lifestyle. Most of all, Lee will have to take more responsibility in how he associates with others and to make good use of his own personal hand sanitizer and his mask. We have had many lengthy conversations in regards to that and this situation will probably help all of us to help Lee.

One thing that I have a problem with is that we should even have to explain why these precautions must be taken. It is not important so much as to the "whys", as to the fact that it is now a "must do". It is in this area that we will need your strongest support and understanding. I know that we have that because I have witnessed your love of Lee and of me. We both thank you for that.

It is very lonely here without Lee. however, I am using the time to get some much needed sleep and rest. I know that will help me be strong when he is able to return. I do not feel scared nor insecure here, quite the contrary, I do feel very safe. To make my point, after I got up this morning, I stepped outside my door briefly only to discover that I had left my house keys dangling in the lock all night! I will be more careful tonight.

More Later..........................................Brenda

RSV

2010-10-21T22:01:00.000-04:00

RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS. Maybe you have heard of it. It is usually a virus infection of the lungs that new Moms fear for their newborns. They are vulnerable because of their underdeveloped immune system. Most of us have it at some time and is sometimes referred to as a "cold" in healthy adults. For anyone with a compromised immune system, this virus can be very serious. Lee has this virus in his lung. We found out today when we had our clinic visit. The bronchoscopy that was done on Monday did show RSV. He was hospitilized immediately after leaving the clinic and is now on the 7th floor @ Duke.

He is on isolation and will be receiving special inhaling drugs along with antibodies to help fight the virus. The good news is that it was caught before he got into acute respiratory distress. We have been told that he should respond to the treatment in about 5 days.

After getting Lee settled into admissions, I had to leave him and go to Urgent Care Duke. I had been advised to be examined because I probably had the same virus and cought it from Lee. It is contagious so we are staying away from everyone. After seeing that I was already on a strong antibiotic to prevent bacterial bronchitis,etc. the doctor said to just leave it at that and use vaporizer, mucinex and the prednisone if I do not show good results by Sunday.

So................there you have it.................another exciting day in our life. Of course we are very concerned about this but at the same time hopeful that Lee will finally get rid of this persistant lung infection. At least we now know what we are dealing with. He never did respond for a long period of time when treated as a bacterial infection.

Thank goodness for Dennis. He came from Raleigh and took me to Urgent care. I was so tired! Lee and I had been at the hospital or clinic since 7:30 this a.m. We were both very tired. Speaking of that, I am ready to go to bed.

More Later......................................Brenda

Two masked "bandits:

2010-10-20T20:53:00.000-04:00

Today as Lee and I were driving to the clinic I could only imagine the perception we gave to others as they passed us along the way. We both had on our blue masks and I jokingly said to Lee that maybe this would be a good time to attend a Halloween party.......after all, we were already dressed for the occasion. He didn't seem to think it was that funny...........probably because it was now 2:30 in the afternoon and all he had to eat this a.m. was some sugar-free peach jello and camomille tea.

Lee had his gastroscopy around 3:30 and we were on our way back tos the condo by 4:30. The good news is that there was no ulcer, just some gastritis and the gastrologist took a biopsy of that area. He does have a small hiatal hernia (not that unusual for his age) and a small diverticulum in the duodenum. There were 2 or 3 areas of small linear abrasion along the esophageal area and the stomach. Again, the doctor did not seem concerned. He said he did not see any evidence of reflux. We will have more identification when we get the pathology report that will be back in 10-14 days.

All in all, Lee tolerated the procedure well.............a little hung over from the fentenyl and versed. By the time we were settled into the condo he became hungry and ate a good meal. He has dozed off and on for the past several hours. Right now he has found a baseball game and seems to be enjoying that. He is always a happy fellow when he can find a good ballgame on the tube! I usually watch another something or movie in the bedroom. After all, one can only watch so many hundred ballgames! Lee never tires of them and will spend an entire day watching football. I am so glad that is available to him right now. When we went to his football college reunion the other week he was presented with a DVD of the winning game from one of his colleagues. He has watched it several times and I have enjoyed it too. One has to remember that it was filmed on a 16 MM projector in 1958-60 so the quality is lacking but the sentiment remains.

After tryin many different treatments for this stuffy head and nose, I finally decided to try the "Mother Method".......Steam with some vicks! It works! So, that, along with some soothing camomille tea will hopefully allow a better night with some sleep. We have another busy day again tomorrow. The clinic day has been moved from next Tuesday to Tomorrow! So, there will be an 8:00 x-ray at the hospital, then across the street to the clinic for the bloodwork, chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests and to see the doctor @ 2:30 p.m. I believe that will allow enough time to run back to the condo for a light lunch, meds, I.V. etc. We are very busy!

To my daughter Julia............thank you for sharing our good times and laughs with our bloggers! We love you!

More Later.............................Brenda

Bikers!

2010-10-19T19:37:00.000-04:00

Oh no! She found the bikers costumes! Too bad you cannot see Lee's long, blond pony tail in the back. That was the year that we had to go inside and do the hotdogs on the gas grill outside. The reason for this was because we were experiencing "gale-force winds" that evening. In the background is Lee Jr. as Superman. We just shooed the little ones to the downstairs and had all the rooms upstairs filled with adults. It was not the same, no hayride, no roasting outside.............but many, many laughs because it was one of those years with the best costumes! We did discover that regardless of the weather.....the annual party MUST go on!

