The devil is in the details.....The poison is in the dose....

Oh what a beautiful day it was here today!

Although I wish I could've taken better advantage of it, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

My friend Marilyn came by with some killer lunch. It was absolutely delicious and she, Nick, and I, ate outside on the patio in the warm sunshine under crystal blue skies.

Later, I shored up the IV therapy plan that I mentioned yesterday. The nurse is coming to give me my first 3 hour installment on 9/17 @ 8:00 am.

Otherwise, my biggest gripe these days

(And I must be on the mend if I'm starting to gripe) is the nasty side effects of some of my meds most notably the shaking and tremors. Inside and out. Like 24/7.

I have things I need to write and I don't dare even try in this current state.

I told my brother today about the tremors and he said his doctor would recommend a glass of red wine.

I told him my dry cleaner would not.

A lil bro humor.

Tomorrow marks a whole week that I've been home. The first full week in the last five and I am so grateful for that.

Thanks for reading here.

More soon.

Though the course may change sometimes....rivers always reach the sea

Clinic went well today.

Vitals were good and it looks as though I may just have beat the pesky lo grade fever that's been hounding me. They assure me that the tremors that haunt me now will subside over the coming weeks. 

If I heard it once, I heard it a half dozen times today - "Bob! You're only one month out! You have to give it time!"

They again did more bloodwork today and It's been determined from the blood that I had drawn on Tuesday that quite ironically my blood  platelet levels are a bit too high now. 

Remember, just a month ago they were filling me with platelets to try and stop all the bleeding. Well now it seems like nature is taking the reigns again and I currently have more than enough and so today I was started on the drug Plavix to thin things out just a bit. It is a fine line after transplant, between being suceptible to excessive bleeding and forming clots and either can be real bad news. 

Dr. Narins had expected me to be on this drug shortly after the surgery to ensure good blood flow through the anastamosis but held off due to all the bleeding, now the tide has shifted a bit and the danger would come from a clot in the same area. 

So what's another pill in the big handful.

Speaking of pills, today I had to order my second round (mail-order, big-time stuff here). The big drug truck should be delivering the cases on Saturday.

I also had to set up 3 sessions of what is known as "Ig therapy," today - otherwise known as Cytogam that will take place over the next 3 months where once each month, a nurse will come to my house and administer a very slow 2-3 hour IV. This will protect against any possible "Cytomegalovirus." Or CMV.

Yeah.

I don't even like the sounds of that.

No sir.

All in all....it's getting better all the time.

Maybe not at Bobspeed but all in good time.

Thanks for checkin' in here.

Blue skies from pain....

Today was yet another slow 'n easy day.

Vitals (all except the presky lo grade) were good and I'm really wanting to get on with things. It's just that I find myself still tiring very easily and I am painfully aware that there are "more things" in my abdomen as I currently have this little cheribic "Buddah belly"that I hate looking at and am determined to lose A.S.A.P.

It's just that right now sit ups are a bit beyond my current reach and even walking to the point of losing poundage may be some time away.

But I am determined.

It's got to go.

Dr. Narins, my one surgeon in his infinite wit, tells me "Well you DO have two additional organs in there! And your bikini days are probably over."  

Yeeeeeah......Hardee Har Har.

Again, probably T.M.I.

And so for now I'm catching up on paperwork and simple things around the house and enjoying this beautiful late summer weather.

Tomorrow morn, I go back to Harrisburg for more bloodwork snd clinic. I expect nothing but good reports.

I'll be sure to let you know.

Thanks for checking in here. 

Best Tuesday Since My Surgery....

Today started off good in light of the past month of Tuesday's.. As I mentioned last night - Monday nights into Tuedays have been rough since the surgery. But that was put to rest last night as although I still have the low fever, the crazy night sweats, very fitful sleep and drug induced tremors but at least this morning I didn't need the Rapid Response Team, didn't wake up in ICU and didn't wake up with reason to go back to the hospital today.

Today my vitals were good this morning.

I had bloodwork done first thing.

Was able to get my haircut, do some simple things around the house, had a real nice visit with my friend Deb and then dinner with my family.

So in a small way today was a victory.

