21
Mar

Happy Cow Creamery

   Posted by: Lightning   in Uncategorized

I hope all is well with you and you are having a great day. I got this info yesterday and thought you might enjoy it also. I think the milk has helped me I have been drinking it for a while on & off. I have been more steadfast with it since my surgery and I think it has helped my blood sugar numbers and maybe my weight. I told Tom yesterday that God has answered many prayers and done more than I expected and then there was Happy Cow milk. Tom rephrased it, God then Happy Cow milk.

Tom also is the nation winner of The Patrick Madden Award for the Sustainable Farmer of the Year, 2002 USDA-SHARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education)

Go to these links or go to the farm you won’t regreat it.

www.happycowcreamery.com

www.eatwild.com

332 McKelvey Road
Pelzer, SC 29669

864-243-9699

Store Hours

M – F 9:00 – 7:00
Saturday 9:00 – 5:00
Closed Sundays

To schedule a tour

864-243-5928

21
Mar

Pain that you Thank Someone for:

   Posted by: Lightning   in Uncategorized

Update From Possum Kingdom and of course Words of Wisdom,

Well it is a beautiful day here in Possum Kingdom, sun shinning and a warming upon my face. If your face gets to hot get out of the sun.

Words of Wisdom from Possum Kingdom:

Spring is in the air and it should be, look at the beautiful blooms.
Spring has sprung, but the onions in your front yard are not for the kitchen table. They are a little small and a wee bit bitter.

I just wanted to post an update on my visit to Charleston on Monday March 19, 2007.

We arrived in Charleston Sunday night around midnight; we stayed with Abigail as long as we could. We got a good nights rest and went to Rutledge Tower Monday morning.

My day started with my visit to see the vampires, they are really sweet ladies, but they will take your blood out of you right in front of you, and then you thank them. For what, for sticking you with a needle and then filling up tube after tube of your on blood.

I then went to see the great folks on the 9th floor. The transplant team. They are the greatest, your are treated with respect, but you will thank them also for hurting you, I guess that’s the way it goes. My surgeons are Dr. Chavin and Dr. Lin, great doctors, see I am bragging on them and you should see the big cut and scar they left behind, but just everybody don’t have a Mercedes on there belly, that what the incision is called, the Mercedes cut. Then there are the great nursing staff, they will put you in a small confined room with no windows and only one door and you know they are outside because you hear them out there talking. They then come in and put a tourniquet on your arm and squeeze it till all the feeling is gone and then they write number down, they call it taking your blood pressure. Then they jab a small tubular item with plastic wrap around it in your mouth, and talk about taking an inner core temperature, makes you wonder about that funny taste in your mouth afterwards. They then ask you a bunch of questions, they mostly talk in letters. Then they quiz you on medication that only the person who though up that goofy name could pronounce it, I guess that’s why they talk in letters. When they are finished you thank them. Then through the door comes a happy and cheerful nurse, who is your coordinator. Except for me I have two wonderful coordinators, but they are both wonderful and a pleasure to spend time with, but what do they do ask you a bunch of questions over and over, I guess its to see if you are paying attention. Then when you answer the wrong way on a question they will cause you pain through what they call a test. For example ever since my transplant they ask me one question over and over, I thought it was a goal. I was so proud I had reached my goal so on the next visit I could not wait to tell them how I had reached the goal and could not wait to what king of prize I would get. You know what I got, more pills to take two more times a day. Then what do you do, you thank them. Debra and Dru are the best but I am not sure why I have two and everyone else has only one, maybe I am special, I really think some one has told a fib about me. I am really not much maintenance; just ask me I will tell you the truth. The conclusion of the clinic visit was every thing was going great, they lowered my medication and even stopped one medication. So on a exiting note as I gazed into the eyes of the staff I saw the tear running down their cheeks and I knew without them saying anything that it was because I was leaving and would not return for a month. I am sure that will give them time for a new set of questions for a quiz and they know I will mess up somewhere and then they get to cause me pain, but in the end I will thank them for the pain and go away quietly.

I then had to go to see the folks who check and see how sweet you are. They could have ask the last folks they know, but no they have their on set of test question. My visit here on the 7th floor was with the Diabetes folk. These folks teach you how to hurt yourself, like giving yourself a shot and then you thank them. I have been on insulin since the surgery, they told me that was drug induced, in other words the prednisone make you blood sugar number go up. They took me off of the insulin on Monday and as for now I am not even taking an oral medication.

