Friday, June 29

HOME AT LAST!!!!!  We arrived back in Cove around 7:30 Tuesday evening.  It was a long day and drive but it felt so good to see our home again…  We both slept good in our own bed.   

Since then we have been busy working on unpacking the RV and finding homes for all the stuff we accumulated in the last 14 months.  Violet loves the yard and being able to run and not be always on a leash.  We are working on her barking though.  She barks whenever someone goes by on the road and sometimes runs out to greet them.  Fortunately it doesn’t happen often!  She doesn’t go after cars, just people walking, jogging or bicycling. 

Can’t believe what incredible friends we have!  Our yard looks like a park and we have been gone 14 months!  Libby had a bottle of wine chilling for us, some snacks to go with it, signs along the highway and in the yard, and then she even brought dinner!  Oh, and potted flowers on the patio and a tomato and pepper plant!  Wayne and Rosemary also brought a nice hanging basket.  I was overwhelmed…. 

Today I went to the Mennonite (neighbors) nursery on the corner to buy a few more plants and Esther gave me a beautiful hanging basket.  She said she and Harley were going to bring one down but since we were there she wanted me to pick it out. 

We are finding we need to get used to the elevation here.  We have lived close to sea level for 14 months and now at 3400’ so we tire easily.  Definitely taking our time unloading the RV but there is no hurry!  Lots of naps. 

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement during this journey.  I just can’t say enough about our friends, family and neighbors….  You have been wonderful.

Tuesday, June 26

The last few days have been emotional.  We had lunch with Paul and Caron at JAKs, a popular restaurant here in Seattle.  It was great to get together and we hope to visit them in Homer some day and maybe they will visit us in Cove before they head north.

Sunday we had another great meal at Dan and Terri’s and it was a nice evening.  So emotional to leave the friends we have made here in Seattle and our support system here.  It is kind of like leaving the nest….

Monday evening we took dinner to Billie and Steve’s house.  Billie has been on the transplant list for almost a year.  Violet played with Buddy and we enjoyed visiting.  Hope Billie gets new lungs soon…    

Said goodbye to our RV Park family. 

Friday, June 22

Drove to Leavenworth last Saturday and wished we had gone during the week as it was pretty crowded.  We did spend some time shopping and walking through the main area.  Violet was in the car and it was a warm day so we didn’t stay long.  I got a chance to drive and that was fun.  Bob didn’t appear to be tooooo nerrrrrrvous… 

Saturday evening we attended the monthly pot luck at the yurt and it was a full house!  I made chicken enchiladas Friday night so all we had to do was put them in the oven when we got back from our day trip and that worked well.  We sat outside even though it was a bit chilly and windy. 

Violet was groomed on Sunday morning and she looks really good.  She enjoys making her rounds of the park and greeting the other dogs along the way.

Monday I drove myself to get a pedicure!!  It was really fun to be on my own again and not feel dependent on Bob to haul me around. 

Tuesday we went to Maltby Café with John and Karen Nelson (‘cousins’ who took care of Violet while I was in the hospital, before Libby took her home).  It was fun and of course way too much food!

Dr. Raghu visit on Wednesday and he surprised us by saying we could move home anytime!!!  He wants to see me in 6 weeks and then if all is well, in 3 months.  I do have a low white cell count they are monitoring and I will need one more blood draw.  That is planned for Tuesday morning and we are hoping to be on the road home on Wednesday morning.  I can get periodic blood draws at the hospital in La Grande after that. 

We saw Paul and Caron at Dr. Raghu’s office and she is looking great after just 3 weeks!  Got her staples out and is feeling good. 

After the doctor visit, we headed to Beaverton to pick up some stuff we had stored at Jim & Marci’s house.  Had a nice visit with Marci and Cassie and spent the night there.  Jim was in China…. 

Thursday morning Bob attended a volunteer training with ‘Donate Life’ in downtown Portland.  He is still wanting to speak at various service organizations (Rotary, Lions, etc.) about organ donation.  Not sure when we will start that but it will be fun to travel around the state promoting organ donation and seeing the sights as well. 

In the near future we have lots of settling in to do at home!  Cassie is planning to spend late July and most of August with us.  She has really missed our home in Cove as much as we have. 

Thank you all for traveling this amazing journey with us.  With any luck, the next blog will be from home!!!!  And then maybe on the road for more of ‘Nelsons’ Travels’. 

Did you know that the human body donation of organs or components can save or enhance the lives of 32 separate people?   Please Donate Life. 

Friday, June 15

I’m finally enjoying planning meals, shopping and cooking!  It has been so long since I have been able to do that… 

Kathy and Mike from Post Falls came on Monday for dinner and we did some meat on the Traeger.  I made all the sides and it was really fun.  The weather was nice enough we were able to sit outside at the picnic table for the first time since Mother’s Day.  Mike had appointments at UW and said things are fine.  He doesn’t have to come back for 6 months!!! 