I'm measuring these early days by small victories. Pitiful to most I'm sure but as some get well cards have said "the road to recovery has no given speed limit" and so I may be in the slow lane right now.......but all in good time.

Promise.

Unofficial end to a wonderful summer...

Well today was spectacular. Got to be with family, got to be outside in the sun.

I even got to do some very simple things around the yard (and boy does it need it).

Tonite we had a fine cookout complete with a mix of veggies from the garden, and we sat out just enjoying each other's company, the warmth, and sounds of this beautiful evening.

All the rocks in the road, all the water over the dam, doesn't seem important at all in this light.

Can't tell you how many times I looked at the clock today and wondered just where things were along an exact month ago at the particular time. I'll probably be doing that for years to come as I don't see myself losing the ability to being amazed by it all.

Most of all.....(and you've heard it a thousand times already but....)

.... I am thankful.

For oh so much.

Tonight is, of course, Monday night.

Each Monday night into Tuesday since the surgery something has managed to go south. Well that ends here. Tonight.

A month of such antics is enough.

We're movin' forward.

I have blood labs to get drawn in the morning and I expect to be able to give you all a Shiny Happy Bob report in the morning.

Hope you all had a spectacular day!

I know the pieces fit.

After a bit better of a night last night I write here with the lament of missing out on all kind of Labor Day activities going on. 

For years I've wanted to see the Kipona Festival in Harrisburg. This year it was literally a stones throw from the hospital, right across the street along the river but out of reach for me THIS year.

Many other markets and festivals are still off my schedule for several more weeks but then I'll be back with a vengeance and an even deeper appreciation of them. 

The lesson here to ALL is carpe diem. Seize this moment.

Seize this day. Use it to the fullest. 

"No time to save up on life. 

You gotta' spend it all."

You have to believe that I must be getting better if I'm starting to gripe about stuff.

; )

The little problems, night sweats (not quite so bad), fitful sleep, tremors, and a few others that I'll spare you from here still persist, but today I am one month out!

Yep! As I write this.....exactly one month ago at this very hour, (and for the next six and a half hours) I was laying on my back in the OR, arms out like a cross, as they installed my new parts and gave me this second chance at life.

God is indeed good.

I wish everyone a superb day - hopefully with your family or friends.

More from here later.

When it's all good....it'll feel like it should.....

Late day posting here on my first full day back home and it certainly isn't because I was so busy doing all the things that I need to get done. Rather it was a day of uber R&R after a real bugger of a night last night.

I'm still pushing just a very lo grade fever and all my other numbers were good at bedtime but shortly thereafter I woke absolutely soaked in sweat. If that wouldn't be gross enough...it happened four more times during the course of the night each requiring a new tee shirt, sleep shorts, sheets, mattress cover, pillow cases, etc.

Not real condusive to a good night's sleep. And so I was really draggin' a bit today.

On the upswing, other than the pesky body heat, my other numbers and vital statistics were all good this morning so I'm thankful for that.

As far a a few other rocks on the road to recovery - they still have me on major league (no pun) quatitities of steroids.

100 mg of Prednisone 2x daily

1500 mg of Cellcept 2x daily

And topped off with some delightful Prograf.

These drugs will eventually be tapered (or increased, Ugh.) but each have some darn nasty side effects. The Cellcept is causing me the tremors again and with this current large of dose it's also causing my ankles to really swell and a fair amount of nausea. Other than that - it's no big deal and it is one of the drugs that I expect them to cut back on a bit.

Cutting back would be nice as my Big Morning Gulp is now up to 26 pills, and my NiteCap is currently sitting at 24.

And so to answer the $60,000 question that everyone has - I know that I will feel better, I mean really better in the coming weeks just because my new organs are working wonderfully but these rocks in the road along the way don't really make for feeling the "great way" everyone is sort of expecting me to feel right now.

Sorry!

I AM trying!

All in good time.

Remember, although it seems like something short of a lightyear ago to me now, it was only a month ago tonight that I was waiting for the doctors to go recover / evaluate the organs and I was still anxiously waiting to see if this whole thing would happen.

Now it has.

Not without some rocks in the road but

I have been so blessed.

And I remain eternally thankful.

More tomorrow. I promise.