Today has been one of those "I have a bad cold" day. I am trying desperately to keep Lee from getting it and am praying fervently that this will pass him by. Because I am now running a fever and the cough from my chest is not good, I called my family doctor and thank goodness he was kind enough to prescribe some antibiotics. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I'm hoping by tomorrow I might begin to see some good results.

Lee was able to go to the Center for Living today even though he had to push himself to go. He is still feeling low from the new medication. The good news is that he is no longer coughing and that is a good thing. Tomorrow he will have a gastroscopy @ 3:00....just jello and clear liquids in the a.m. Thursday, more stomach x-rays.

This will have to be a short blog because I feel too lousy to be creative............please stay with me and I promise a better one Tomorrow. Meanwhile, Julia will keep you entertained!

More Later..................................Brenda

All the costumes?!

2010-10-18T16:43:00.000-04:00

I believe my daughter has found her stash of Halloween pictures and I am sure you will get a laugh at those. There is a story behind the "Pirate and the Treasure Chest". In October, 2009, I had just completed a year of several surgical procedures for reconstruction following the diagnosis of breast cancer. It just seemed appropriate to become a "treasure chest" and for Lee to be my dashing pirate!

Today was the day for Lee to have a bronchoscopy. As you have probably surmised by now, this is routine each month following lung transplants. We were at the hospital early, around 7:30 a.m. for his scheduled case @ 8:00. After explaining that I had a cold and probably needed to stay in an isolated area, I was quickly escorted to a second waiting room so I could be alone. I am wearing a mask as often as I can or staying in an other area separate from Lee. He was finished with the Bronk by 10:00 and I was able to talk to the doctor. I explained my concern about this lung infection and that Lee had to date, had four 2-week treatments with two different antibiotics. After the antibiotics are discontinued, he begins to feel tired, coughs and gets into a general malaise after about 3-5 days. The doctor, also expressed his concern with this past history and said that hopefully they would "get to the bottom of this".
Lee has spent most of the rest of this day recovering from the anesthesia, which means he has been sleeping a lot. Tomorrow he will have to resume his regular schedule at the Center for the Living and get back into his exercise program. Unfortunately, he has so many procedures on Wednesday and Thursday that this week will not be useful for rehabilitation.

Our neighbors from Wilmington are back and will probably be here for at least a couple of weeks. It is so good to have Gloria & Jerry just popping in and out again. We really missed them when they went home. Another couple from Roanoke is back for a clinic visit but my cold will prevent us from being able to spend time with them. One certainly does not want to pass this along to lung recepients! I'm just holding my breath and praying that Lee does not get it!

So, I will close with a warning to you................be prepared! I don't know what Julia will show you next!

More Later.......................................Brenda

My Surprise!

2010-10-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

I was just as surprised as you when I opened the blog to see that Halloween picture of Lee and me. I knew immediately that the culprit was probably daughter, Julia! She is the busy photographer always running around making sure she gets everyone's picture in these costumes............funny, we have very few of her be cause she is making pictures of others. Believe me, she has had some really funny ones too. So, Lee and I got a big laugh out of our surprise too. One of the memories I have about the Miss Kitty and Marshall Dillon costumes is that the g/children did not have a clue as to who we were. In fact, many of them would look at us, especially their grandaddy, and ask, "Who are you?"

I hope you got a laugh and some insight into the good life that we have with our family. We have many fond memories of all the things we celebrate together. I have albums for many of our celebrations and the children love looking through them from time to time. I have enjoyed watching Laura and Rebekah, the older girls share those special times with their friends when I happen to see them with the albums.

Today has been a slow day for us. Lee is still feeling some of the effects of the medication that made him so sleepy. I have been nursing one of the worst colds I have had in years. I have tried very hard to prevent that and my challenge now is to try not to pass it along to Lee. That is not easy in the confined space that we share. We both are wearing masks...... I wear mine almost all the time and Lee puts one on when we are in closer quarters or when I have to give him the I.V. and when we have to travel in the car together.

It's good that we have had a restful day because we will hit the floor running in the morning. That will continue for most of the upcoming week.

More Later.........................................Brenda

Awake............Finally!

2010-10-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

Even though Lee was still a little "hung-over" from the reglan, I believe at this time he is finally fully awake! So far he has not had any naps and at the moment is enjoying watching a football game. Yesterday he just slept all the time!

Today began with the usual a.m. vitals for me to log on Lee. He seems to have lost the 4 or so pounds that he had gained. He now weighs 160 lbs. I suppose the good news is that at least he is not retaining fluid. That can sometimes be one of the signs of rejection. After Lee was settled in his recliner with his morning cup of coffee, I gathered the dirty clothes and headed to the laundry room before the maids came to work. After they arrive, it is impossible to get into the laundry room until after 5:00 p.m. It will be wonderful to have my own laundry area when we return home!

Lee was able to go to the Center for the Living this afternoon for a short session. That was good since he missed his time there on Friday. He will only be able to get two days in next week because of all the procedures that will be done.

We really miss being home on the farm this time of the year. Most of you know that Lee and I always give a Halloween party for our family. We usually have it the 2nd or 3rd week-end of October because the children have other plans closer to Halloween. We have always enjoyed having everyone come in costume and the children are always delighted to see that Nana and Grandaddy are also in costume. All of our adult children try to compete with each other for the most original costume and we never give a prize for the "best" because they are all "the Best"!

