Progress, Saps Anonymous and the Gas Cartel

100 Days Almost Over

Progress

Right now, there are 3 hours, 49 Minutes and 2 seconds left in Pam's 100 days.  Progress is slow, but inexorable (how is that for a word, huh??)  She is eating better, has more energy, less nausea, less shakiness, less fatigue.  (Not nearly the same thing as normal energy, no nausea, no shakiness, and no fatigue, but it is a start!)

She and Bonnie came back from Dr. Holtan's office today with a great report. All of her blood numbers look good, and we are going to start a very slow prednisone taper again. And, big news, she is going to get her "Neostar Triple Lumen Central Catheter" removed very soon.  That will be a big day. Every day that thing stays in it is a potential source of infection.

Mexico with Mr and Mrs Wire

The Camera Adds 50 lbs
..... at least

As for me, I have been goofing off in Mexico for a few days at Playa Del Carmen, where my niece, Rachael, married a very nice young man named Clay Wire. My nephew Joe officiated. I really wish Pam could have come. It was a great venue, and she would have loved it.

Anyway, during the reception I cried, as is my habit, because I am a sap. I am going to join Saps Anonymous along with my brother in law, Dean Brandstetter, who may have a bigger Sap issue than myself.


In spite of all of the unmanly sappiness, we ate great food, drank a lot of mediocre Mexican beer, and had a great time.

Wedding Venue
Made it was hard to go back to work

Gas and Airplanes

I don't mind flying, I just hate sharing the airplane with a bunch of other people. They are, largely, pigs.  On the way down to Mexico, I wrote the following public plea:

"As I am writing this, we are beginning a slow descent into Houston International Airport, and, almost on cue, someone farted. I just discussed this phenomenon with one of my work colleagues yesterday. Somebody, or somebodies, like an organized club of some sort; follows me around to fart on every flight that I book.

Mole was Muy delicioso!

I have been on the look out for the wily flight farter(s), but have not found him/her/them.  The guilty parties remain motionless and look stone-faced and bored, just like everyone else.  Not so much as a giggle, a smug look, or a wry smile.

If you are the Surreptitious Airplane Farter or a member of the Airplane Farting Cabal, and by some divine miracle, you stumbled upon this article, please stop. It isn’t funny. Find something else to amuse yourself or selves.

That is all."

Pass it on...

Lots of shrimp, lime, guacamole

Dorks and Eyelids

More Good than Bad

Fairly uneventful week.  Pam is having more good days than bad days now.  She is eating more "real" food, but still has a problem with fatigue.   The magical 100 days is almost up.  Hopefully Bonnie will be able to sleep in her own bed soon.

Since she is back on a low dose of prednisone, the central catheter will have to stay in for a while longer.  She also had another culture done to see if she still has the flu virus or not.

Channel Surfing with Your Eyes Closed

Also, big news, earlier this week, she was able to go to the grocery store with Bonnie.  Doesn't sound like a big deal, but there are other days, she will fall asleep in the middle of changing the channel on the TV.

"And this is how the cool guys
wear their hats"

The Hops
Here is a picture of Jason and Austin at the new stadium for the Mighty Hillsboro Hops (MHH).  I am still bitter about the Beavers getting kicked out of town by an un-American game, but glad that there is at least some baseball nearby.  Hopefully, Pam will feel up to going to a game soon.

The MHH lost their first game ever to the hated Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.  Doug Drabek is the MHH pitching coach, believe it or not.

Bridgeport has a special new beer to commemorate the occasion, and they are having a Longball Ale Release Party today.

My Project

I know the picture here is a little disturbing to most of you mature adults.  Don't be alarmed. I am going to work with Jason on how to wear a baseball hat before it rubs off on innocent little Austin and he makes them both look like dorks.

Some things you have to take a stand on.

Lazy and Weird

Lazy Saturday Morning

Feeling Lazy

Just got my morning cup o' go juice at the local Starbucks. As I was walking back, decided to take a picture of the streetcar tracks.  I don't know why.

Twenty days left in the magical 100 days. 115 days since the transplant. Earlier this week, I took Pam back up to the Rat Maze because she was not doing at all well. This fatigue, nausea, vomiting were getting out of hand.  After ruling out any serious setbacks, they put her back on a low dose of prednisone.  It was like magic.  By the next day, she was feeling OK and every meal was no longer an adventure.  Plan is to taper this relatively low dose of prednisone very slowly. Minor bump in the road, but it does mean that she will be on insulin longer, and will probably need to keep her central catheter in for a while.

Cancun

In a couple of weeks, I am going to Cancun for a few days to attend my niece, Rachael's wedding. I have only met her fiance, Clay, once, but he seems like a great kid. (Kid... he is an attorney, he may be over 30 for all I know. I have no idea. Crap I'm old.) Anyway, Pam and I are happy for both of them.

It will be good seeing my parents, sisters and their families. I am sure we will have a good time, but it is hard for me to look forward to it when I have to leave Pam here.

She is going to stay with her parents during that time, and I'm sure her Dad will enjoy doting on her for a while.  I think Pam is looking forward to getting out of here for a few days.

Weird and Getting Weirder

One of my favorite blogger - philosophers is a guy named Seth Godin. I highly recommend his blog to anyone. He just wrote another post explaining that we are all weird, and getting weirder. Seth's Blog. Turns out "Zylin" is becoming one of the top 1000 most common names for babies these days.

One of my many weirdnesses is skimming through the obits almost every day.  I have them delivered to my email from the Oregonian. It is kind of funny, because the email comes in titled Your Daily Obituaries.  Now that is weird.

I don't know why, but reading about the extraordinary lives that have been led by ordinary people like you and me is inspiring.

Very weirdly yours.... 

Chicken, Boost, and Biscuits

Chicken and Biscuits

Shaking it Up

Pam has had a very tough week and is very discouraged.  She has had usual symptoms, only worse: no appetite, fatigue, shakiness, nausea, vomiting. This whole thing is a marathon, and we are working our way up a long hill right now.

Since we have had a bit of a set back, Dr. Holtan has decided to hold off on taking out the central catheter for now, and she increased the dosage of some of the medications she was beginning to taper.

Pam's appetite has been so bad, she is primarily drinking Boost Shakes. We change it up to add variety by adding peanut butter, bananas, soy milk, or all bran.  Sometimes we go plain crazy and use Vanilla Boost instead of Chocolate.  It gets wild.

The Other White and Dark Meat

What little meat she can eat is pretty much limited to chicken, and I have already worked my way through my entire chicken repertoire:  grilled chicken thighs.  So, last week I decided to try cooking a whole chicken in a crock pot. I went all out and bought a free range chicken to see what all of the fuss is about. It was kind of a pain in the butt, frankly, it would have been better and easier to just bake it, but it turned out OK. I couldn't tell the difference between the free range chicken and the little tiny chicken coop chicken. They both taste like chicken.

So, the next night, I made chicken gravy which was actually really good, and we had (rather, I had) chicken over biscuits with chicken gravy. Pam drank a Boost and Banana.  Luckily, Nate came up for a visit and he was able to eat the rest of it.

Stay tuned for more chicken adventures.