2008 was quite a year!

I am certainly looking forward to a New Year of my new liver and I getting to know each other settling in so we can have years of fun and a long, healthy life together.....


Thank you all for listening to my ramblings, fears, stressing, obsessing and triumphs as I struggled through one amazing year of my life.

Thank you for all the support, cheering me on and most of all listening to me.

I have learned so much, so very much. From my family, friends, (online and off), my cruise buddies, my support group, my Dr's and health care providers and other cirrhosis patients and caregivers.

I KNOW there is a reason that I was chosen, if you will, to have this disease, to live with it, to deal with it, to learn about it and to come out the other side with a successful transplant, to learn how to live with all the things that come with that.

I have learned a lot about myself, about compassion of others, whatever they are dealing with, about patience with people and life in general. I have learned to take responsibility and take charge of the things you can, learn as much as you can, ask lots of questions, sort out the answers, do what you can and then enjoy everything you can while you wait..... because in reality you don't know what could be just around the corner.

Enjoy the warmth of the sun, the way your dogs run through snow when they live in the desert, Enjoy watching people open up about things they aren't really proud of and leave them feeling that you care about them even more for sharing because we don't judge them for past mistakes. We all have them. Watching your son struggle to become a man and your husband take care of you in a way he never thought he would have to, and smiling the whole way..........

No matter what my health brings in the future......good or not so good, I will handle it as best I know how and continue to try and reach others about the facts about what liver disease can mean to their lives and how to avoid it if it involves making a choice. Particularly to women who drink.........How I wish I had listened earlier when I had a choice before cirrhosis set in. Although I accept the journey I have been on, it certainly isn't one I wish for anyone....... A few vodka tonics less or skipped that bottle of wine...............well, I might not be telling the story I have been telling you all year or will be sharing with you shortly...

I will always support and share with fellow liver patients who are living with cirrhosis and have all the questions that I had about what is next??????

and finally I will fight for a better way for this country to deal with organ donation and allocation so there are enough organs available for people that need them. Be it a Liver, a Kidney, Lungs, Heart, Tissues for Burn Victims and Corneas so people can have sight. There are several options that are good ideas and it will take a lot to change the current M.O. But there has to be a better way.....Until then PLEASE Don't take your organs with you, HEAVEN KNOWS WE NEED THEM HERE.... and make sure that after you sign up, you tell your loved ones of your wishes.


In Fact........This is part of a document that you should read.....I had read these facts before but it hit me harder how lucky I was to get ONE of these organs....The odds were totally against me and everyone else waiting.....

A national crisis exists because of the critical demand for organ donations that is currently needed for over 100,000 gravely ill individuals on the national waiting list. While that number grows daily, a person on that list, or one who was removed because he/she was too sick dies every hour. In addition, over 2.5 million Americans die annually, but only a total of 14,400 living and deceased persons donated organs last year. ( From UNOS Facts 2008 )

Then when it crossed my mind more than once that I could be waiting for a kidney soon as well. Let's just say I wasn't very excited at the prospect. Here is a link to the entire Assembly Bill, The Organ Donation Enhancement Act.

I expect, hope and pray that the years to come will be wonderful for all of us! There is a lot to do, a lot of fun to have, love to share and people to share it with....

Stay Healthy and Don't forget to LOVE YOUR LIVER !!!!!

A must attend So Cal seminar !!!!!!

Fighting for Health in the 21st Century


A golden opportunity to hear experts and ask questions regarding..

· Managing diabetes and kidney disease

· Cardiovascular disease, tips for senior health

· Cancer—promising new research and treatments

· How to obtain health insurance from an expert

· Social security benefit claims—the “how to” from an attorney

· Updates on Liver & Kidney Transplant Surgery

· Fatty liver, get the skinny on fatty liver disease



Presenters:



Rodolfo R. Batarse, MD, Nephrologist, Palm Springs, CA: Managing diabetes & kidney disease

Charlie W. Shaeffer, Jr. MD, Cardiologist, Rancho Mirage, CA: Tips for insuring Seniors’ healthy hearts

David Young, MD, Oncologist, Rancho Mirage, CA: Promising new Cancer Research & Treatments

Tom Perkin: Need help getting medical insurance? Tom is the expert to assist you

Bill La Tour, JD, Social Security expert and attorney: The “how to” on SSDI & SSI benefit claims

Okechukwa Ojogho, MD, TX Surgeon, LLUMC: Update on Liver & Kidney Transplant Surgery

Donald Hillebrand, MD, Hepatologist, Scripps Hospital: “Get the Skinny on Fatty Liver Disease”

Where

Desert Regional Medical Center, 1150 North Indian Canyon, Palm Springs

Martin Anthony Sinatra Education Seminar Auditorium



When

Sunday, November 23, 2008 1 – 5 P.M.