We gather in the backyard around the gazebo and just before dark the children, grandchildren, aunts and uncles all crawl into the big haywagon along with blankets for the hayride that Grandaddy Lee will take them on. Lee has been known to shock a few neighbors while driving in full costume! Example: a cheerleader, a cow, a pirate, or Juan Valdes complete with the dashing mustache. I believe the year he dressed as "Miss Kitty" from the old Matt Dillon show was the best!

When they return they are usually cold and hungry and those who remained behind have a warm fire glowing in the backyard. We roast weiners, have hot dogs, chips, etc... and have roasted marshmellows for S'mores. There is plenty of hot cider or hot chocolate to warm those little goblins. It is truly one of our best parties of the year!

So now you can understand why this month is especially meaningful to us. We will miss this annual gathering and we plan to continue again next year................it may be a little different, but still a lot of fun!

more later...........................................Brenda

And He Sleeps & Sleeps, etc....

2010-10-15T16:25:00.000-04:00

This has been an unusual Friday. Normally we would have left around 12:30 to go to the Center for the Living, however, Lee just could not stay awake long enough to get ready to go. It seems that all he wanted to do was sleep, sleep, sleep. I had to wake him for everything! Breakfast, medicine, insulin, even the I.V. meds. He just said he was very, very tired. Whenever it was time to get ready to leave, he told me he could not do it. He said he was too weak to walk and that he just wanted to go back to bed. I agreed with him even though I knew it would be in his best interest to go on to the CFL.

After he fell asleep again, I decided to read the drug information again because yesterday he began taking two more new drugs. I realized that it was probably the reglan. I called our lung transplant coordinator and was delighted to reach her immediately. (Sometimes we have to leave messages and they return at their convenience). She agreed with me that it was probably the reglan and said she would call the doctor and get back with me. Within an hour she did call back and told me to discontinue the reglan. She also explained that this happens sometime and that everyone reacts differently.

So, now it is 4:10 in the afternoon, his last dose was @ 11:30 a.m. and he is finally beginning to wake up. He continues to have some weakness. He will be able to catch up at the CFL on Saturday as they have scheduled him to come on Saturdays to try to build his strength.

It has been quite chilly here in Durham in the mornings, but this afternoon has been beautiful. There is a lot of pollen in the air (my car was yellow instead of white) and I have this wicked sore throat from pollen. I have been wearing a mask around Lee just in case it is bacterial or viral.

Dennis dropped by briefly this morning with a box of goodies. He brought pinto beans, asian pears, blueberry cobbler with pecan crust, camomille tea for my throat and fresh lemon mint and rosemary. Lee and I enjoyed our pear, remembering that we have two of those special trees in our back yard. Having the beans inspired me to cook the greens that were withering in the frig.......so now the condo "stinks" as Lee said. We are looking forward to this meal with a big wedge of cornbread.

We found out today that Lee is scheduled next Wednesday for another x-ray of his stomach. This time they want to evaluate how slowly or quickly his stomach empties. He will have a very busy week next week............Monday, Bronchoscopy, Wednesday, Lab and x-ray, Thursday, Gastroscopy. The next week he will have clinic and Doctor's visit on Tuesday. Hopefully, we will get the results from all.

That is it for now...............just a lazy day, waiting for Lee to "wake up"!

More Later...............................................Brenda

meds, meds and more meds

2010-10-14T20:41:00.001-04:00

Today has been one of those days when I have had many phone calls in regards to Lee's medication. The reason for this is because the systems are interconnected. To explain: The lung transplant coordinator calls me or Lee and informs us what the changes or additions will be. This is followed by a call from both the pharmacy and the I.V. distribution center to let us know that the medication is ready or will be delivered. Next, we get a call from the delivery person announcing a time for the delivery. Sometimes there are calls concerning the results of Lee's lab reports, or calls to schedule either a lab visit or a clinic visit or another procedural appointment. Usually all of these do not occur on the same day, however, today they did.

I am anxious to get the medications started. The I.V. antibiotic will start @ bedtime and the nebulizer (an enhaler that is operated via an electric pump) with an antibiotic will begin in the a.m. He will continue to use this once each day for the remaining time here and possibly on the return home. I know that Lee will begin to feel better within 12 hours of the medication. He seems to have a very stubborn bacterial infection. I was concerned that he may have a megalovirus and was relieved to learn today that the test for that was NEGATIVE. GOOD!

Once again, we have been on this up and down roller-coaster. First, everthing is going very well and in a matter of two or three days, Lee has slipped into a brief period of fatigue or general malaise as compared to earlier. These latest ones have been treated from the home area without hospitilization and that is a huge advantage for both of us, especially Lee. We are so glad that these latest ones are very small "bumps" in the road as compared to those in July and August.

I have to admit that I am having withdrawal from my good friends, Gloria and Veda. Both have returned home permanently but will be back in a few weeks for some procedures. We had become a support group for each other, meeting in the courtyard and discussing any and all things in our daily lives as caregivers. It was always good to compare notes and learn from each other's experiences. In addition, there were times when we each gave to the other a good strong shoulder to cry on.

I know that those good strong shoulders are also available to me when we can return to our home through our many friends, family and our wonderful neighbors. For all of those, I am eternally grateful and look forward to our homecoming.