God is continuing to bless me and my family every day, each morning is a blessing and each evening; don’t take them for granted I sure don’t.

I hope you see the humor in my statement, all the folks at MUSC are the best and they enjoy what they do, I will always be indebted to them. You know I again have another branch to my family tree, the staff at MUSC. From the Super Nurses and staff on 6E to the Super Nurses and staff in the intensive care unit. To the Super Nurses and staff at Rutledge Tower, and of course all the doctors, from the boys to the attending, every one is Super. I am a big fan of MUSC.

God also blessed us with safe traveling mercies to and from Charleston.

I talked a lot about MUSC, but there are some other Super people out there, and that is you. Thank you for the prayers before during and after my liver transplant.

Most of all I thank God for listening to every prayer and answering them 10 fold and much more that I deserved.

Thank You God,

For the strips on the back of Jesus I might be healed and the suffering and death on the cross that I might be saved. Praise God that I am saved and healed.

If things went bad now, I have received much more than I deserve.

Well that’s the update from Possum Kingdom; I hope you have a great day or a good night if it’s already dark.

I Thank & Love you every one.

God Bless You,

Pel

6
Mar

The Good Doctor

   Posted by: Lightning   in Uncategorized

We, Claire & I, arrived at MUSC this morning (Monday 3/5/2007) about 0715hrs to have my visit with the vampires, I could just about get the blood out myself and even put it in the right color tubes.

Abigail sure was upset about this trip, she had to stay with Papa & Deede. She told Claire that she had been on every trip and she needed to be there to hear what the doctor had to say, she just did not want to hear it over the phone. She was not able to go but she was happy, Deeda kept her busy, they even baked cookies after school. They started their PACT testing at school this week.

We found out today that I only had to receive 8 units of blood, a far less amount than what could have been required. ( I think I spilt two units when I blew open my juggler veins, and they give a rough bath after you make a mess like.)

My liver numbers as The Good Doctor stated looked beautiful, never had liver and beautiful in the same sentence before, but boy does that verbiage sound great to me know.

I have been having a little pain under my left arm in the middle if my ribs and it sometimes hurts to the touch, then it will move around to my back. The Good Doctor ordered ex rays of my spine and ribs, he said you know we had you stretched open pretty wide. He doesn’t think it is much but he ordered ex rays so that we would know.
(It is probably where they threw me under that bush hog with the one good blade and one bad blade, I think the bad blade just got me in the ribs, it sure made me blue from neck to knees, that bad blade did.)

The Good Doctor said every thing looked wonderful and he would see me in two weeks.

The Good Doctor also said I could drive next Monday. I told Claire to increase the gas budget because come Monday I have got to go. She ask me where I had to go, I told her I did not know, but I was going to drive till I figured it out, might just come see you.

We then had to go see the diabetes folks, and they again cut my insulin back to 10 units in am & 10 units at PM. She stated that maybe by the next visit to Charleston 3/19/2007 that maybe I could go on down to just a pill and no more insulin.

God Bless You,

Lightning

26
Feb

Ringing The Bell and Plaque at the Bell

   Posted by: Lightning   in Uncategorized


Sorry that you can not read the plaque so below is what is on the plaque.

MUSC and the Gift of Life Trust Fund are

honored to be a part of this moment in your

life.

Sailors feel that a bell is the soul of the ship.

The bell is rung onboard ships to signal

accomplishment, honor or momentous events.

You are ringing the bell for another soul:

That of the person whose decision to donate has

allowed you a new start and has given you the

gift of life.

Please cherish this memory and use it to remind

you to honor your donation by living life to the

fullest and taking care of yourself and your

transplant.

Help those who are still on the waiting list by

spreading the word about transplantation and organ

donation, volunteering and setting an example that

organ donation is… The Gift of Life.

21
Feb

   Posted by: Lightning   in Uncategorized

OK I am running behind. We did return home on Monday and the doctor’s visit went great they are pleased with all of my blood work numbers, for the first time in years my liver number are at or near normal.

They took the 68 staples out and I did not even yell.

Ever thing looked good enough that I dont have to go back for 2 weeks now.

God Bless You,

Pel