No charge for Admission
Refreshments & Fellowship


For Further Information Phone 760-200-2766


A Presentation by the FAIR Foundation Liver Disease & Transplant Support Group


Sponsored by Roche and Astellas

I have BIG NEWS

But THIS is way more important.......................................... Click Here

And don't forget the tissues...............................

My friend David...from Loma Linda...

David is a friend of mine. Part of our support group at LLU.. He and his family need prayers sent.... Here is what is going on with him right now...

October 7

Once again, this is a hard one to write. David is VERY ill. He has a fungal infection in his abdomen. The doctors have gone into surgery five times to try to rinse away the infection. After the fifth attempt this afternoon, we were told that there has been little change since last week's attempt. David is now on a ventilator to improve his attempts to breathe. There is an infection in the area surrounding his lungs, and his breathing has become labored. He is also still dealing with the infection in his bowel.

We are still praying that David's body will respond and begin a turn around. Three days ago, one of the doctors said that they have treated patients like David and been successful. Your support and hope are greatly appreciated. Thank you, again, to all of you who have continued to give blood. He has had regular transfusions over the last two weeks. I have every card sent to him so that David may enjoy all of your positive thoughts.

Thank you for caring. Sharon

http://feelbetterdavid.blogspot.com/
www.feelbetterdavid.blogspot.com

Annika's new (est) Liver ! The 3rd one goes in.

I will post more about me later but for the last 24 hours I along with many, many others have been watching and praying for Dear, sweet, Annika. A 6 year old who was in need of her 3rd liver transplant which she got last night. She had a very tough surgery and isn't out of the woods yet but is out of surgery and fighting... here is her story..........................

Falling Down is also a Gift

http://moreena.typepad.com/falling_down_is_also_a_gi/

If that doesn't work as a link go down to my favorite blogs and click on the link there.....

The wonderful people who are waiting for a liver at Loma Linda

Today was *support group Tuesday*.

Loma Linda University Medical Center has a wonderful and very active Transplant Center with many patients. Not only liver but kidney, kidney-pancreas, heart, bone marrow and stem cell research and transplant.

In our support group we meet strictly with liver or liver/kidney patients and there are quite a lot of us undergoing treatment in various stages, all very serious if not life threatening.

Today was a difficult day. Almost EVERYONE that was there today is dealing with very difficult symptoms of liver disease.

Encephalopathy, confusion,
Edema,
Acsites,
Very Bloody Noses...(wake up with blood all over pillow)
Esophageal Varices
passing out,
collapsing,
insomnia, no sleep in 3 days,
total fatigue, can't stay awake
change in sleep patterns, sleep all day, awake all night,
Leg cramps, hand cramps with no relief,
severe itching,
stroke,
heart problems,
pulmonary problems,
diabetes,
beginning kidney failure
dialysis,
bruises,
wounds,
weight gain,
weight loss,
pain,
relationship problems,
depression,
fear,
and liver cancer

I am serious! Every one of these was a problem someone was having today!

Lucky for us we also have some incredibly generous people who have been through all the symptoms,and fought through them to transplant, recover and a renewed life.................

THANK GOD FOR THEM! They give the rest of us so much hope. If we didn't have them to look at, watch them breathe, walk, share and live normal lives......Well we owe them a lot.

Today our post transplant volunteers who were in the meeting were post transplant 4, 9, 10 and 13 years..... They give up their day to show up for US. All this time past their transplants when I am sure they have better things to do and they come and give freely of their time.

They don't need us....

They do it because we need THEM! We need to look at the living hope and know that one day that could be us.