More Later......................................Brenda

A tiring day for Lee

2010-10-13T18:42:00.000-04:00

Our day began by getting up @ 6:00 and rushing out the door @ 8:00. This included packing Lee's morning & noon meds to include all the insulin paraphanalia. He had to be at Duke North (hospital) @ 8:30 for another chest x-ray and a barium swallow (ugh!) While he was busy drinking the "stuff" and rolling around on the table for all the incredible positions for pictures of his GI tract, I was enjoying meeting new transplant potentials and their spouses in the waiting room.

As I have shared with you before, everywhere we go, we are introduced to new people and we listen to more amazing stories. Both of the couples I met today were from Atlanta. The husband began to develop a cough about two years ago and now he not only has pulmonary fibrosis, he also has fibrosis of the liver. He is being evaluated for a bilateral lung transplant and liver transplant. He appeared to be in his late 50's or early 60's. He looked very weak and sick and his color was pale yellow. The other was the wife and she had pulmonary fibrosis. She is 65 years old and her illness also appeared suddenly like Lee's did. We have been amazed at the number of people who have IPF. It seems as though two out of three are afflicted with this condition.

After the barium swallow, we went to the clinic for Lee to have blood work and to wait for the doctor's appointment @ 1:00. We arrived at the clinic around 11:00 and just had a snack in the waiting area. Lee was so full of barium that he had no appetite. I did have to check blood sugar and give him his insulin though.

When we finally saw the doctor around 2:30, we were given some additional information. It seems that the barium swallow showed two existing conditions:
1. Esophageal motility is sluggish
2. Possible gastric stress ulcer (from the prednisone)
He was given a prescription for Reglan to help the esophagus and he is now scheduled for a gastroscopy procedure next Wednesday afternoon.
He was also placed on a new anti-rejection medication and taken off another one.
He will have to go back on the I.V. antibiotic that will begin tomorrow.
Next week will be another busy week because he also has a bronchoscopy on Monday morning.

We were told that we would most likely be able to go home BEFORE Thanksgiving. So, looks like we are here for another month.

As you can see, no one goes home until Duke feels comfortable with their ability to be in the best possible condition. For that we are indeed grateful. Lee continues to need your prayers and so do I! We are, of course, terribly disappointed by not being able to return home earlier. Thank you for your loyal and faithful prayers and support.

More Later........................................Brenda

TGFM

2010-10-12T19:48:00.000-04:00

Thank God For Margaret! She was able to go to our house, locate the forgotten computer and take it to the UPS for overnight delivery. The computer arrived today around 10:30 a.m. I believe it has now become an appendage to my body..............I felt like it had been amputated!

We had a wonderful, wonderful week-end in Vale. On Friday morning, Lee was taken by his neighbor Bill, to get his driver's license renewed. It was due in May, however, Lee was too ill at that time to get it. Now that he has his license to drive he may become more independent. So far, I am still driving. We had some time to visit with many of our neighbors, family and friends. We were not able to see everyone but we will with time. I did some grocery shopping and prepared some meals in my kitchen. It is so good to get in my kitchen...........I did find that I had already forgotten where some untensils were located!

On Friday night, Lee was able to go to his college football reunion of the championship players. When we arrived at the country club we were surprised to see so many cars. We were under the impression that it would only be Lee's college year of champions and expected to visit with approximately 40-50 people. There were probably 300 people there! Fortunately for us, most of the people stayed in the main dining room away from us allowing Lee to visit in the smaller room. He did have to walk through the large room for recognition and I was somewhat uncomfortable with the large crowd. He was only there about 10 minutes when I motioned for him to LEAVE.................as we were exiting the room, the cheerleaders (from college years) found him..............hum?! Hard to keep them away!

Saturday was busy with visits again and I was busy preparing food for a visit from Dennis and Betsy who were coming for Greg's (son) piano concert. They arrived around 3:00 and after a quick meal, we hurridly dressed and left for the concert in Lenoir. We saw many of our friends and family at the civic center. It was good to discover that our seats were in a more isolated area. Unfortunately, our seats did not allow us a good view of our son playing the piano and neither did we have good sound from the piano. The orchestra overpowered the piano. After talking to many others, particularly in the mezzinine, I was happy to learn that the sound was very good there. We were honored to be the parents of our very talented son. Tonight he is having a repeat performance in Gaffney, S.C.

Sunday was a whirlwind of busyness to prepare to return to Durham. The ride home was uneventful (especially with my driving). It was hard to leave again but good to know that our time in Durham is coming to a close.

So.............there you have it..............our week-end. We are now settled back in Durham. Tomorrow morning Lee has a Barium swallow @ 9:00, followed by clinic and to see the doctor @ 1:00. He is also scheduled for a Bronchoscopy on Monday morning. Hopefully that will determine the cause of this persistant, productive cough that insists on staying with him.

Missed you all!

More Later....................................Brenda

How to Comment

2010-10-12T04:47:00.000-04:00

This is Julia again, filling in for Mom. I've heard many of you say that you can't figure out a way to comment on the blog post. With my computer, the following steps work. Give it a try:

Click the word "comment" at the end of the post
Type your comment in the box
Click the drop down arrow beside of the words "comment as"
Select "name/URL"
Type in your name
Click "post comment"
Scroll down and click "post comment" a second time
(for some reason I always have to click this twice)

Best wishes, and thank you for all of the love and support that you have given to my parents over this past difficult year.

