Hello, all!
Lealonnie and her husband are traveling to AZ today, to begin their journey at Mayo.
Her husband will be receiving a liver transplant.
She has given me permission to begin a thread here.
Please pray for their safe travel, and for all to go well.
She’ll pop in as she’s able, and give us updates.
Admins, would you please move this to discussions? I can’t seem to figure out how to do that.
Our middle child left with her family yesterday and were flying to Denver where her in laws are. Driving home to Utah from there today. They said the airport is somewhat of a pain to get to where the parents live. Sounded like NY where we used to live.
Hope you got off without a hitch. GF used to live in Los Alamos so had to fly into Albuquerque. Beautiful country.
A gigantic tumbleweed came across the highway and crashed into us at one point.....we tried swerving away from it, bit IT swerved with us, and missed the windshield by a hair. We were laughing so hard, after the horror and shock wore off, and we will never forget The Tumbleweed Incident. I had to dig a chunk of it out of the grill when we stopped later on for gas. To see such a giant mass rushing at us across the highway caused my blood pressure to spike and DDs face was red as a beet. 😂
Figuring out dinner now, then bed time....but we have a room overlooking the patio where there's a reception going on w music till 1030pm tonight....and no free rooms available . 🤣 So Showtime on tv it is, on loud, till 11.
Off for leg 2 in the morning, which is 7 hrs I think, and we'll be home, thank God. I'll be driving tomorrow so I'm hoping for no high winds like last time and no craziness on the road.
It is a wild experience the first time. I actually ducked and I was driving. Thank The Lord for HIS care.
One of the cutest christmas trees I ever saw was the skeletons of those tumbleweeds stacked up and decorated.
Yes, try to keep Chuck hydrated. It is such a problem for me in the heat when traveling as the 80 year old bladder says "don't drink a lot if you're going on the road and the rest of me knows I better NOT get dehydrated. It's being between the devil and the deep blue.
Traveling with you today while I take care of the Foster Dog--baby sitting.
Will be relieved when you are home; bet the Honey will be Happy, as well.
When I have been away from home for a while, I wish I could hug my house. It will be good to see home.
Chuck is feeling fine, took today's ride well, and is sitting on the couch with his feet on the coffee table just like always.
Its almost like a dream we were there and back. I read an article in the car that 106,500 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant in the United States alone. Every 17 minutes someone dies waiting. I am very thankful to God, The Mayo Clinic and the donor that Chuck is no longer waiting for a liver.
Thanks everyone for your support. 😚
I bet you will be so glad to sleep in your own bed!!
May God bless you all!
🎉🥳🎈🪅🎁🎉🥳🎈🎊
My brother's cousin died while waiting for a living transplant. I am glad your husband beat the odds.
We are all praying for continued healing and no complications here on out.
PCP made PT appointments for him, blood tests for every week, the nebulizer appts for the inhaled antibiotics, everything. No pushback at all from Kaiser who can tend to be cheap when it comes to 'extras'. They're going to keep him on blood thinners for 3 months, then do another CT scan, and re test for Lupus Anticoagulant blood disorder which was positive last time around. May have been a false positive due to being on Predaxa, they do not know. So all of his docs are coordinated now at Kaiser, with Mayo, it's perfect. They're all using the same computer system too so they can cross reference one another. Tomorrow he has the cardiologist appt, then late in the month the Hepatologist. She is the one who will monitor his anti rejection drug levels in his blood, but ultimately MAYO is the one who makes any med CHANGES! Amazing how all of this works, I must say. We feel in good hands here due to his PCP, his Hepatologist (who's head of dept) and Mayo OVERSEEING everything and keeping on top of his meds/blood levels. He's feeling good and able to drive, too, thankfully. The drop foot is incredibly better than it was at the beginning, even without the specialized orthotic he'll be getting from Physical Therapy.
I am trying to unpack suitcases, do laundry, grocery shop, take Chuck to his appointments, and keep on top of everything going on with meds/lists/real life back home. Now I have to arrange for my mother's funeral at the military cemetery that I put off while we were planning our trip to AZ for this transplant. I will call the Neptune Society so they can get that on the cemetery's schedule in the next couple of weeks; she will be interred opposite my father & her headstone will be engraved on the reverse side of his. It's nice weather now vs. the cold & snowy weather we were having in late Feb/March when we would have had the service outside at the cemetery. Postponing it turned out to be a good idea, I think. (She was cremated and her urn is safe here at my house).
One step at a time.
Just wanted to update that we're alive & doing well! Chuck is feeling very good and adjusting to life back home with no hiccups so far. God is good and so is the Mayo Clinic! :) And so are you good people for all the support you've given me along this journey!
Cheers!
Alva, Mayo had SO many patients to handle at their Phoenix campus, they could not fit in ONE more person for labs last week, so we had to drive to their Scottsdale campus 20 minutes away........4x that week. Yet the results STILL come in within 20 minutes of the blood being drawn, all but 1 that comes in w/i a few hours. The streamlined efficiency of their entire operation is remarkable.
When DH had his transplant, it was such an emotional time. 16 years and counting. He got to see 13 grandkids born and continued his career that he loves so much.
You're still in the early days--but, wow, such great support and so much love!
And yes, there are not nearly enough donors. We made it our goal to educate people about the 'beauty' of organ donation.
I hope your donor's family accepts your thanks and can begin to heal from their loss.
All good wishes for you guys!!