Tuesday was the Lung Transplant Support Group Meeting and my first one since transplant.  It was great to see everyone and to be on the recovery side of things.  Tad from Montana who was transplanted about a week after me was there too and looked really good. 

Caron went home after only being in the hospital two weeks and seems to be doing great also.  It is so wonderful to be a part of this group of people who appreciate every breath they take.  We will probably be friends for life!

Tuesday was Bob’s birthday so Kathy and Mike brought him an ice cream ‘log’ from Baskin Robbins.  It was delicious. 

Libby and Richard drove here on Tuesday to help celebrate Bob’s birthday.  We fixed dinner here in the RV and played our pegs and jokers game.  They brought Violet back and it is wonderful to have her with us again.  She is a little bummed that she didn’t get to go with them when they left though.  They kept her so busy and she had Bell to play with.

They brought their truck and loaded it up with a bunch of our stuff.  We have accumulated so much since we have been here the past 14 months that there was no way it would fit in our truck/RV and Durango.  It will take a long time to sort through it all when we get home…

Really sick Wednesday night from something I ate…  Managed to get through the night but stayed on the couch most of Thursday recovering.  Bob was not feeling great either.  Glad that is behind us…

Had therapy this morning and V went with Bob on his walk.  It is a beautiful sunny day finally!  We both got haircuts and we are getting new batteries in the truck.  It has been dead the last 4 or 5 times Bob has tried to start it. 

We might drive to Leavenworth tomorrow…  Want to try some elevation to see if it affects my breathing and I need to practice driving again.  Haven’t driven for about 18 months.  This activity is a little scary for Bob, but he will make every effort to sit quiet…..

Another potential transplant has moved into the rv park.  A 36 year old guy waiting for a heart.  Has a backpack with a pump for his artificial heart.  Another potential heart recipient will be here in a few weeks.  I think there are at least 12 units here on some form of medical need. 

Friday, June 8

Had appointments on Tuesday with Primary Care Physician (for annual check-up), and Dr, Raghu.  Both were good…
Dr. Raghu said it was time we started thinking about going home.  He wants to see me two more times which would mean 4 weeks since I see him every two weeks.  On our next visit, however, we are going to talk to him about going home the end of June so we don’t have to pay for another month’s rent here at the RV park.  If necessary we could just pay a day at a time if he insists that we stay into July…. 

Continue to go to therapy 3 times a week and doing as much as I possibly can there.  Want to take advantage of it since it won’t be available at home.  We also continue to walk around the park at least once a day, weather permitting!!!  It has been rather wet here lately and not very warm. 

Had a mammogram on Friday after therapy (ouch!!!).  Wasn’t sure how it was going to go with my incision still tender and glad it is over for another year…. 

Jack and Laurie (they bought our RZR) came from Hood River to visit us Friday evening.  We had a wonderful visit with them and I was able to enjoy cooking dinner!  They brought some pictures of their good times with the RZR and we are so glad they are enjoying it.   It was adopted by a good family. 

Looking forward to being home soon……  Bob is mentally packing all the stuff. 

Friday, June 1

Another week flew by!  Made it to week 7 post transplant and feeling good.

We did make a quick trip to Portland on Monday for a Tuesday appointment at the VA for Bob so he could get a cortisone shot in his lower back for pain.  It has been long overdue….  The trip was uneventful and we had a chance to visit with Jim, Marci and Cassie.

Jim left Tuesday morning for Hungary and Austria for business.  He will be gone about 10 days, then home a week and off to China!  He is quite the world traveler.  He likes his job though and shouldn’t have to travel again for awhile.  Marci is busy with work and school and Cassie is counting the days until school is out!  We had dinner at her favorite place on Tuesday, Olive Garden, and drove back to Bothell on Wednesday morning. 

Appointment with Dr. Rakita, the infectious disease doctor, on Thursday.  He said to finish the course of antibiotics but that I don’t need to see him again unless something comes up. 

Our friend Caron finally got new lungs on Monday night!!  We are so happy for Caron and Paul.  Went to see her before the appointment with Dr. Rakita and she looks good.  Said she might be out of ICU sometime today.

Pulmonary Rehab was great this week.  I actually look forward to going again and being able to challenge myself with the machines and exercises.  No more oxygen and gasping for every breath!!!!

We are thinking about a different RV but don’t know what it might be yet.  It is so nice to dream again!!!  Had gotten to the point pre-transplant that we didn’t think more than a day or two in the future because we didn’t know how long I had left. 

Look forward to going home in another 4 to 6 weeks if all goes well.  It is going to seem weird to be home after spending the last 15 months living here!