Odds & Ends

Is it possible for a box turtle to have a sweet tooth? Do box turtles have teeth?

Carolyn, as in Slowsky, as in the tv commercials for whatever - I think it's Comcast - was Kevin's birthday gift from Erick & Brittany. Mostly Brittany, since she kept the thing for weeks in an ice chest prior to Kevin's birthday. Anyway, Carolyn seems to prefer fresh fruit to anything else we've fed her. Lettuce, no. Cauliflower, steamed or raw, no. Shredded carrots, no. But, stick a strawberry in front of her icky, wrinkly, reptile face and she's a maniac. Grapes, too. Tomatoes. And she went ape over apricots. I guess this cancels out the "put her in the yard and let her fend for herself" idea I came up with...

The boys being as obsessed with bicycles as they are, I decided to do some internet searching to see if I could show them what we rode back in the old days.

This is not my bike, but you get the idea. Picture this bike in bright, lime green. There are white, 70's style daisies on the fenders and the chain guard, and the seat has a glittery green strip about 4" wide up the middle. No, it did not have streamers coming out of the handle grips (that was my first bike, the Schwinn Pixie I got when I was four). I loved this bike. The only thing better than having it was the fact that I won it. Yes, that's right, I colored the best Easter Bunny in the age 9-11 division! My expert use of mixed medias is what did it for me, I think - markers, crayons and a touch of glitter made my bunny stand out, ears above the rest.

I logged a lot of miles on this bike for several years. That all came to a crashing (literally) halt when I watched my friend, Melinda, do a header over the handlebars while she was riding on a rocky shoulder. The front rim was destroyed and so, since my sons weren't there to rebuild it, was my trophy bike!

I didn't ride again until high school and the Sophomore class bike-a-thon to Sausalito and back. A guy in school built me a ten-speed! Built it with his own two hands! I was impressed. We weren't even dating or anything! Anyway, it was a 40 mile ride. Lots of hills, and I confess, I walked probably 1/3 of the way. Quite a memory, though! To this day, I can remember crossing the Golden Gate Bridge with my transistor radio on my handle bars, listening to Kansas and "Carry On Wayward Son"...

Why I think the Internet is a good thing

Here are some of the things I've accomplished on line within the past few weeks:

1. Unloaded seven large, hard-to-store, styrofoam ice chests (for free on Craigslist)
2. Met a cousin or two that I didn't know existed
3. Learned that it is not possible for my plain 'ol refrigerator to make clear ice cubes (you have to have distilled or boiled water - go figure)
4. Submitted forms for a product rebate (no stamps!)
5. Figured out how to convert kilograms to pounds (I'm lousy at math)

This doesn't even cover all the genealogical goodies I've uncovered with a little clever digging...and the old friends I've reconnected with, the college courses I've researched, and the episodes of my favorite shows I've caught up on 'cuz I missed them first time around.

Sure, the internet can be a bad place where evil people do icky things...but it can also be a useful tool, if you use it right!

I should be doing the dishes...

It's been a long week. And it's only Tuesday...sigh.

The transplant testing continues, but at a slower pace, thank heavens. All that urgency was really stressful, as if the process isn't that already! We keep reminding ourselves that things will happen when they're meant to happen. Dennis is glad not to have doctor appointments every other day, that's for sure.

The home front is where that long week comment comes in. Anyone who has ever had two teenagers in the house at the same time can probably understand why I'm tearing my hair out. It's not going to stay like this, is it??? The testosterone in this place is so thick you could cut it with a knife...

Some sad news came over the weekend. Eddie Bell, one of the boys six uncles on their dad's side, passed away due to complications following surgery. The boys didn't even know him and we never met face-to-face, but we've been exchanging photos and e-mails for several years. Eddie was always very interested in his nephews lives and I'm so sorry that we never managed to have that get-together we always talked about. I need to remind myself (as if we don't have enough to remind us here, daily) that life is short and we should never, ever put off those get-togethers. Eddie was just 58 years old.

Not So Fast!

The appointment with the Transplant Surgeon today was...interesting. Informative. Confusing!

As it turns out, the tests will go on, the plans will continue, but there's no rush. The liver disease is not bad enough at the moment, and they certainly don't want to go in there until they really need to. Makes sense, and yet I can't help being a little disappointed at the same time! Crazy? Yeah, probably. I guess we've just been getting so geared up for it that it's almost a let down to know that it's not going to happen as quickly as we'd expected.

Overall, though, very good news. Dennis is relieved to know that he's not at death's door, of course. Now if we could just get his kidneys to start working again....

Freshman Huskies

Kevin came home with all his football gear tonight. Suddenly, my "little" boy is this big, hulking mass who scares the dogs and thumps on his heavily padded chest like a gorilla. I'll have to post a picture of him in his uniform - it's hard to even see him under all that stuff. Still, it's fun watching the transformation. He's more confident, enthusiastic, and focused. Who knew?

My football knowledge is pretty limited. Like, I couldn't even begin to tell you why they need to wear a girdle (yeah, yeah, it's the thing that holds the pads) before a few weeks ago! Dennis loves it, of course, and the whole family is looking forward to going to the games. I've promised Kevin that I won't be one of those embarrassing moms in the stands. Well, maybe just a little...

It's at times like these that I really feel the absence of my dad - he'd be so proud of his littlest grandson!

Ramblings of a Transplant-Listee's Wife

After one more test tomorrow, we meet with the Transplant Surgeon this coming Friday. This is "the big one" - the appointment that will determine whether or not Dennis will go on the active waiting list for a liver transplant.

It's been quite an ordeal for my brave husband. He's got to be the most agreeable person I've ever met, 'cuz I know I sure wouldn't have had the patience to go through all of the poking and prodding he's had to endure these past few months. If all goes well, it will pay off in ways I can't even really grasp just yet - another human being we don't even know will give him the greatest gift possible, and life will return to something closer to normal than we've had in a long time.

None of this, by the way, works like it does on television. You don't just get sick, go to the hospital, get (organ of choice) replaced, go home. There are Social Workers and Coordinators and Financial Coordinators...the list of people on "the team" goes on and on, and each of these people plays an integral part in getting your name on that all-important list. Makes sense, I guess. I mean, this is a one shot deal for the donated organ, and it's often the last chance for the recipient.

Something they definitely don't show on t.v. is the hard truth...sometimes, they say 'no'. If you need a liver/kidney/heart/lung/cornea, you don't necessarily just get one. You won't even be considered UNTIL you qualify financially. Not a chance, no way, you'd best have your ducks in a row or it isn't going to happen. This completely blew me away. I understand that this is a very expensive procedure, that the anti-rejection drugs will cost several thousand dollars per month, and that the organ will have been wasted if given to someone who can't afford it's upkeep, to put it bluntly. But, these are lives we're talking about, and I have a hard time thinking of them in terms of monetary value. Guess that's why I'm not a Financial Coordinator, huh?

First Post

My first blog post...how exciting!

Those of you close to my family know what's been going on in our lives this past six months. While Dennis was in the hospital, I found it relatively easy to send regular e-mail updates to our family and friends - what the heck, I wasn't sleeping, anyway, right? Now, though, with Dennis home (thank heavens) and our daily schedules filled with appointments, meetings and errands, I realize that I've been neglecting my updates and (gasp!) even forgetting to respond to e-mails!!!

My daughter-in-law, Beth, started a blog here, and that gave me the idea that maybe I should give it a try, too. One place for updates may not be as personal as individual e-mails, but I think most of you will understand! If not, give me a few months and I'll get back to normal!