Alone again, unnaturally....

Hello again from PA, where the lonely creaking of trees in the wind and the distinct absence of doggie nails clicking on the laminate floor was driving me mad last night....not too acustomed to being home alone! Glad it was only for one night.

I arrived to my very empty, forlorn house last night but picked up my pooch from his babysitter Laurie this morning...who only spoiled him a bit last week, right Laurie? I stocked up on groceries, visited my mom, marked my X on a ballot, then welcomed Stephen home from PEI around 9ish this evening. He was very happy but tired and said in his few words that they had a blast. He actually spent some money this time around, and bought home a few souvenirs. (On his last soccer trip he only bought a small tin of mints....who does he take after? Not mom!) Guess what he bought you, Donovan?...you'll have to wait till we come down there again to find out....They finished in seventh place out of 15 or 16 teams, but only lost one game, I believe. I'm not very good at stats or scores, but I know they played their hearts out, and have had a phenomenal season. I believe Ontario took the gold medal. I'll get Stephen to correct me on all the technical stuff tomorrow.

Good news from Edmonton arrived via text message from my boys at the hospital this morning....no more fluid-lowering drugs are needed, so two meds can be discontinued! (this brings us down to about a mere 28 meds) Also, ta-da! Lung function scores are on the rise again!!! FEV1 is 68% and that is very good news indeed! Laurier and Donovan also purchased a blood pressure cuff, and Donovan will take his own blood pressure daily from now on. He'll bring the results in to clinic each week. The next step, probably in a few weeks time will be for him to do his own lung function tests at home as well. He'll receive training on this from the hospital folks. Medical degree to follow in the years that come.....

More good news is that Donovan is feeling like getting out a little each day, even if only to pick up a few things at the grocery store and the like. This means he's getting stronger and the new lungs are supplying him with energy. Isn't God amazingly good to us!

Donovan's going to work on setting us up for web-cam chats on the computer. I think this will really help us not to miss each other quite so much. Once I chat with Stephen's teachers I'll figure out when we can head back to Edmonton. I think it will do these brothers a whole lot of good to spend some time with each other....

I have to mention again the generosity of so many as we have gone through this trial and triumph....I came home last night to a beautiful letter from someone in our church, totally unknown to me. I wept as read of her support in prayer as she followed our journey through the blog and updates at church. She belongs to "Mom's Morning Out" a group I was a part of for many years, and they enclosed a cheque to help us along. Thank you Carissa, your words touched my heart! And thank you so much to "Mom's" your support is so appreciated! Your prayers are our lifeline....

Sears held another bake sale for Donovan this weekend, which I'm told was a huge success. Thank you to my sisters Ghislaine & Jewel, my mother-in-law Laurentie, and all the bakers at Sears! Donovan is so appreciative of you, as we all are. The support "back home" means so much and helps him journey on each day.

I was chatting with a friend today about what this new life could mean to Donovan...school, a career, time to explore his passion for photography, who knows? I think the main thing is that these new lungs give him a chance, not a second chance, but a first chance.

Life before transplant meant treatments, drugs, rest, hospital, and so many days just not feeling well enough to do anything. He really was not able to contemplate more than the next day ahead. He didn't have the mental or physical energy to figure out what he wanted from life, or what he was interested in pusuing. How wonderful that he now will have time and energy to get that chance. We are so excited for him! Praise God for this chance!

While we thank you for all your prayers for Donovan, we ask that you continue to pray these lungs will become "one with him" ----no rejection, no infection. So far, so good!

Praise God with us that the med. schedule is now far less daunting, as are trips to the hospital. You can get used to anything after a while, it seems...

And today marks our one month and one day transplant anniversary...while we are in awe of all that has happened, we also remember our precious donor family. Please hold them in prayer as they grieve the loss of their child/sibling. Please ask God with us that they recieve an extra measure of grace and support, supernatural strength and healing to go on each day. We came so close to losing our son, I cannot imagine their grief at this time.

Well, off to bed and watch the election wind-up rhetoric. That should lull me to sleep, I'm sure!

God Bless you all,

Beth