Hope and Endurance

Hi everyone!

I realize it has been awhile since I have posted; my apologies.  Life has been a little crazy.  I had lots of testing done to see if I qualify for a transplant.  The bottom line; yes I do qualify!

The University of Cincinnati Medical Center Transplant Services require the testing to be done.  They need to make sure the patient to be healthy enough to receive that valuable organ.  The value as in a life, not in monetarily.  The following testing was required for me:
Nuclear Stress Test
Echocardiogram
Colonoscopy
Vascular Ultrasound
Chest X-ray
Pap Smear
Dental Exam
Vision Exam
Lab work

UC says they check everything from top to bottom, boy did they.  Even with insurance my 20% copay added up quite a bit.  I don't like to think about that.  At least I know the other things are working well!  That is the bright side.  My family has huge cardio/vascular issues thank goodness I have been spared that, at least so far. I still have to have lab work done every month.

I have been struggling with my phosphorus levels being up.  I thought maybe it was just the holidays in which I indulged a little, but perhaps maybe not.  I was extra cautious about the phosphorous but it only came down 1/10th of a point.  I hope it will be down next month.  The bad news is that my GFR has been at 14 three months in a row.  I hope this is just a brief trend and that it goes back up.  My docs said that this could fluctuate for quite a while.  It has in the past.

I was interviewed for an article for the Dearborn County Register.  It was published on 2/4/16 and I thought Harry Kane did a great job of explaining everything.  It can be so complicated.  Dr. Bryant called Harry with my consent and gave him some better insight.  I pray that this helps me find a kidney!  I feel that it will happen and it would be nice that it does happen soon, however I feel that things will fall into place when the time comes.

I have been spending a lot of time with the grand-babies.  They help me endure the bad days; the days when I just don't feel well, so tired, and just hurt.  I don't know what I would do without them or the rest of my family.  They help me so much!

Life gives you so many reminders that you can endure and you can't give up.  I recently had to friends experience some tragedy in their lives.  My heart ached so much for them and then I realize again just how fortunate I am.  I have today and I can try to make it the best day I can.

I love to watch nature.  When I walk to work I notice the nature around me.  Even though I travel the same path every day, I take time to notice the structure of the trees, the color of the sky, the birds, squirrels and everything else.  These things make my heart happy and bring me joy.  I see the power behind nature, I see Heavenly Father and Christ's hand in the grace and beauty and I am grateful.  I guess you could say I am stopping to smell the roses and I literally do in the summer!

I have a lot of faith.  I watched my grandparents and they taught me about faith, especially my Mimi!  She had so much faith that it will all be worked out and that we have a Heavenly Father and Brother that loves us so very much that it cannot be comprehended in this life.  This is why I am not afraid of death.  I trust my Heavenly  Father and I know that I must pass through this for a reason even though I do not know what that reason.  I just hope I can be a good example for my sons and my grandchildren.

Hope and endurance I find go together.  Hope gives me the strength to endure.  It seems that the hardest thing in life is to endure. Everyone has trials; has experienced the good with the bad.  Life is about overcoming those challenges and enduring to the end.  I have read in scripture that trials are for our benefit and if we endure them well we will be rewarded in the life to come.  I have the faith to endure, I'm not saying it is easy.  I cherish every moment I have and the memories of times past and move forward with faith and hope.

Until next time!

Deb