LEFT BEHIND

2010-10-11T18:33:00.001-04:00

Hello bloggers! This is daughter --Julia, writing tonight's entry for Nana. In her hustle and bustle to pack from the farm and return to Durham -- she left her computer in Vale! They want you to know that they had an absolutely wonderful weekend at home, and she looks forward to "blogging" all of the details to you. They are very hopeful that their next trip home will be "for good". Then they won't have to worry any more about leaving anything behind. I believe that one of their incredible neighbors (Margaret) is going to ship the computer to Durham -- so hopefully by tomorrow night -- the blog entry will continue from Nana herself, instead of me (I'm definitely a very poor substitute). Until then...good night to all, and know that all is well. --Julia

Edit to yesterday's post

2010-10-07T08:06:00.000-04:00

On yesterday's blog I wrote examples of the precautions that must be taken now that Lee is ready to come home. Please allow me to be more detailed about the one concerning pregnant women:

One of the medications is for rejection. It is only a precaution to be taken around pregnant women under following circumstances:

1. THE MEDICATION IS BEING ADMINISTERED WITH THE CAPSULE BEING OPENED AND THE MEDICATION IS GIVEN UNDER THE TONGUE

2. A PREGNANT PERSON WOULD HAVE TO BE WITHIN 6 FEET OF THE PERSON TAKING THE DRUG

3. A PREGNANT PERSON MAY BE IN THE VICINITY WHILE WEARING A MASK

At this tine, Lee does NOT open the capsule and has never opened it except when in the hospital. During that time, anyone in the room had to mask.

I hope I have not alarmed you and rest assured if Lee ever has to open the capsule we will make sure it is in privacy with no one around.

Thanks,

Brenda

Traveling Mercies

2010-10-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

We are packed and ready to leave by 9:00 tomorrow! It will be so good to get home for a few days. This will be an especially good trip home because Lee is now able to do so many more things. He is so much stronger now and he is looking forward to becoming more actively involved in many of the things he did before he became ill.

Our home health nurse came by around 7:00 this evening to change the dressing on Lee's PICC line. (No, I am not allowed to do that). Anyway, we were talking about going home for a few days and as she was leaving she said, "Traveling Mercies". I did not know what she meant and she explained that in some areas, particularly in this area, it is said to wish you a "safe travel". Lee said he was familiar with the term but didn't use it and I, of course, if I had heard it, forgot it.

On the way back from the Center for the Living we talked to Julia and learned that many of our friends and family will be attending Greg's concert. We are looking forward not only to the performance but also to seeing so many of you there. Right now, Lee is planning on going. At first we thought it best to avoid the crowds but the doctor gave him a thumbs up to go. To put it in his words, "you have to continue to have a life. You just have to use good judgement and carry a mask and hand sanitizer with you. When you hear someone coughing, put the mask on and ALWAYS use the hand sanitizer after handshakes. It is best to avoid ALL HUGS and close contact." So with that in mind, we are sure whenever you are around Lee you will help us by remembering these things.

I am asking you to try not to find me a bit overbearing on the subject of "what we must do now". You have to understand that the closer we get to coming home the more I feel the responsibility to prepare everyone. We plan to continue to see our family and friends, to go to church and to attend other important events. We just have to keep "protection" always in our minds. There are so many issues that you just never think about until you are in that situation. For example: Lee cannot be around babies within three weeks of their vaccine. Babies receive "live vaccines" and there is a possibility that he could become infected just by being around the baby at that time. Some of the medication that Lee takes is dangerous for pregnant women and they should be careful when around Lee as long as he is on that medicine. This is one that he will probably be on the rest of his life.

Lee and I have had four months to adjust to accepting these standards. The post-lung transplant coordinators, doctors, therapists at the CFL are all excellent in keeping us informed and answering all questions we have. Another area of learning is in the sharing of information with other patients and their caregivers. It will take some time for everyone to adjust and then it will become normal for all.

We are anxious to leave and will leave as soon as we can tomorrow morning. Our plans are to try to be in Vale by 1-2:00.

Traveling Mercies.........

More Later................................................Brenda

Departures

2010-10-05T21:04:00.000-04:00

It seems as though all the people who had their lung surgery about the same time as Lee have received their discharge notices and may return home! This is such good news because we are anticipating the same news when we have our next clinic appointment on October 13.

Our neighbors, Jerry and Gloria from Wilmington, Veda and Nancy from Oak Island, Larry and Martha from Georgia and others are now either at home or will be leaving during the next two to three days. Those who have resided here at Duke Towers along with us for the past four months will surely be missed. It will be sad to part, but so good to be going home! We are very happy for all of them and look forward to October 13 to see what the doctor says. He did tell us that if everything remained the same and there were no changes that Lee would probably be discharged then.

Today has been a very busy day....................especially for me. I don't think I have stopped for longer than five minutes since getting up this morning. There was much to do this morning and after I dropped Lee off at the Center for Living I had many errands to run. By the time I finished, it was time to return to the CFL, then back to the condo........supper to prepare, etc............................Finished in time to see who has to leave "Dancing with the Stars". Lee and I usually have "bets" on who stays or who goes. I love to watch it for the dancing................wonder what Lee watches it for?! Of Course!

At any rate, it is one that we usually follow to the end. Good to have some entertainment.