So, I want you to know that we appreciate you spending your time with us!!!!

We also appreciate the caregivers out there who are dealing with our issues and didn't sign up for it.....We don't say thank you enough...sooooooooooooo THANK YOU.

There are 2 others I would like to bring to attention for prayers...

Tim, who has been in the hospital for 4 months waiting for a liver. He is VERY ill and needs a liver yesterday.

David who received his new liver 2 weeks ago and is struggling. His liver is functioning well but his body is having a difficult time recovering. His new blog his family started is here.

I am not trying to be depressing just letting you know that across the country there are 19,000 people waiting for a liver. Most won't get one in time to save them and it is not a comfortable way to live or ...........

Please, if you so desire and haven't yet done it please go to donate life and register as an organ donor and encourage your circle of friends.. Then talk to your family to make sure they know what your wishes are. Right now they have final say. Donate Life America YOU NEED TO GO THERE EVEN IF YOU HAVE A PINK DOT ON YOUR LICENSE!

Read this below from their website:

Right now nearly 20,000 Californians wait for an organ transplant. That's 21 percent of the 94,000 people waiting across our country. Tragically, one third of them will die - waiting.

Until now, no Registry has existed for those of you who wished to give consent to be an organ and/or tissue donor. Historically, while signing a donor card and placing the pink dot on your license served as an important symbol of your intent, it did not place you on any list or Registry.

Now, Donate Life California allows you to express your commitment to becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor. The Registry guarantees your plans will be carried out when you die.

Since July 1st of 2006, individuals who renew or apply for a driver's license or ID with the DMV, now have the opportunity to also register their decision to be a donor in the Donate Life California Registry, and the pink "DONOR" dot symbol is pre-printed on the applicant's driver license or ID card.

You have the power to donate life - sign up today to become an organ and tissue donor. Your generosity can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance another 50 through tissue donation.


Tomorrow I am off to San Diego to the mandatory transplant class at Scripps in my effort to get a new liver sooner than later....

photos of fun symptoms of cirrhosis

I thought I would post some photos of things I found on the web to visually help you understand some of the MOST COMMON symptoms that we liver patients suffer. None of these are of me or anyone I personally know but they sure could be including the upside down pug peeing on the tree! LOL ( I really need to post some pictures of my pug and bulldog!) The photo of Salt is a description of what we CAN"T have or we end up looking like the people swollen with edema (legs) or ascites (abdomen).














The person with Jaundice really does look like the color I used to have and to some extent still do. People think I am *tan* although my eyes are still very yellow. At least I don't scare people now!











These are all very real. And common. And as a matter of fact some are mild, considering how bad it can really get. I have had variations of all these and have many friends who have varying degrees of them.

So, this is the deal. When we say we are tired.... we ARE. IT IS A SYMPTOM. It isn't like when YOU are tired...not a bit. We can't help it....It just is. Don't tell us to get up earlier, to go to bed earlier, to get some exercise, to eat better. Although those are all good things to do...Those are not our problems and they aren't going to fix the SYMPTOMS.... They are REAL symptoms of a very REAL disease. OUR LIVERS AREN'T WORKING CORRECTLY....

When we say that our feet are swollen....or we need to watch our salt. It doesn't mean we need to take off our shoes, and they will be better the next day... When we gain 5 # in a week......we are worried that our bellies will look like the one above soon and the Dr's will be sticking needles in us to drain liters of potentially dangerous fluid off. over and over again....

When we say we are cold...we don't need a sweater...(well, that could help!) But we are FREEZING not because it is cold (it could be 100* outside) but because our internal thermometers are broken...

When we are constipated...(sorry, no photo's of that one!) We are afraid if we can't go to the bathroom our toxins will build up to a point as to cause confusion, delirium, and even a coma because our ammonia levels get to high. This can also make us very, very sick...as in vomiting from to many toxins in our body. (Encephalopathy).. It doesn't mean we need to eat more fiber. it means we need to take our LACTALOSE!

When we need to PEE, get out of the damn way! WE DO AND NOW!

When we are having trouble swallowing we could be having our veins inside our esophagus be filling up with blood so much that they pop open which would be a life threatening emergency as in BLEEDING TO DEATH...It happens...ask any ER nurse.

