"Velma's Sheets" quilt, made with love by my friend Sherry

The other day was, mmmm, long. In the middle of it, though, sitting there in the doctor’s office (not for myself), waiting, I got a text from my friend Sherry telling me she and her husband were passing through town that very minute. They live down south a few hours away and were on their way to a funeral up north, and had spent the night in Monterey. We rarely have the opportunity to see one another, so we tried to meet up for lunch earlier, but it just wasn’t in the stars. So when she texted me, it made me a little sad to think they were so close yet so far. A couple of minutes later, I look up and happened to catch a glimpse of her husband at the wheel, pulling into the tiny parking lot of the doctor’s office! They said they couldn’t just drive by without at least stopping long enough to give me a hug. A few of those and “you’re so awesome, you guys” later, they were gone.

Close-up of one of the squares, look at those lovely, even stitches!

When I got home my daughters brought me a quilt my friend had dropped off at the house on their way out of town. She made it out of tiny squares cut from vintage sheets that were her Aunt Velma's, a long-time friend of mine, whom we lost a few years ago to cancer (and momma to Patches, our dog we put to sleep this week). When I wondered why she would go to the trouble of bringing it to my house instead of giving it to me when she saw me, my daughter said, “Because she wanted you to open it when you were home where you could enjoy it and be happy.”

I have no words that describe such a gift as this.

P.S. Sherry very cleverly names all of her quilts and dubbed this one “Velma’s Sheets.” I did a crappy job of scratching out edited out our last names, not so much for my privacy, but for my friend’s.

Patches

Well, as if yesterday’s news about Gibbs (my daughter's dog but my baby boy) wasn’t sad enough; we just got home from putting Patches to sleep. :-(

We inherited Patches from a friend who passed away a few years ago, and she quickly became enamored with my husband and he with her. She was his baby. A rescue, she lived a long (about 18 years), happy life and left this world very peacefully. We’ll miss her silly sneezes, her insistent talking about how we should give her a treat NOW, and her adorable fluffy ears. Rest in peace, Punkin’ Patchy.

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UPDATE 11-28-2011: We brought Patches home today

Our windows are OZsome!

Happy 33rd Anniversary, Babe!

 Valerie, kidney donor, and Martha, October 14, 2011, 7:40 p.m.,
just a day after kidney transplant

Valerie Is Home!

I can't believe it, but after only 3 days, Valerie was released from UC San Francisco hospital and is back at home. She is sore but happy to have the transplant over with, as are we all.

Larry (Marty's hubby, a true unsung hero) and I don't know what we would have done had we not had Dawn (Valerie's identical twin) and Leslie (Martha & Larry's daughter) by our side. Their doting and patience did not go unnoticed. The four of us together made a pretty darned good tag-team, keeping one another grounded and held together emotionally.

My hubby couldn't do the trip because he is recovering from his 4th back surgery. It was a difficult time for him not to be able to be with us, and it was just as difficult not having him to lean on, but we muddled through. Having him home, though, gave us all peace of mind that our four dogs were being spoiled, the mail taken in and the house safe.

Martha is still at UCSF, but she is doing pretty well. She still has a way to go in getting herself back up to par to where she was a couple of years ago. She is so grateful to Valerie for her new kidney and keeps saying thank you to everyone she sees. It is wonderful to see Martha's color return and the light back in her eyes.

We'll be going back to San Francisco Thursday morning for Valerie's follow-up. The view from the 7th floor of the kidney unit is breathtaking, so we will concentrate on that positive to make the drive up there more pleasant to anticipate.

Giving thanks to the Lord for putting in our grasp some of the best transplant surgeons in the world and top-notch nurses and staff. Our God is an awesome God!

Photo via http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/www/as-v.htm

A Random Act of Kindness, Just When We Needed It Most

We have two rooms booked for next week, one double bed in each one (none available w/2 doubles), and one with an extra fold-down for 6 people for the 5-8 days we’ll be at UC San Francisco for my sister’s kidney transplant. One is for my sister and her hubby (they need this night alone before such a serious procedure), who will be heading up to SF in the afternoon after her dialysis treatment on Wednesday. The other one is for my sister’s daughter, my two daughters (one being the donor), and me. We plan to be there early afternoon on Wednesday as my daughter has to do some prepping for the early morning surgery.

We were just going to muddle through because at $88 plus tax and whatever service charges will be incurred, it’s all we could swing. A little fridge and microwave are included, yay, so we’re packing groceries to save on meals. Daughter #1 (I have twins) and I may be switching off spending the night in Daughter #2’s hospital room the night of the surgery and the few days that follow.

The RAK: A member of my sister's church, who insists on remaining anonymous, has donated some funds to be used for an additional room the first night (which I just booked with 2 single beds, whew!), gas, parking, meals and whatever other expenses come up. I cannot tell you what a difference this will make.

Additionally, and this is a biggie for me because I have claimed this responsibility, help with transportation to UCSF in the coming months has been assured. As with her previous transplants, after the transplant, my sister will have to go to UCSF once a week on one of their two clinic days for blood work, other labs and check-ups for at least 6 weeks straight, then taper to every other week, then to once a month as she stabilizes. It means getting on the road by 5:00-5:30 a.m. (to be there to find a parking spot in the humongous underground arena, get in line for labs, then head to clinic to see the doctor), and then heading back home anywhere between 10 a.m. and Noon. We are looking at a long few months ahead, but because of the kindness of others, it might not seem so long.

Consider doing a random act of kindness. Be it a few bucks in the pocket of someone in need, paying for the person behind you in line, sending a note of encouragement in the mail, or telling someone how awesome they are, whatever it is, big or small, it can make all the difference to the one(s) who receives it.

The article about my sister Martha's 4th kidney transplant made front-page news! My daughter Valerie is donating her kidney on October 13 at UC San Fransisco. Please keep everyone in your prayers.