Lee continues to improve. Today he increased his laps by two................He is now walking 7 laps in addition to all the other activities. He has done so well that he was able to have a treat of sister Lennie's pound cake for his snack at the Living Center. Of course his blood sugar was over 200, but we just adjusted the insulin. After all, he needs to gain weight and what better way than with his favorite dessert!

We are so excited about leaving for home over the 8th, 9th and 10th. If you do not have a blog to read on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.....................I will return on Sunday night.

More Later..........................................Brenda

....Mostly Monday

2010-10-04T19:32:00.000-04:00

In trying to describe today I asked Lee for a description of today..............since neither of us could really find a "catchy" phrase, we just decided it was mostly Monday.

I suppose by that we mean that:

1. We had to get out of bed a little earlier
2. There is always a busier schedule to begin the week
3. We are a little slower getting started than on the previous Friday or other week-days
4. We must be honest and admit.......some laziness

The good thing about Monday is that the weather here has been phenomenal! Crisp, clear mornings and temperature high was 68 degrees. After leaving Lee at the Center for the Living, I came back the condo and decided to read for a while. I have some really good books that I ordered from Barnes & Noble and today was the perfect time. I must have dozed off after the first page! Had a good 2 hours of rest!

When I returned to pick up Lee @ 4:00, he had finished a little early (this is good as it means he can now move through all the exercises faster). He was able to walk an extra lap today in addition to all the other exercises. He did seem a little more tired. Mondays are harder because he is not able to continue the intensive workout over the week-ends. Walking alone is not quite enough to maintain the strength and endurance that he acquires at the CFL.

Needless to say, within thirty minutes after returning to the condo, Lee was fast asleep in his recliner. He had a light snack of ICE CREAM first and was eager to relax for a while. Even though the ice cream was both sugar free and fat free, his blood sugar prior to supper was a whopping 200 +!

So, as you can see, it was just an uneventful day. How wonderful it is to have a day again that is just that...............a normal, mostly day. No high drama, no emergencies, it was Mostly Monday.

More Later.................................................Brenda

Happiness & Sadness

2010-10-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

Another good day today! We were able to "visit" our church in Lincolnton via DVD today and were surprised to learn that our good friend Sonny H. was hospitilized @ Presbyterian in Charlotte. At the time, we did not know the circumstances.

Dennis and Betsy dropped by after going to church @ Duke chapel. We followed them to Raleigh to visit Roger and Genice.

Lee was able to walk at all times WITHOUT the assistance of his rolator! We had it in the car but he did not use it at all. That was so good!!!!!! He amazes me at the progress he continues to make. We had a delicious lunch, however; between the main course and prior to having Genices's famous cheesecake, I gave Lee his I.V. medication. In my excitement upon arriving at their beautiful home, I forgot to administer the medication that was due at that time. It isn't often that one interrupts everyone's meal with an I.V. administered at the table! (we may never get invited back!).

All in all, it was a good afternoon. We celebrated Dennis's birthday (which is tomorrow) and I am sure I am forgiven for the poor timing of the I.V. We were back at the condo by 4:00 and Lee watched the end of the Panther's game and part of another while I visited my friends here at the condo. While I was outside in the courtyard, Lee walked and also visited some of our neighbors here. It is good to watch his independence and his confidence returning.

When I checked my voice mail later, we were saddened to learn that our good friend Sonny H. had died the previous Thurs. or Friday and his funeral was today. We will remember his dear wife Evy in our prayers tonight. We are saddened that we could not be there for her.

So life goes on, doesn't it? Some days are filled with joy and others with some sadness entwined. Today was one of those days....................happiness with the visit with family members and sadness for losing a friend.

More Later................................................Brenda

Walk, Walk and more Walk

2010-10-02T21:09:00.000-04:00

Lee has done a lot of walking today! Since the doctor told him this past Wednesday that he could go home whenever he started "burning up the track" at the Center for Living, he has been walking around the walkway here at the condo. Of course having this wonderful cool weather has also been an inspiration to get outside and walk. Lee walked this morning and was gone for so long that I went outside to check on him. He was across the courtyard toward the back visiting with one of our neighbors. It is so good to watch him go about independently now. He leaves the condo WITHOUT ME, and walks and visits. That gives you some idea of how improved he has become in these past two weeks.

This afternoon we, along with our neighbors, Jerry and Gloria, rode to one of the shopping areas. This one was North Pointe. It is a small shopping area but had lots of good walking areas outside. Lee and Jerry walked while Gloria and I shopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond, Ross, and the Dollar Tree. The boys were able to enjoy each other's company and the girls were able to shop, shop, shop. Gloria and I laughed because mostly we just looked. We could not buy anything because our condos are so small that we do not have the storage space! A good way to curb spending is to live in small places!

Lee and I are doing well with the new antibiotic. I am doing well because it works very well around a good sleep schedule for the night. Lee is responding very well and seems to be feeling so much better. Before he began this new antibiotic he was coughing constantly in the mornings and had a productive cough. He even coughed off and on throughout the day. Within 12 hours of the 1st and 2nd doses of this drug, he began to stop coughing and he began to feel so much better. His appetite has improved and he has actually gained 4 pounds! I believe the infection was pulling him down. I still do not understand why it took so long to determine which antibiotic he was sensitive to. Six weeks is a long time to continue along with a lung infection.

