T17

Uh Oh!  I skipped a day.  That's probably because they all seem the same as the next.  However, I did ride the shuttle to the grocery store yesterday afternoon and that was different than normal.  Terry felt about the same, and he stayed home resting and getting his hydration for the hour I was gone.

Today we had blood draw and a clinic team visit.  The good news for the day is that counts are rising.  First come the platelets, which are at 58 today.  Terry hasn't been at 58 for a very long time, unless it was just after a platelets infusion, so we are pleased.  They tell us that the platelets come first and then the whites will begin to increase in a few more days.  By this weekend we should see some changes there.  I just looked at what records I have available to me, and it looks like November 2012 Terry had 54 platelets count and in May that year they were 59, so nothing that high that we know of for over a year.

Let me clarify that this does not yet mean that engraftment is taking place, this just means that counts are up.  When the whites are up for a few days in a row then they call it engraftment (but I don't remember what that number is) - we promise to let you know.  They are at 26 today.  Don't let yesterday's non-post day worry you too much.  If there is change I will surely remember to post it.  :)

Terry thought he was feeling pretty good this morning until he took his early meds. Then he started feeling kinda crummy.

We thought he wasn't going to have any hair loss this time because it's been 2 1/2 weeks after TBI and he hasn't had any..., then this morning he showered and couldn't get the hair to stop falling out.  I suppose it will keep falling out for a few more days.

We took the shuttle to the clinic (shame on us) because he just didn't have the energy to walk.  We waited for medication and hydration after our visits and then walked home.  The weather is much better today, though the sun was hiding.

It was so exciting to walk down the hall to our front door and find these cute mittens greeting us.  We moved them inside so we could see them throughout the day as we walk by.  They are another sweet kindness from the Hutch School children. 

The Hutch School kids are missing their holidays at home too, so doing these nice things for us must make their hearts feel better.  We're going to have to come up with a nice little Christmas surprise for each of them.  Think...think...think!  I'm going to have to find out how many children there are.

One thing I do know  - when we go shopping I'm going to get a wreath for the door.  Won't that be lovely! 

Christmas is certainly on it's way.  Signs are showing up everywhere.  We have received a few Christmas cards and gifts and we thank you all for thinking of us over here!   I went down to get the mail today and we got a note telling us there were packages in the office for us.  I thought it was stuff I ordered, but, Oh what fun it was to find surprises along with the things I ordered. 

These two cute things from my wonderful visiting teachers -

 

 

We also received a gift for under our tree ..., um ..., we are working on that ..., the tree that is.  

We thought the kids might come see us tomorrow, but we were running into some conflicts, so we are thinking they will come Sunday.  It's been about a month since we have been home, so it'll be good to see them sometime soon.  They will bring one of our trees with them.


Now here is a link Connor shared with us - you should enjoy it too.

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2874125972001

Sunday

I started this Sunday as usual - reading scriptures and emailing my missionaries.  It's one of the few things we do that remind us it's Sunday.  We miss church meetings but enjoy listening to conference messages on the computer.  Today we enjoyed the Christmas Devotional.  It was filled with beautiful messages and music about Christ. So lovely!

We also traveled to the clinic again today for the daily blood draw.  Today we let the cab drivers drive someone else and we walked.

Terry is the same!

T14

Well, cyclosporine levels were high yesterday so today we had to go to the clinic for a blood draw / levels check at 8:00am.  With the temperature being 24 degrees we decided to take a taxi instead of walking. 

I'll spare you the details, but it took three calls to get the taxi to us.  Oh Bother!
Then riding back it took two calls.  What's up with the taxi drivers here today?   They are pretty crazy fast drivers here too.  It seems like they throw us around a lot.

We waited at the clinic to get his lab results in case he needed a platelets infusion, but we were surprised to find that the platelets were up to 21 ..., I know, that is still low, but it's better than the 11, 12, 14 that they have been lately. 

Other counts are still low but remember, they are expected to be low.  We can hardly wait until they start going up.  It might help him start feeling a little better.

 
One more day down!
Actually, two weeks down!

T12

Today we had a blood draw and a team visit, ending with a chest x-ray. 

We rode the shuttle over to the clinic but walked back because they put Terry in contact isolation which means he cannot ride the shuttle.  Oh Bother!   It was a cold walk, but it felt good to walk.

