Eternally Grateful !!!!

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you all well and healthy and sleeping ! I am on my own so forgive the mistakes. Still no word on "the biliary washings" meaning if there are crystals coming from my gallbladder. No news is good news and i have been feeling good since last week. Actually, I've felt well for 7 days now. That's the most good days in a row since the summer. THANK YOU JESUS !!!!!!!! I think my good health is directly related to being able to see many family and friends over the last few weeks. I was out to dinner and a movie tonite with friends. We saw Dreamgirls. It is fabulous !!! Jennifer Hudson who plays Effie really does steal the show. What a voice. We had a great time. I'm having a group of girls over tomorrow (the Corpus Christie gang) so I came home and put a jewish apple cake in the oven. I forgot to add the cinnamon and sugar to the apples( thats what i get for starting a cake at 10:00pm)We shall see how it turns out....
Anyway, the cake was to bake for 90 min. so i decided to clear up some of the clutter in the kitchen, which lead me to Xmas cards and get well cards (which must be over 300 since the transplant alone). This is why I am writing to you all at this late hour. I AM OVERWELMED AT YOU GENEROSITY !!!! Your Xmas cards and messages were so kind. Of course i read them all when they arrived over the holidays but my memory is not what it used to be, which wasn't great to begin with. And the get well cards mean so much to me, many of which i don't remember receiving because i was so sedated for about 6 weeks, alot of that awful time is fuzzy.
You all told me to "stay strong" and "not give up" and always you reminded me i'm not alone. Well I've been crying my eyes out for an hour now that i have not been able to express my gratitude enough. Please know that each and every card and blog and phone call makes a differance . I tell everyone that the reason I am still here is because of ALL OF You !!!! It's a good thing that my man is asleep, he would not approve of such mushiness and although he is a much more accurate typist and much quicker he would change the words as you know he does. I just could not go to sleep without letting you all know how i feel. THANK YOU a hundred times, make that a million times over for everything you all have done to make this journey bearable for me and for my family.

With love and much gratitude, Debbie

2007 HERE I COME!!!

Dear Fods,

This post is loooong overdue. I am very thankful for all of your continue blogging notwithstanding my absence from the internet. This is getting done, at all, because Joe is typing for me and several friends have been calling the house to see if I am still alive. I am alive and doing fairly well.

I have been sick since Thanksgiving with a cold, then bronchitis, then sinusitis. Most recently, abdominal pain, fevers and nausea. But besides that, I am fine.

With much help from the family, I did get some shopping done (gross understatement!! Joe comment) mostly catalogues and gift cards. Joe put both trees up and the outside decorations and Joey helped me with part of the famous Santa collection. It was nice to see the house decorated again after missing the last Christmas Season. I tried to enjoy every moment of preparation, but like all of you, it is sooo tiring. Joe and I even baked cookies together and I ate most of them. In between the bouts of nausea, the cookies went down just fine!

I saw lots of Doctors over the Holiday season and had many tests, culminating in a 9 hour stay at the HUP ER on the Thursday after Christmas because of the abdominal pain. I started to feel ill on Christman Eve, but refused to call the Doctors and be at HUP for another Christmas. Against Joe's advice, we went down to Jester, Walid and the kids on the day after Christmas. The babies are just glorious and have changed soo much since Thanksgiving. (Even though I have the same cold they left with us from Thanksgiving!) Emma is crawling all over the place and walks around furniture, putting up all the while with C's abuse. C is talking up a storm and says the cutest things. He loves mom mom and pop pop, even jumping into my lap when he gets into trouble with J and W. Most of his toys are continuously cycled in and out of "time out" on the kitchen counter but he patiently waits for them to be released from their maternal bondage. Just too cute! I enjoyed reading to them both and taking a nap each day with C. There is nothing like seeing him when he first wakes up.

Unfortunately, I was not feeling well. We stayed at a nearby hotel because of my cold and Joe's sanity. (Joe is embellishing here) The first night I had an abdominal attack and Joe went out at 2:00 am to find some maalox -- of course, I left all of my meds in Lansdale. Down 26 floors to the garage and then prowling the streets of Alexandria looking for something that was open -- what a guy. Thank God he did not just use the pillow! The next night, the pain got worse with fevers, chills and vomiting. The next morning, I knew we had to get to HUP. We said our goodbyes, lots of tears and headed to HUP. After a couple of liters of IV fluids and some splendid drugs, I felt better and went home @ 11:30 PM. They took a CAT scan and lots of blood tests. Now more tests to follow.

We saw Oz on this past Tuesday and he believes that at this time there is NO luekemia in my blood (BMB next visit), but now thinks I need my gall baldder out. YIKEES! My platelets are still low and WBC actually went down, but he feels it would be safer to take it out now rather than have it act up again when I have no WBC or platelets.

Starting to see doctors on Monday to determine what to do next and I will keep you posted -- or someone in this house might.

To the Wiley's. Congratulations on Nicole and Mike's engagement. What fun to plan another wedding. See you on the 13th!

To Wyatt. Sounds like you had a great Christmas. My boys are very jealous over your signed football -- perhaps you would like to trade it for a Joe Montana signature??? (just kidding)

To Beach Betty. Congratulations on your beautiful grandson. I saw his picture and he is stunning. I bet you looked great going to your black tie event.

To Visitor Allison. Thank you for the song and the poem. Did you write the poem. It was wonderful and thanks for keeping the picture on your fridge. I feel honored.

To Colin. How can you be driving already. Does this mean you are now out of the pick up sticks competitions at the shore?

To Aunt Angie. I love you too. All the Fod's and Cod's love you too. (Actually Cod's are a bit too related to be objective in their analysis, but we will count them anyway). One day at a time in your next challenge. I will be thinking of you every minute and sending you strength and prayers, as you did for me.

To Pam K. Congratulations on your beautiful new granddaughter -- born on Christmas day.

I hope everyone has a healthy, happy and joy filled New Year surrounded by family and friends who love you. Your continued support inspires me every day.

Love to all,

Debbie