Ever feel?

Ever feel as though you have nothing to say, but just need to blog anyway? Well, hello there! I am in that boat as I type!
Christmas is over, New Year's is upon us and I am spending a lot of time at home with lot's of snow outside, freezing cold temperatures and two kids with bounds of energy!
I wish it didn't happen, but it does. My brain overworks at times. It's, I believe in part because I am a woman and I also believe it's partly because I have a creative mind, but goodness sometimes I just get irritated by my ever thinking brain. I think about the future, about where I want to be, what I want to change, and unfortunately, a lot ends up in material ideas. A new car, a new house, more kids a "snap your fingers and it's amazing" type of career, perfect marriage, etc. etc. etc. Some of those things are attainable, in the future (not now). Why spend my time thinking about what I want in the future, instead of enjoying the gift that we call the "present"?
Christmas was magical, Al is doing very well post transplant and I am blessed beyond measure with my kids, my pets, my house, my car, my family, my friends, my life. Really. I'm not even 30 yet and there is a lot of life left to live, but I want to settle in and be happy with what I have at all times. Think my mind will listen to me?
On a side note, I am considering putting my creativity to work (hoping to side track the overzealous thoughts about changing my life and how). I whole heartedly believe that the experience I have had with donating a kidney is story worthy and I just *might* decide to make it into a book. Proceeds to go to raising awareness on organ donation. It seems like such a cool idea right? I think so too! Hence why I now have a notebook in my purse to jot down notes and ideas as they come to me.

Small but BIG news!

Al had a biopsy done on his kidney last week. He got the results, they were "normal, with no signs of rejection" I say that's a good sign!!!!!

RIP Shannon Sperando-Sales

In honor of my friend Shannon Rose Sperando-Sales who passed away December 12 of this year, I write about CANCER. The word is scary, the word breaks your heart, the word takes your loved ones from your life. Cancer, Cancer, Cancer, I hate it! Yes, hate is a strong word, but how can something so awful bring any any any good? It can't. Except for those that can fight it. Except for those who are in remission and are getting a second chance at life. Except the fact that when someone becomes ill and is in the final phase of life, we the loved ones, get the blessing of being able to foresee the impending death as an opportunity to soak up the patient as if you were a sponge. Spend your time with them, love on them, read to them, pray for them, tell them the things you never did before. It doesn't make missing them any easier, the feeling of empty in your heart is a tough one to carry, but with the empty feeling in your heart, you have the memory of your final times together to cherish. www.shannonsperando.com

One week since....

One week always seems like a milestone, whether it be "next week at this time..." or "last week at this time...." well, this morning I was thinking about what I was doing last week at this time, and guess what, I was in surgery! I can not believe a week has passed since the anticipated kidney transplant day arrived. Since then, I have recovered very well! The house has been filled with my mom, caring for the kids and doing all the chores that I usually do, filled with friends helping out, filled with visitors and cookies and cards, and well wishes, and....FOOD! My goodness! We've had some good meals this week, supplied by the wonderful moms at Acilia's school! The blessings feel like they have been pouring in!
I mentioned I am recovering well, and that's true! I was pretty sore through the weekend, I really was trying to stick it out pain med free, even tried the extra strength tylenol route, I developed a fever one night over the weekend, and I felt like my body needed a little bit of help fighting the pain. So...I pulled out my prescribed narcotics. Ack! Well, needless to say, that didn't go over too well, I took two pills as prescribed and soon after, I was loopy and itchy!! Pain was gone, but I actually think I bruised the tip of my nose because I was itching so viciously!! The itching had us thinking something wasn't right, so we called the hospital and they said not to take those pills anymore. A new medication was prescribed. We picked that up and I tried one before bed, it did NOTHING! No loopy, no itchy, no pain control. I decided I am not made for pills and haven't taken any since :) Yesterday I attempted jeans, I was in them all day, but I was pretty sore in the belly last night, so it shall be elastic waist for a little while longer :) I've been up and about throughout the day, so I've wrapped some gifts, gone through the kids toys to weed out garbage and charity donations, I have a few more things to get to that have been put off for a while :)

Al's recovery hasn't been quite as seamless. He's been in some pain and his blood pressure is elevated and his ankles are swelling. He's recovering at his parent's house, so he can have some peace and quiet and of course have his mom dote on him a bit :) He's still taking some pain pills, the doc's are watching him closely and overall, it may be a little longer until we can say "All Clear" for him.
Stay tuned!

Whew! It's behind us!

Surgery is done! Surgery is done! Surgery is done! Al has a functioning kidney and we are both on our way to recovery!! All this time, all the anticipation and it's past us in the blink of an eye! God is good, God is amazing! God orchestrated all of this and we are just thankful that he has blessed us in such a great way! We went in Thursday morning, 5:45 am. We didn't sleep the whole night before...nerves, anxious, excited, everything balled into one! We got there early, so we waited for a while, but once the check in opened, I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth everything went. I was scheduled for surgery at 7:30 and I think they wheeled me back about 7:40. Of course once you start with the oxygen mask, there is nothing to remember. I was out, and before I know it, I am eyes fluttering in recovery. The rest of the day, I could not keep my eyes open. I was out. So tired, so out of it. The day is truly a blur. I hear there was a lot of hustle and bustle about Al that night. My parent's were pretty worried. They were told when he was wheeled to surgery, it would be about 3-4 hours...well, it ended up being about 8 hours! He was wheeled to the floor at about 8:30 pm, stable and recovering, with a NEW...WORKING...KIDNEY!!!! The surgeon told us at one point that he urinated over a liter in the OR! This may sound odd to mention, but for us, that's a HUGE milestone! Albert had not urinated in over 2 years, think about it, something you do countless times throughout your life, something you take as "just part of the day"...now, take it away. Imagine what that would be like. Then imagine that being what proves that the kidney inside of you is functioning!! It's pretty exciting isn't it?? I thought so!
It's amazing what God does with our Earthly resources!! The fact that we are born with 2 kidneys, but only truly need one to function completely normal, leads me to believe, that we are all meant to find a kidney recipient and share the gift of life!