Greetings From Possum Kingdom,

I hope all is well and I hope you are having a wonderful day or a beautiful night if it is already dark.

Word Of Wisdom
Well as we all know of the tradition last week with the Groundhog and you may or may not believe that the Groundhog can predict the future weather. On the issue of maybe or maybe not, we here in Possum Kingdom have a sure prediction that has been tested for years and we know it to be a fact. That is here in Possum Kingdom we have Possum Night, that is to see if the Possum can cross the road with out becoming road kill, well the test has once again added to the factual results, the Possum can still not get past that second yellow line in the road, oh well Happy Possum Night.

OK I will try to be serious now, I want to try to catch you up since I have been dragging my heals, really I have been chasing my Possum, trying to keep him from being a statistic. He is just hanging around right now, so I wanted to catch you up.

Just to recap a little, about the last two postings, I told you how I was in Charleston, to see the doctor for my one year check up, which by the way my year was up last Tuesday. The liver doctor said that my liver was doing fine, but he had some concerns about some of my blood work, he discovered I had red blood. He changed some of my medication and scheduled blood work the following week. I wanted to wait so I could tell you about those test, but as you know I did not tell you nothing because they did not learn nothing, because for what ever reason the improper test were conducted. Therefore I had to go last Monday to get more blood work drawn. If you remember two of my problems are the fact that I am retaining fluid, not just in my lung area, but all over, the other is this uric acid and the pain that it causes all over my body. I gladly went to have the blood work drawn again so maybe they could treat my uric acid levels. I received notice back from the doctor’s office that my liver number are up a little, still in normal range, my creatinine is still way to high for them to administer Indocin to me to treat the uric acid. What does that mean, well as I understand it; my kidneys are not acting right and if they administered the Indocin to me right now, that could damage my kidneys more than what they already are. I guess I will have to wait until February 25, 2008 to have more blood work drawn.

I am up to a weekly call to the lung doctor in Charleston, still waiting for that return call. He sure must be busy, but he sure is seeing my name and number a lot or at least someone is. The fluid is still about the same, for some reason I am having some pains, just minor like cutting your finger nail off in the quick, in the area of the tube, no signs of infection, guess I just needed something new to whine about.

We have gotten some great news about the future of promoting organ, eye and tissue donation. I can’t let the Possum out of the bag yet but keep praying and watching for future events that will promote this great cause. I am so proud of one thing and that is some of the same great folks are working toward this exciting future.

The other event that is so exciting is the gathering of Christian Fire Fighters, we had a wonderful meeting last month we had about 15 present and we are planning another meeting this month on February 28, 2008, the exact time and location to be announced shortly. It was an uplifting event for me as we shared what God has done for us and how we are trying to stay in God’s will and we pray for his blessings on each gathering. We have one goal at each gathering, that is to honor and praise God. We not only feed our hungry souls from God’s word but we feed our bellies, you just can’t get no better than that. Come and join us on February 28, 2008, I will let you know where and what time soon.

A note of what has been taking my time for the past week. Well you know how I love gadgets, so I upgrade my Nextel phone to a hybrid phone, Sprint voice & data with Nextel walkie-talkie. OK no big deal right, wrong. This thing has a bunch of gadgets for the gadgets and now I am at one week still trying to learn all that it can do. I can talk, text, IM, e-mail, browse the internet, play games, get directions and even carry on a conversation with just my phone with voice commands. The tech support people now know me well. I have cause things to happen to this ic902 that they did not know it could even do must less how to fix it, so I have figured some of them out. The biggest issue right now that is whopping me is the e-mail notification, it will notify me when ever it wants to or when I want to use the phone, so I have to figure out how to make it inform me without bothering me, I let you know how all this works out.

Have a great day
or night if it is already dark,

God Bless You,

Pel

Good Afternoon From Possum Kingdom,

I have some exciting news to tell you about, but you will only hear it right here. BREAKING NEWS, according to an expert deep in Possum Kingdom. According to the calendar and the ice on the STOP sign it is winter in Possum Kingdom. You know you can’t get this type of information just anywhere.