When we say we can't eat or aren't hungry. It is literally very hard to even get a bite down...Give us *ensure* or some kind of high calorie, high fat food. ice cream, anything...just get some nutrients and calories in us...

CRAMPS, another of my favorites...... We get these very interesting, sudden, crippling cramps! The first time it happened to me I didn't know WHAT was going on because it seemed so unrelated. The mostly happen in our extremities, shins, calves, feet, hands, fingers and lower arms. They happen swiftly, without warning, very intense and in weird places. In muscles like your shin or on the top of your food. When stirring a pot or writing your hand suddenly becomes twisted and deformed and it HURTS LIKE HELL. They aren't like the cramps you have had so don't even try and relate....(take quinine tablets or drink tonic water. I keep a bottle around and chug it.. warm heat helps too)

The reason I thought I would post this is for a couple of reasons...

One is to let others suffering from these symptoms to know that they are common and YES, they are real. They happen to all of us.. It is helpful to know that they are related to your disease...(that is what a support group is for!)

The other is for friends, family and caregivers to know that they exist, are very real, and that you REALLY can't relate. As much as you think you do. You don't. You can't unless you too have had liver disease. (that is what a caregivers support group is for..)

We don't want to whine, complain, try to tell you how bad it is......We really don't want to.....But we do want you to know that they are real and just please be kind and gentle with us when we need a nap, need to put our feet up, need to take a hot bath, or need to get support and knowledge from online groups, face to face groups, read books, talk to other patients, etc. It helps us. Lord knows it has helped and continues to help me!

Daffodil Days, again.......

I posted this before in April. I ran across it again and I thought I would pass it along to you who might not have seen it. This can apply to ANYTHING we want to do.

Enjoy--


The Daffodil Principle


Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over."I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren."Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"My daughter smiled calmly and said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother.""Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her."But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this.""Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around.""It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road. and I saw a small building. On the far side of the building, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, " Daffodil Garden ."

We got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers."Who did this?" I asked Carolyn. "Just one woman," Carolyn answered."She lives on the property. That's her home."

Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."

For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at time--and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things.

We can change the world .

"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"

Use the Daffodil Principle.

Stop waiting....
Until your car or home is paid off
Until you get a new car or home
Until your kids leave the house
Until you go back to school
Until you finish school
Until you clean the house
Until you organize the garage
Until you clean off your desk
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married
Until you get a divorce
Until you have kids
Until the kids go to school
Until you retire
Until summer
Until spring
Until winter
Until fall
Until you get a new liver (I had to add that)
Until you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt, and, Dance like no one's watching.
Wishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin!!!!!

From Dr Darling, 3 x liver transplant patient and President and CEO of the FAIR Foundation

Nancy, as President & CEO of the FAIR Foundation I write on behalf of our 27-member Board of Directors consisting of transplant surgeons, medical directors, et al THE FAIR FOUNDATION in thanking you for bringing to your Blog readers our efforts for equitable bio-medical research funding by our government for all diseases without favoritism for HIV/AIDS and for new organ-donor policies to reverse America’s organ donor crisis.

Indeed, today there are 99,467 patients like you on the UNOS waiting list today. Every hour one of them dies, and/or one who was on the list but was removed due to becoming too sick to be transplanted dies—that’s America’s organ-donor crisis resulting from our government’s reliance on the sole organ-donor policy of “altruism.” From Jan to May of this year there were only 11,517 transplants and 5,805 donors. The math is quite simple. With almost 100,000 waiting it is strikingly obvious that altruism is failing miserably to meet the demand for organs.

If one was a physician in charge of an emergency room after a catastrophic event and one patient was dying every hour with 100,000 waiting to get in the door would the physician say, “We don’t need new policies, our efforts are working well”? Of course not, he’d be fired, yet that is the attitude of those presently in charge of our organ donor system and the time for new organ-donor policies has passed long ago—pun intended.