We are excited to be getting ready to return home for a few days next week. Lee is planning to go to his football reunion for a couple of hours on Friday night. I have already given him the lecture on the "wearing of his mask" and to remember the purell hand sanitizer after handshakes. We have tried to encourage everyone to use "knukle bumps" instead of hand shakes. I try to remind everyone to remember NO HUGS & KISSES ( even though Lee will surely miss those from the Ladies)! We must all work together to try to prevent Lee from getting a lung infection again.

I am looking forward to Greg's concert on Saturday night........................hope to see some of you there!
It will be good to come home for a few days and eventually for good.

More Later................................................Brenda

Our Thankful Hearts

2010-10-01T19:45:00.000-04:00

This morning while Lee and I were watching The Morning Show we were able to see two families share their experience with a transplant. This particular program involved a heart transplant. The donor heart came from a 13 year-old daughter who had a skiing accident and was declared brain dead. The recipient was a 32 year-old mother of two who was dying of heart disease. Through a series of coincidinces and leads they were brought together. The mother of the child's donor heart listened to her child's heartbeat in the recipient. It was an extraodinary moment.

As we watched we were both moved to tears realizing once again this tremendous gift that was given to Lee. Without the donor lung, Lee would have died. The doctors have told us that he would not have lived through the Summer. As I type this blog, I look across the room at my husband who appears to be healthy and normal. He is now able to walk greater distances without the help of the rolator and even has a slight spring in his step. As he is sitting there, he is enjoying breaths of air that now enter the new lung without any struggle whatsoever. His color is nice and pink and he is now the picture of health. How grateful I am to the family of the donor lung! It is with thankful hearts that we offer this prayer of thanksgiving for the skill of the surgeons, the compassion of the caregivers both in the hospital and the clinic and for all our friends and family for accompanying us on this journey. Most of all, we thank the family of the donor lung for their generiosity in making a decision to help others during their own time of grief and sorrow.

The weather promises to be cool and lovely over the week-end. Tomorrow we plan to do a lot of walking practice and on Sunday we are looking forward to visiting neice, Genice and husband Roger for lunch in Raleigh. Dennis and Betsy plan to join us there. It is always a treat to be able to go places again.

We wish you all a wonderful Autumn week-end. Enjoy this lovely weather!

More Later..................................Brenda

Still Smiling!

2010-09-30T18:38:00.000-04:00

I was so excited about the good news yesterday that I could not sleep last night! I was too busy packing in my mind. Today I have begun to settle a little..............still smiling though!

Lee had a very good day at The Center for the Living. I dropped him off at 12:30, returned to the condo, almost asleep as I was entertaining thoughts for a good nap. Moments after lying down, I remembered that Lee and I had not only forgotton to check his blood sugar before his lunch, he had not had his insulin! (We did have some interference because the nurse came and changed the dressing on his PICC line and we just became distracted.) Anyway, I gathered the monitor and the syringe and the insulin and headed back to the CFL.

Lee was on the floor doing the "floor exercises" and they use weights on their arms and legs. I waited until that session ended and proceeded to give him his insulin. I left immediately because this nap was still possible. I arrived at the condo only to remember that our neighbors wanted to share their supper and decided to make a pie. Nap was still on hold. By the time the pie was done, it was time to pick Lee up at the CFL @ 4:00.

When I got there he told me that during his walk, he did walk without the rolator, however; he just felt like his legs had weights on them. He continued walking and from there went to the stair for practice. He told the therapist that he was having some difficulty today because he just felt like he had weights on his legs. She promptly lifted his trousers and said, " Well, that is because you do have weights on your legs!" He had forgotten to remove his weights after the floor exercises! Guess I distracted him from his routine when I stopped in to give him his Insulin.

As you can see, it doesn't take much to distract us from our now very normal routines. I suppose age has a way of doing that to you. All in all, we manage very well and the light at the end of the tunnel is glowing brightly. YEAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

Never did get that nap...................tomorrow maybe............................

More Later......................................Brenda

Happiness is.............................

2010-09-29T19:34:00.000-04:00

Happiness is hearing all the good news from the doctor at the clinic today. All of Lee's test were GOOD! Everyone was very pleased that he has made so much progress these past few weeks. His tests did not show any reflux, all his lab chemistries were normal. His pulmonary function test was down 11%, but no one was concerned about that. The doctor explained that during the first six months after a lung transplant, mucous will continue to collect in the new lung, usually at the area of the anastamosis(this is the area where the new lung was sutured to Lee's bronchus). As time goes on and Lee gets stronger, this will probably disappear.

We are so HAPPY! The doctor also told us that we could come home the week-end of Greg's concert..................yeaaah....................... and when we come back, after two more clinic visits, one barium swallow, and one more doctor's visit....................probably go home for good!!!! Right now that looks like the middly of October! We are very excited, as I know all of our blog followers are too. We just wish we could see you face to face right now to share our good new, however; we know you are there and we can already hear all the Yeaaaaah's from you !

We were so late getting away from the clinic this a.m. (It was 1:00 by the time we returned to the condo), and after the meds, blood sugar and insulin, the lunch, and the I.V. push antibiotic, we just decided that we both needed a nap. We have both been sleep-deprived lately and with the soothing rain, a nap was in order. So, we did miss today's session at the Center for the Living. Lee will catch up tomorrow, especially since the doctor told him he wanted to see him "Burning Laps"!

