Again - What a difference

What a difference a doctor can make in this journey.

Adele has been suffering for 2 weeks with this sinus condition, and since Sunday has been suffering mentally as well. She keeps worrying that her sinus condition is more sever than it is, and will not stop. She emailed Dr Meade @ John Hopkins this week, and received a reply on Tuesday? morning. The reply was short and simple, but it was taken in a different way than it should have been.

He told her that childhood immunizations will be given to her at 12, 14 and 24 months after transplant. Then went on to say that he recommends against being with sick children. --- Whoa --- I emailed a response to that, since Adele said she might not be able to teach until 2011, and got a quick reply from the doctor that he wants to talk with us, Wednesday between 2 and 4 PM. OK, I forget going to PA Breast Cancer and installing a hard drive, and wait for the call.

Wednesday he called and went over everything, and also said (without saying you can go back in xx months) that - after 6 months from the transplant, you are OK to work if you are strong enough to do it. Basically the Dapsone they have her on for 6 months is the key, after it is done, then she is OK to do more (ie work). He also said that with her "New" immune system, "you are like a toddler, and will get many of these sinus problems. Your body and immune system has to reacquaint itself with all of life around you." Cat hair, pollen, mold, etc.. She will need to develop her own way of dealing with these things, she is in for many more sinus conditions in the next year or more, according to him. This is the norm, not the exception.

Today (Thursday) she woke up and seemed to be in a much better mood. Of course we watched "Thou Shalt Laugh" last night and just laughed so hard we hurt. Anyway - the mood, perception, outlook, of a person can be altered drastically by a good or bad word. A good word in this case was, the doc saying this is normal, expect to have more like this. The bad, last week when another doc says we might have to do surgery on your sinus, and that it is dangerous surgery.

She has already planned to babysit the grandkids this weekend, and is feeling much better. Now to get her doing things without doing too much. She just need to get stronger and keep being as positive as she can. Of course - Positive Rick - is always there to make sure she knows that, hopefully without being too much of a pain.

Pray for peace with her condition and knowledge that this will be a long slope up to health again. She is capable of knowing that, she just needs a push once in awhile to keep going up the slope. It is no longer a hill to climb, just a mild slope.

Sometimes slopes are hard to bear, but eventually you get to the top and can rejoice in that, it just takes longer.

Thanks - Rick

Also pray for Somsavath as he is back in surgery for a small leak in his intestine.