Thank you also for your kind words regarding my book, Coma Life, which has now helped thousands of patients in need of transplant. Yes, all revenue from book sales does go to the FAIR Foundation and specifically to FAIR’s effort to have new organ-donor policies instituted to reverse this organ-donor crisis. If the policies we are recommending, and which are supported by many eminent physicians and organ-donor advocates, are adopted nationwide, we believe the 75,000 waiting for a new kidney and another 500,000 on kidney dialysis but NOT even on the list yet would have their new kidney within five years-easily. In addition, those waiting for other organs would have their time on the waiting list shortened dramatically. You viewers can see those in favor of these policies and advocate for the policies easily using their zip code and by copying a prepared letter at the fair foundation web site available here

I would like all your readers to know that the FAIR Foundation is a tax-exempt organization that has no paid employees—we are all volunteers and we now have thousands of members and supporters in all fifty states and DC.

Finally I’d like to thank you for coming to our FAIR Foundation Liver Disease & Transplant Support Group meeting recently. Sharing your extensive knowledge of liver disease and transplant was a real benefit to our group members and you also are of great assistance to the patients in the Loma Linda University Medical Center’s support group where you regularly input valuable information. Add on to those laudable efforts your yahoo group for transplant patients and this excellent Blog that helps patients world-wide and one can only marvel at how one in need of a new liver like you can be so productive.

I look forward to visiting with you at our next support group meeting and …in the ICU after you get your new liver.

God Bless,

Dr. Richard Darling, DDS

My friend in Liver Support and Education

Dr. Richard Darling, a California dentist, founded the FAIR Foundation after surviving hepatitis C, diabetes, cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, coma, heart attack, hepatorenal syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy (myasthenia gravis) and three liver transplant operations.


Doc Darling as he is known is a wonderful, knowledgeable, compassionate man.

He started The FAIR Foundation because of the inequities in disease research spending by Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and because of America's organ-donor crisis. Here is a link to the Fair Foundation's website. I highly recommend you visit the site and support the foundation.

I met Dr Darling at our Loma Linda Liver Transplant Support Group and he invited me out to Palm Springs to attend the local support group that he started and runs there. He and I have also had conversations regarding the benefits of my getting listed at Scripps in San Diego as well as LLU.

I decided to go visit his support group earlier this month as I wanted to meet some of the patients that are listed or have been transplanted in San Diego at Scripps. He had told me that quite a few of his group are patients there.

I had a wonderful drive out there. I love Palm Springs area. It is such a different desert than ours. I know that sounds really weird to those of you who aren't familiar with deserts....

We live in a HIGH desert, elevation 3000 ft. temp ranges are 100* to 60* summer and 60* to 30* in the winter. YES, we do get some snow in the winter. It is hot but not unbearably. For you gardeners the freeze in the winter kills us, well, actually it kills most of our plants that can survive the summer heat.

Palm Springs is a LOW desert, elevation 475 ft. temp ranges 115* to 75* summer and 70* to 45* winter. It is blistering hot in the summer, making difficult to get in your car let alone touch the steering wheel. But because it doesn't freeze there in the winter the landscaping is beautiful. Lots of Desert and Tropical Plants, Palms, Bougainvillea, Citrus Trees, Cactus and wildflowers. Oh, and the grass. Do you know how many golf courses they have? Well, I don't and I am not looking it up but there are plenty...Anyway, it is very green and beautiful for a desert with some majestic mountains as a backdrop that turn shades of purple as the sun sets.

Our deserts are divided by the San Bernardino Mountains and a 90-120 minute drive. Loma Linda is between us.

Ok, back to my visit there. I really enjoyed meeting the people in the group out there and seeing how it is run. It is so helpful to me and to be with others who are living with the same disease as I. We all have different diagnoses and reasons for having our livers fail and will experience different versions of the same symptoms as we go through this. We will also have very different stories as to what happens to us and where are futures end up.

I find the more I learn the more I want to share as I remember how extremely difficult it was for me to get ANY good information on what was happening to me.

Dr Darling made me feel right at home as he introduced me to his group. I do plan on attending when I can.

Regarding his book, Coma Life, I am in the middle of it right now and it has me riveted. Here is a link to how to purchase it...All the proceed to go support the FAIR foundation.

Our Support Group at Loma Linda

I wanted to share with you all about my discovery of and delight in participating in our hospital Liver Transplant Support Group.

I am SOOOOOOOOO glad that I found this wonderful group of people to share our journeys of cirrhosis and the road to and after transplant with.