So now our thoughts will be toward arranging to leave, pack, and get the house ready in Vale. We look forward to HOME because it is now in the near future!

More Later..............................................Brenda

Extended Rehab

2010-09-28T20:18:00.000-04:00

Lee had another great day at the Center for the Living. The therapists told him today that they wanted him to stay in the same program until the doctors release him to come home to Vale. Today was the completion of the 23 sessions required after the lung transplant. Because Lee is still not able to walk more than one lap without the rolator, they have asked the doctors for an extended time. The goal is for him to be able to walk independently for a longer number of laps. The good thing about this is that Lee will be so much stronger when he returns home.

Tomorrow should be an interesting day. Lee will have clinic in the morning...............(this includes lab work, chest x-ray, and the pulmonary function test). We will get back to the condo around 11:00 and within 11/2 hours we will have to do meds, have lunch, do the I.V. med and leave for the CFL by 12:30. Lee will finish @ 3:30 and then we will go back to the clinic for his doctor's appointment and the results of the tests @ 4:00. We will probably get home around 6 or 6:30 p.m. It will be a long and tiring day for Lee. We are hoping to have some news in regards to this on-going infection, possible reflux and a time-frame for being discharged.

Betty and Worth came by this evening and we enjoyed a meal together in the courtyard. It is always good to have family & friends from home to visit. Worth is scheduled for a clinic visit in the a.m. with his cardiac group.

This will be a short blog. I have been going since 5:00 a.m. and have been going non-stop all day. I told Lee earlier that this is about as tired as I have been in a while! And.................there is still more to do before 10:00. So guess I'll just wish you all a good night .........................

More Later...................................................Brenda

Rain & Good Things

2010-09-27T19:43:00.000-04:00

We finally got the much needed rain in Durham today.........some received as much as five inches! It has rained steadily all day. There is always something very relaxing to me about the rain. It usually calls me to slow down, find a good book and curl into a comfortable chair for an hour or so. I like the coolness of the air and being able to go outside and smell the cleansing odors that follow the rain. I had ordered some books from Barnes&Noble last week and they arrived today. Perfect!

Another good thing was a morning visit from Harry and Diane. I told Lee after they left that now I really did feel homesick! It was so good to see good friends from home. I dropped Lee off at the CFL @ 12:30 and on the way back stopped for some groceries. I have learned to shop differently here because I have such a limited amount of storage in the cabinets, the freezer and the refrigerater. Living in the country and having to always drive at least 25 minutes to the nearest grocery, I was accustomed to shopping less frequently and having lots of storage space and freezer and refrigerator capacity. Living here at the condo requires frequent trips. Fortunately, the grocery is only a mile away.

Lee had another great day in rehab. He is being weaned from the rolator and today was able to walk most of the complete lap before stopping to rest! That was so good. He is getting stronger and more confident and the workers at the rehab are so proud of him. They can appreciate his hard work because they know how difficult it has been for him. Tomorrow will be his 23rd session! The therapists are going to ask the doctors for a five-day increase before they allow him to graduate because he got so far behind during his long hospitilization after the transplant. (the heart problem). We are glad that the therapists are concerned that Lee should be very strong before he returns home and that he should be able to walk independently. Lee feels very fortunate to have such caring therapists.

Tonight we will begin the new antibiotic. The good thing is that it will be an I.V. push over a 4 minute interval...............no waiting 45 minutes for it to run! Also, it is to be given every eight hours...........so go to bed at 10 and up at 6. That is a good thing.

Monday nights @ our house will be a coin toss to see if we watch Monday night football or Dancing with the Stars! We can always compromise with two T.V.'s........ So, I suppose the coin toss will be who gets the recliner and who gets the bed!

More Later...............................................Brenda

Lazy Day

2010-09-26T18:26:00.000-04:00

We have certainly made use of this Sunday for REST. It has been a lazy day for us. Good to have those days now and then. I even had a good nap this afternoon.

Earlier today we had lots of sunshine. It was a beautiful morning with cooler temperatures. Lee went for a walk around the courtyard while I just sat in the sun. The nurse coordinator called during that time and was able to bring us up to date on Lee's status with this infection he has been fighting for the past six weeks. I was afraid that it was still there based on some of the symptoms he has had for the past few days, such as productive coughing. No fever yet, but the coughing has become progressively worse. I had planned to call her tomorrow. It just happened that she was on call today or I would have called earlier. Anyway, she said that he would need to go on a different antibiotic. He finally showed that he was resistant to the one that he had been on earlier! Now they know which one should work and that will begin on Monday. Another I.V........Good news is this will be every 8 hours instead of the every 6 hours. We are hoping this will completely get rid of this stubborn bacterial infection in his new lung.

Good news was that she said he is showing NO signs of rejection. That is always good to hear. He is continuing to get stronger and I am seeing him become more and more independent. For example, I awoke from my nap because I heard someone in my kitchen! I opened my eyes in time to see Lee walking from the kitchen with a BIG bowl of Breyers ice cream. No it was NOT sugar nor fat free! When I got up he was happily enjoying each bite. Now that he is more mobile, maybe he will gain more weight!

Well, that pot of creamy potatoe soup and corn bread is ready................and we are hungry. A fitting supper for a cool, rainy September evening. YUM!

More Later................................................Brenda