Now on to other news, well as you know from the last post I was in Charleston to see the doctor. He stated that all my liver number look great and the liver is doing great. The report did show an elevation in my kidney functions, so they changed my Prograf amount. They also changed some other medications around to help with some of the other number that were out of wack. I therefore had to go to see the vampires this morning so they could see if the medication change has worked. If it has then they will start to treat my uric acid which has risen and put me aching all over. So as of now I just sit and wait. I spoke with the lung doctor’s office while I was in Charleston, the doctor was out but I am awaiting on a call. The fluid is still the same amount every three days. I am not sure if you remember but I am approaching my one year anniversary for my transplant on January 29.

I am excited how God is working in my life, as he has arranged for another speaking engagement this Thursday evening with a group of fellow firefighters at Washington Baptist Church. I also have another speaking engagement coming up in March. God Is Awesome. God has also opened the doors at our church, Cedar Shoal Baptist and we have formed a new Sunday school class, The Open Arms class, I was elected as the class president and one of three teachers.
Are you attending Sunday School? If not come and join us, we are going to have fun serving & learning more about Jesus.

Praise God,

God Bless You,
Pelham,
Pel,
Lightning

Hello my trusted friends and family. I am in the ole city of Charleston on a foggy Sunday night. The weather man just told me that it’s gonna get cooler here. I hope I ain’t here long enough to prove him right or wrong.

Well I am sitting in my home away from home waiting on my appointment tomorrow morning. I have had a thought about all these doctor’s visits and one thing I have came up with is statistics. Yelp if I die after January 29, 2008 I will not be a stat for MUSC since the ratings of survival are based on that first year, don’t get excited I ain’t about to be a stat, sorry.

Well it’s getting late and I really don’t have any new news, the fountain is still leaking about the same. I was tempted today at Auto Zone to buy some Stop Leak. I will give you an update after I talk with the doctor and I answer all of his questions, you know how doctors are!

God Bless You,
Good Night,

Lightning

OK so I am 8 days late, when an hour turns into a day and nobody is fussing who keeps up with time, not me.

Well the New Year is now a thing for history, I hope you ate your greens and black eyed peas, we sure did, of course you know any thing that promotes eating I am gonna remember that.

This will be kinda short, but since my last trip to Charleston nothing much has happened on the doctor’s end but I am keeping up my end of the deal I am still make that protein juice, no buyers yet. I did have a visit with my local doctor and he is awaiting some blood work and he is going to cut a new stick and do some stirring, my luck it will fall into the hands of Claire and we all knows what happens then. So if my blog becomes later and later call Claire and I am sure time will matter to me then.

I will be headed to Charleston soon for my one year check up. I am not sure if I will get a prize or if I am suppose to carry one, but as long as I don’t die before January 29 I will have made it for one year. Well don’t get excited, because I am feeling pretty good and chances are I will make it past that date. Besides look at all the people I have to harass yet!

Some great family news, Sunday January 5 Abigail got saved, Claire and I sure are proud parents.

Some sad news, on Sunday I attended a funeral for a very dear friend, Mr. Wade Phillips. Wade was one of those men that comes into your life and he is always there, but never wants to be in the way, just to help. Wade and Joan had to put up with a lot years ago because they inherited another mouth to feed and another worry of who their son was out with. They acted like I would go in a burning building with their son and they were right. Todd Phillips and his family is my family. Todd is a brother of mine and that history goes way on back. Even his Mama and sister said we looked like twins, must have been that fat roll on the back of our heads. Todd is one of those men just like his Daddy always there. I offer my daily prayers for the Phillips family and I ask that you include them in your daily prayers. We all know that it’s the days after the crowd has gone when they need to be held up the most and God know when those moments are. Please just pray for that loving peace in their hearts, Wade can never be replace and no one would wants to try, Wade is where we all look forward to going one day. Wow, what must it be like to see Jesus face to face, a crown, golden streets and to kneel at the feet of Almighty God as he welcomes you home. Jesus said I will go and prepare a place for you and I will come again for you. Wade’s place was ready, ours will be one day. Be sure you are ready! Praise God Almighty.

God Bless You,
Lightning