He is still in a somewhat critical condition, no crowds or visitors, just be careful and rest.

So, that's what we are doing!

T11

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SKYLER!

We rode to the clinic today because it was too cold to walk.  We had a blood draw and a nutrition visit.  They really try to make sure that their patients are doing well in every way.   Terry still feels nauseous and tired and cold ....  He has a couple weeks of this left, but we are happy to get through one day at a time.

We got a package of mail from home today, and along with the oodles of doctor bills, etc., we found two envelopes with precious messages and art work from Auger and Akleigh. Thank you!  We love you!

We added them to the other lovely décor we put up in our apartment a few days ago - art work from Brayden, Tawny, Ethan, and Maddie.  Thanks again, we love you!

They make us smile!  :)

T10

It's beginning to feel like I could just write DITTO about Terry's health condition.  He is not feeling terrific, but he is fine. 

We didn't walk to the clinic for blood draw today, we took the shuttle both ways, because it was so cold and Terry just didn't feel like walking it. 

I was taking his temperature this morning with a thermometer we run across the forehead and down to the temple, and then read my findings out loud, "err".  Terry heard this of course and asked if I was calling him an air head.  Well, never a dull moment!   He then proceeded to tell me how to pronounce error (with 2 syllables).  I confess that I was just saying it like it was ..., I mean reading it like it read.  ;)

We're still having fun!  Have I told you lately that I love him?  I do!

Terry did not have a fever, but isn't feeling well enough to prove it sometimes.  One of our responsibilities is to take his temperature twice a day, and we are to call in if it gets to 100.9, which luckily it never has gone over 100. 

One little change is that we were able to move one set of meds with another, so that he now only has medicines 5 times a day instead of 6.  It's slightly easier.  

We are still infusing hydration once a day, and magnesium has been added to it.  And he still does the nasal rinse/irrigation twice a day.

Missing home and family, but all is well ... we will carry on!

T9 and our Missionaries

Our appointments were late today so we walked to the clinic for a 3:00 blood draw and 4:00 team visit, then waited at the pharmacy for hydration.  It was dark and cold by the time we were done (5:15), so we took the shuttle back to the apartment. 

There isn't a new report to give, things continue as expected, slow but steady.


However, we did get photos from each of our missionaries today and we think you might enjoy seeing them too.

Chase and ?  Does anyone recognize this guy?  Somebody should ... how about the Lee family?
Chase and his comp were able to go to the UNR vs BYU game (they are teaching one of the UNR players) and he found this young man, a cheerleader for BYU, who is related to the Lee family.
Reminder - Chase is in the Nevada Reno mission, June 2012-2014.
Address - 3986 Bellmore Way; Reno NV 89503

Connor and other missionaries.
Reminder - Connor is serving in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh mission, January 2013-2015
Address - 16 York Avenue Apt #2; Towanda PA 18848

It was so fun to see photos of them.  They look pretty much the same, though they have each probably gained some weight. 

Happy December to All!

As I sat at the table working on a puzzle this morning I could hear a lot of noise outside.  I wondered if it was people in the park playing ball or kids having fun, but it sounded like it could be a group of people watching a fight or brawl and cheering on the fighters, so I was concerned about walking to the clinic with the unknown noise so close.  I'm such a pessimist at times.

Just before we left our apartment we heard a siren and the noise stopped.  We went outside and took a look down the street to see what the noise was and if we felt safe walking.  That's when I felt pretty silly - the noise was definitely people cheering on other people, but it was for the Seattle Marathon that took place today.  They ran down the street on the other end of our block (Republican).  Well, that was exciting.

It was even more fun to see the runners as we rounded the corner up on Eastlake Ave. We could see where they were all coming from.

People everywhere ...

 

Exciting.

Terry read (and completed) a book titled Journal of the Trail.  It was interesting to learn some things he hadn't remembered or been aware of.
I put the other puzzle together. 

It's interesting how a puzzle takes shape.  I always start with the edges, but then I get pulled in by certain colors or designs and do that group first.  With this puzzle I wasn't sure what I would do first, but I was pulled right into the horizon starting from right to left, and the clouds and sky.  The last part was the lower right corner of weeds - it was most tricky.

Have a great day!