Dancin' The Night Away

Just one of the many nights since Christmas Eve 2011 that Dad has been able to enjoy with his granddaughters because of this generous lung transplant.  Events like this don't pass without all of us thinking the same thing:  that despite all of the financial and health challenges, all of the struggles to recover, all of the frustration with accepting new norms, that each and every day is a miracle ..... and each and EVERY picture with Grandpa now is priceless!

Good News!

I haven't posted very often and that's probably good news as things are moving along without any major problems.  Also, most of the good posts come from my family, especially my beautiful daughter, Jani and she has been more than busy moving into a new home in St. George.

Just a quick update.  Wait a minute! First I need to thank all of you, my friends, who have stayed in touch and helped in so many ways through this health challenge of mine.  It means everything and I am really blessed to have such great friends and family.....worth fighting for.  Every day is a gift.

I met with Dr. McKeller a few weeks ago and the news was good.  The lung is working fine and also the heart is able to function more freely.  The pericardial sac around the heart apparently has eased or something, allowing the heart to function better.  Music to my ears.  It did beg the question however as to why I am so fatigued and unable to sustain any effort without gasping for air.  Looking at my weight which has been dropping (117lbs) he said that's easy; you have very little muscle to perform the functions you're asking your body to do.  I had to admit, I haven't been eating enough.  I can see how someone can become anorexic as I have had little appetite.  They threatened to put me back in the hospital unless I start eating better and Thar's all I needed to hear!  I am know on a 2000 calories per day  with protein drinks and such.  This past week I have gained 5 lbs.  Not much, but at least it's going in the right direction and even feeling stronger.

Well, enough about me.  Hope all is well with you and I am always looking forward to seeing any of you whenever and often.  Until the next post.

Still Pushing Himself

Carter snapped this picture of Dad doing his morning push ups while they were in St. George last weekend. What a stud!

Breath Of Heaven

As I was out running some last minute errands today, the Christmas song "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant came on the radio, and it brought back a flood of memories of last Christmas Eve and my Dad's lung transplant.  I remember hearing this song on Christmas Day, driving home from the hospital and how the words to the chorus had taken on a new meaning to me as I thought of my sweet dad lying in a hospital bed, trying to breathe with his new lung.  I'm overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude that he is still here with us one year later.   I'm so grateful for the donor, their family, the doctors and so many of you who have helped him and our family in your own special way.  But mostly I'm grateful to God, for his son, for their mercy and for the "breath of heaven" that our family has constantly felt surrounding us this past year.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Chorus:
Help me be strong, help me be, help me
Breath of Heaven, hold me togetherBe forever near me, breath of HeavenBreath of Heaven, lighten my darknessPour over me Your holiness for You are holy

Read more: AMY GRANT - BREATH OF HEAVEN LYRICS 

Goodbye Coach Majerus

Like any good, red-blooded Ute fan, Carter made sure he and Dad made it to the Huntsman Center tonight to honor the memory of Coach Rick Majerus. If Bryan and I weren't living 300 miles away we'd be right there with them enjoying our beloved Cracker Jacks and Red Vines with Dad in the familiar comfort of the Huntsman Center. We've all enjoyed countless basketball games with Dad over the years and feel so blessed that he's still here with us today almost one year after his transplant surgery.

He's been slowly improving over the past few months from his heart surgery and we'll hopefully continue to see the swelling go down in his lower body. He still tires easily, but is as determined as ever to building up his strength to be able to do some of the things he loves to do.

Pictures like this one are priceless to our family now. Lets hope we'll see many more "Ute" family pictures in the years to come. Thanks for the memories and may you rest in peace Coach Majerus. GO UTES!!

He's Home!

Dad was finally released from the hospital yesterday! They have pulled the two drains and will monitor how he's doing over the next couple of weeks to see if this latest surgery did the trick. We're watching for swelling in his lower body, rapid breathing and the extreme fatigue he was feeling before the window pericardial surgery and hoping that those symptoms don't come back. If they do, then we'll discuss options with his doctors at that time.

Dad has loved hearing from so many of you and for the many hospital visits he received over the past few weeks. Jan and Anne Bagley, Jim and Beau Carlson, Lynette Randall, Jay and Tammy Minick, Keith Wallace, Gail and TC Conlin ..... the list goes on! Thank you for your encouraging words and prayers. Thank you to the sweet neighbors and members of my parents ward who have brought in meals and checked in daily with our Mom. Thank you to the wonderful nurses and doctors at the U who are always so compassionate and patient with all of us. And thanks to Dads lung donor and their family for making all of this service and compassion possible, and for giving my Dad a second chance at a beautiful life.

Out Of Surgery Now

Dad made it through the surgery just fine and is recovering now.  We'll be able to see him in about an hour or so.  Dr. McKeller came out and explained that he was able to create a small window in his pericardial sac to help drain any fluid build up in the future.  He said that the outer pericardial sac - the shell that holds the heart) actually wasn't as hard as he thought it would be, but that the inner sac, which is actually attached to the heart, almost like an outer skin layer that has blood vessels attached, was actually thicker than he was hoping to find.  This could be a problem because if, in a couple of weeks, Dad starts feeling the same symptoms again (compressed chest, lower body swelling, fatigue) it means that his heart is still constricted, and Dr. McKeller said that trying to surgically remove the inner sac is a much riskier surgery because of the high potential for blood loss.  They have taken samples of the sac which will be evaluated for any signs of disease, TB or fungus (which he said he thinks is highly unlikely) and they said we won't have the results for a month or so.

So, the good news is that Dad made it through the surgery with flying colors, that his new lung is actually doing awesome, and that this new window should help with fluid drainage.  Hopefully that will be enough and he'll be feeling much better within a couple of weeks after recovering from this surgery.  We will all be praying that he continues to feel better and not worse over the coming weeks so he can finally have a chance to enjoy his new lung.  If all goes well, he should be able to go home on Sunday.