The Progeny
Big Doin's
Things are all abuzz, here at the "Big House." Tonight is the 20th anniversary open house and people are scurrying around with a multitude of preparations. I heard tell of hor d'oeuvres being prepared last night. Something of a shrimpy nature, I believe. At this very moment, the conservative Mennonite girls who help maintain this home are downstairs in their plain dresses and black coverings, helping to arrange the napkins and champagne and wine glasses on the serving table. (You'd have to grow up Mennonite to truly appreciate the irony in this :-)
I, myself, am presently downing a diet cherry coke, the stongest beverage I imbibe. I know how I am with chocolate, so ain't no way ahma gonna touch somethin' stronger. I could wind up in an alley somewhere, in a tattered hand-me-down coat, my cracked and bleeding fingers clutching the neck of a bottle wrapped in wrinkled brown paper. Oh wait! That's me NOW. (minus the bottle) Excessive hand sanitizer will do that, to a person. Alright, I don't hang around alleys, either.
I am going to slip down before the festivities and take a few pictures with my hi-tech disposable camera. The table does look pretty. And, since most of the children cannot visit us, here, I want to take some pictures of all the different areas and fix them up in a little scrap book. With appropriate and amusing headings, of course.
Though the residents are invited to tonight's party, Loren and I will "lay low" during the actual bash. We don't eat supper until late, anyway. I'll just peek around the corner, and maybe I can catch a glimpse of some fur, or, even a tiara. You know, Barbara Bush used to be on the board of Mayo Clinic, so, it is not outside the realm of possibility that someone famous or notorious could be present. (like Dan Rather) I'll let you know, later.
_____________________
We were able to schedule a haircut for Loren today, in between his various appointments. There is a place on the subway level, probably located under one of the streets. Very easy to wheel to, and recommended by a woman here at the "Big House." The man who cut Loren's hair was like someone out of the Andy Griffith show. A nice, older gentleman, who "used to cut flattops all day long" forty years ago. Finally! Someone able to give Loren the exact rounded flattop he has wanted. It was a pleasure to watch him work and a priviledge to give him a tip. There are all kinds of artists in this world, and I believe we saw one of them in action this morning.
Loren's second rehab session went fine, though I was not encouraged to go observe. I sat out by the windows and read my first John Grisham novel. Later it dawned on me that while my husband was valiantly trying to rebuild atrophied muscles, here I was, a perfectly healthy person, sitting and vegetating with a book. I have vowed to get up and walk at each waiting room. Hopefully, Loren will not be as exhausted "the day after," as he was from the first session.
My lunch consisted of three kinds of veggies. Aren't I being good? Plus, a chocolate chip nut cookie. After all, there's no sense in taking this healthy eating habit to extremes. It was then we received a call that Loren's company has deemed him worthy of extension of his disablity status until January. We were sorta hopin' they might see things that way. *rolls eyes* Though, it might have been fun to hit the streets of Rochester, looking for a job in a wheelchair.
We did find out a little more about the donor heart. The person it came from tested postive for Epstein Barr Virus, (most people do) and Loren is negative. So, starting this Sunday, he will have to have regular IV infusions of the anti-viral drug, Cyto Gam. It will occur on day 28 (from transplant) day 42, 56, and then on a monthly basis, for about a year. I am wondering if there is anything ELSE we will discover. (OK, now that I look it up, I remember being told during the initial week of tests, back in Feb. that they found Loren had never had mono, and that was unusual. Guess he was saving himself for me :-)
Well, must go down and snap a few pics. Fame waits for no man.
Tweet
I, myself, am presently downing a diet cherry coke, the stongest beverage I imbibe. I know how I am with chocolate, so ain't no way ahma gonna touch somethin' stronger. I could wind up in an alley somewhere, in a tattered hand-me-down coat, my cracked and bleeding fingers clutching the neck of a bottle wrapped in wrinkled brown paper. Oh wait! That's me NOW. (minus the bottle) Excessive hand sanitizer will do that, to a person. Alright, I don't hang around alleys, either.
I am going to slip down before the festivities and take a few pictures with my hi-tech disposable camera. The table does look pretty. And, since most of the children cannot visit us, here, I want to take some pictures of all the different areas and fix them up in a little scrap book. With appropriate and amusing headings, of course.
Though the residents are invited to tonight's party, Loren and I will "lay low" during the actual bash. We don't eat supper until late, anyway. I'll just peek around the corner, and maybe I can catch a glimpse of some fur, or, even a tiara. You know, Barbara Bush used to be on the board of Mayo Clinic, so, it is not outside the realm of possibility that someone famous or notorious could be present. (like Dan Rather) I'll let you know, later.
_____________________
We were able to schedule a haircut for Loren today, in between his various appointments. There is a place on the subway level, probably located under one of the streets. Very easy to wheel to, and recommended by a woman here at the "Big House." The man who cut Loren's hair was like someone out of the Andy Griffith show. A nice, older gentleman, who "used to cut flattops all day long" forty years ago. Finally! Someone able to give Loren the exact rounded flattop he has wanted. It was a pleasure to watch him work and a priviledge to give him a tip. There are all kinds of artists in this world, and I believe we saw one of them in action this morning.
Loren's second rehab session went fine, though I was not encouraged to go observe. I sat out by the windows and read my first John Grisham novel. Later it dawned on me that while my husband was valiantly trying to rebuild atrophied muscles, here I was, a perfectly healthy person, sitting and vegetating with a book. I have vowed to get up and walk at each waiting room. Hopefully, Loren will not be as exhausted "the day after," as he was from the first session.
My lunch consisted of three kinds of veggies. Aren't I being good? Plus, a chocolate chip nut cookie. After all, there's no sense in taking this healthy eating habit to extremes. It was then we received a call that Loren's company has deemed him worthy of extension of his disablity status until January. We were sorta hopin' they might see things that way. *rolls eyes* Though, it might have been fun to hit the streets of Rochester, looking for a job in a wheelchair.
We did find out a little more about the donor heart. The person it came from tested postive for Epstein Barr Virus, (most people do) and Loren is negative. So, starting this Sunday, he will have to have regular IV infusions of the anti-viral drug, Cyto Gam. It will occur on day 28 (from transplant) day 42, 56, and then on a monthly basis, for about a year. I am wondering if there is anything ELSE we will discover. (OK, now that I look it up, I remember being told during the initial week of tests, back in Feb. that they found Loren had never had mono, and that was unusual. Guess he was saving himself for me :-)
Well, must go down and snap a few pics. Fame waits for no man.
Tweet
posted by Ma Hoyt | 4:44 PM
4 Comments:
YES, I WAS SAVING MYSELF. I never kissed another female friend until YOU, Sweetheart. Unless you want to count that girl in the 2nd grade who I kissed twice on the top of her head as I passed by her seat.
Hey! You never told me about HER.
*sigh* (the wife is always the last to know)
Yous guys (Philly for y'all) crack me up!
Loren, how are you feeling compared to before the transplant? I know your heart is steady now, and you still have a long way to go, but I just wonder how you'd say you feel now compared to before.
Becky, I know how bad my hands get in the winter with normal washing. I can't imagine what all that extra sanitizing would do.
Sharon, the elder
Sharon from Philly,
I am TRYING to get Loren to post more than the occasional comment. I think people would like to hear things from HIS perspective.
As to my hands, they are really not that bad. I have *ahem* once or twice, (three times, TOPS) resorted to ever so slight exaggeration, for the purpose of more enjoyable communiqués.
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