Home Sweet Apartment!!

Hi Everyone.....This is Tammy.  It is with much gratitute to let all of of you know that we are back in our Seattle apartment!!  My hospital stay consisted of  44 nights and I was SO ready to get back to our little place even though it isn't home!!!  It's much more like an apt that a hospitial room!!   We got back on Friday night.

Although I was very eager to get out of the hospital, there was a part of me that was really kind of scared.  For the past 6 weeks,  if I someone, there was always someone watching over me 24 hrs a day in case I felt sick or needed medicine for some reason. 

I don't think I can put into words how I've felt this past month & a half.  Obviously I've done a lot of praying, asking God to give me the strength to make it through the transplant.  He has been by side helping me through!  My time spent in the hospital was not without complications!!  The doctors first found the wire in my heart which turned out to be a bigger deal than I originally thought.  After visiting with several cardiologists and radiologists , they suggessted I continue ahead with the originial trasnplant decision to continue the transplant without having to perform surgery first.  I still need  followup on my heart wire issue but that will come after need to followup on the wire issue after I have Thank the Lord!!!  

Here is what m schedule has looked like so far; this is the beast I remember >>>>

Feb 8 -- Hickman Line Placement (Outpatient)
Feb 9 -- Checked into hospital  on Thursday night
Feb 10-- Because of a threat of a blood clot, I had the port that was put in my chest in May 2011 removed on Feb, 2011.
Feb 11-- Started chemo
Feb 12--2nd day of chemo
Feb 13--3rd day of chemo
Feb 14--4th day of chemo
Feb 15--5th day of chemo
Feb 16-- Total body irradiation
Feb 17-- "DAY 0' My rebirth day!!  Day of transplant!!!
Mar 23-- Last day spent in hospital

I was required to have the port removed and the wound was left open to heal.  This is a slow going process but according to all of the health care professionals, it is healing nicely. It is considered a "wet to dry" wound cover and therefore should heal sooner.  That's another one of my prayers.

Jeff and I met a couple out here that are from Omaha, NE.  (Dick & Sharon....great people).  They actually attend the same clinic (Cancer Center of Omaha at Immunuel) that I do Omaha What's funny is that that they were there on a day were we were taping that they rembember that~~

Easter is right around the corner and the kids are coming back out!  Yea!!  Alecia  & Tony will be here for a few days and Ashley is actually moving out here to spend the duration of the the time I will spend here with me. 

God has blessed me!!  I have received so many nice cards and messages from many of you.  Last Thursday, my cousin Lisa(Jim Bryan't wfie)  is a flight atendent for Delta.  She arraranged her scheduled so that she could fly to Seattle and spend 2 - 3 hours with us.  What a treat!!!   It is very true .... that during difficult times, the good comes out in people!  I've had several good cries because I had the opportunity to  see the good that so many people have within them and I'm so thankful that God was carrying me through this so that  I could enjoy all of this! 

If you could see all of my nice cards and wishes I've received since being sick, you would know exactly what i mean!!  The niceness that has been pouring out has been phenomnal! 

That's all 'm writing for now .... will write more to you later!!!

Love to you all.  Tammy