I have found it so interesting, heartwarming and helpful to be able to share what each other is going through. Amazing how EVERYONE has a different story of how they got to where they are now and how they are emotionally and physically facing the challenges of cirrhosis.

I guess I always thought that cirrhosis was mainly caused by alcohol and thought drug use probably figured in there but come to find out alcohol is NOT the biggest cause of cirrhosis at all ! Look up Cirrhosis here......

I think that we are very lucky to have such an active group of pre and post transplant patients. We certainly have some interesting discussions!

I would tell you that if you are suffering from something, whether it is a disease, a loved one with a disease or anything that has got you down and you need someone to talk to who understands there is nothing better than talking to people going through the same thing you are.

We have certainly have learned more about symptoms, what to expect and different ways of handling things that we learned from our quick Dr appt's. They just don't have that much time...

Hello, yes I'm still here just haven't written much.

Really enjoyed the LLU transplant centers picnic. Great to meet you and finally put faces to the names that I hear so much about.
As you probably know I'm starting work at a new hospital next week. Very excited about this, It's a great practice.
Must make plans for Nancy's birthday (June 8 th).
I really enjoy reading what Nancy writes in this blog. She is always after me to write something but she has always been more verbose and eloquent than I.
Must go now since Nancy is making Eggs Benedict for Memorial Day breakfast. Yum.

what happened last week.......

I think I left you while getting ready for the LLU liver transplant support group picnic on a HOT, HOT weekend. It was down at a lovely park with a pond, nice big trees for shade and a big hill for exercise...... A good time was had by all. There was lots of good food and we had an opportunity to meet family members that we don't always get to meet during the week which was very nice. Joe and I had a very nice time!

The beginning of my week started out with lots of energy. I was feeling really good and enjoying the weather which was warm but I must have overdone it a bit. I spent all day on Tuesday down doing my LLU stuff, then ran errands and then came home and our dear friend, Helen, who is making a big move to Oregon came to visit before she left and spent the night. It was really great to see her and catch up but after visiting until the afternoon of the next day I was wiped out.

I spent all day Thursday sleeping.... I slept until 2pm, had an appt that I pretty much slept through and came home and played on my computer on the couch the rest of the day.....

Joe had Friday off.....in fact he has a 4 day weekend this week before he gets ready to make his big move to the hospital over here June 2nd!.

We spent Friday together. Went out to breakfast. Did a little shopping to go get him a new phone.... I have been waiting for this new Blackberry to come out. I have used many *smart phones* which sync with my computer and do all kinds of neat things...but resisted the *blackberry* for a long time. There were things about it I didn't like.

They FINALLY were coming out with a BlackBerry that was perfect for my needs....THE CURVE...and I have been waiting for it for MONTHS!!!! It came out last week....

Monday, Monday......

Had a great day today! I was up early to do some work and get ready to leave early for my trek to LLU to see Ben, the social worker. What wasn't to love. I had a lot of energy, felt good, weather was incredible.

My appt with Ben went well. He said that I don't need to see him again unless I need to talk to him about something.

He wants me to participate in the support groups more often. I have been wanting to do this. They are every week and very well attended by both pre and post Transplantee's. Very informative and supportive. I have planned on attending many but so far whenever I would have on one my agenda sandwiched between other Dr appt's on those days...Well, the Dr's appt's ending up taking more time or they need another test or something and the support group gets bumped.

Did a little window shopping at Victoria Gardens.

Came home and jumped on the computer to check on some client's upcoming cruises then made a yummy, quick dinner of Mahi-Mahi, broccoli, fresh pineapple and some left over potato's.

The mahi-mahi, you have GOT TO TRY... I got it at trader joes in the freezer section. 2 ample pieces were $5.00 and came marinated. I just defrosted them and put them in the oven for 10 minutes...DELISH!

Tomorrow I am back down the hill for the appt I have been waiting for since before Christmas. The Cardiologist. My hope is that he just says everything is a go and doesn't need anything else. We will see.

By the way.....Thank You to all of you who came looking for me when I disappeared a bit to long! I appreciate you all keeping an eye out for me!

I am off to bed.
Have a great day tomorrow and I will let you know what the good Dr says tomorrow night!