Cute cousins

Conner and Elizabeth with their cousins Alex and Randon. Actually Alex and Randon are my cousins too and they both came to visit us last month.

Fleeting days of summer

Dear friends, I am so sorry for my lack of blogging lately. We have been non-stop the last month and a half, lots going on.

August~ We got a visit from Aunt Patty and cousins Sarah, Alex and Randon. We had a wonderful visit sharing our home with them and showing them around V-town. We took them to the Sequoias for the day and of course to Bravo farms.

Then I watched Carsen for my friend Heather, her dad had a heart valve replaced and she needed someone to take over watching kids for her mom. I got a little taste of what it is like to have to get a kid to school in the morning. We had a blast having a little guy around the house again and definitely easier than having your own.

As a early birthday my mom came up the end of the month to visit. We had a nice time shopping and eating out for the weekend.  I got a whole new fall wardrobe and felt very spoiled.

September~ School has started again, this year we have a third and fifth grader. We have way more work than every before and are enjoying the challenge. Part of the challenge is Marty started a new shift and so that means we are on a new schedule. We did have a surprise visit from Uncle Dave who was in town on business. That was nice to see more family up our way and wonderful to have a surprise.

Just thought I would fill you in and update you on the rest of the house. We are doing great and enjoying everyday we have together.

Never forget

I sit here on the eve of my birthday thinking back, I know am such a melancholy person. I had such a wonderful birthday last year with Marty. This year it will be one with the kids since Marty has to work. This year has been the first year since 2001 that I haven't gotten depressed the week of my birthday. After that horrible day in 2001, I swore off birthdays. They really didn't get much better until last year when Marty took me away to the Madonna Inn. I think that was such healing experience for me that this year  I have done well.  

This year I already feel 32 since all of my friends are already 32. I am at peace with birthdays and feel so blessed to have wonderful family and friends.

All systems go

Today is the day, we finally got that call from Stanford. Marty is now officially active and waiting for a organ. We have to send in bloodwork every month and check in every few months. Marty will have been on the list a year in November. Today Trish said on the phone it can be a three year wait, so we could possibly wait 2 more years. We have both never felt like the wait would be long, we both continue to feel like transplant will come soon. We are really praying God will show us clearly and strengthen us for what lies ahead.

As always I hope our donor angel is blessed today and that their faith and family is strong. I know they will die to give Marty life and that is something very hard to comprehend. Pray for them, they need it more than we do.

Almost active

Just got a call from Stanford, once insurance clears the procedure they will activate Marty on the waiting list. The time is near and then we wait. You all know what to pray for, keep praying.

Dialysis moves in

Sorry it has been so long, things have been very hectic around the T household. Marty has gone back to work and we have been trying to get on a good schedule. Dialysis is going well and we are getting faster and faster at it. I am going to try to explain things the best I can so you can get a good picture of what life is like for us.

First of all, when they brought the supplies, I was shocked to see a pallet coming my way. One whole corner of my bedroom is full of dialysis solution


Yes, that is a IV pole you see in the above pic. We use that to do a manual exchange which involves taking a 1500 ml bag of dialysate and using it to fill. The fluid rests in a cavity called the peritoneum  and it filters all the bad waste like a kidney. So you drain first and then fill back up and let the fluid dwell for 2-3 hrs or sometimes 12 hrs. To do this we need to wash our hands very good, mask, clean everything down, get the catheter out, turn the a/c off and lock the doors. Once the catheter is connected we can open the door and turn the air back on. Here is a bag of dialysate solution warming in the closet:

This helps you remember what step to do, it is called a organizer


The green indicates it is a 2.5% strength solution, this means everything is good. What is everything? weight,blood pressure and swelling. If he is feeling badly, low blood pressure then we use the 1.5% strength, if he is swollen and coughing and BP is high then we use the red. So far he is doing so well he uses green all the time. Sometimes he does use yellow because his BP can get low, so far we have never used a red. This is great news, it means his body is responding to treatment and doing well, he was taking 4 blood pressure medications and now he is taking none.

At night he uses a machine called a cycler, this machine is basically a pump that does the exchanges for him. The machine drains, fills, sets a timer for the dwell and repeats the process three times. This allows freedom to get a full nights sleep. The machine takes 7 hrs and 49 minutes to complete the process and the bags are 3000 ml each. This takes a bit of work at first, you have to connect the tubes, stop, mask, wash your hands, connect the tubes, break the cones in the bag. Then the machine flushes the tubing, then the machine primes and then you connect. At first the machine we had was horrible, going off every two hours at night. We now have a new machine that works wonderfully;



We record how much fluid drains out, what his blood pressure, temp and weight is everyday. We also have to check to make sure the fluid is clear. When it is cloudy that means there is infection present and is a bad thing. So far we have stayed infection free and we plan on continuing that way.

Talked with Tricia at Stanford today, the report is still sitting with the cardiologist. She is going to bug him tomorrow to get it read. Then the transplant doctor has to see it and clear him for transplant. After that he will be activated. We asked how long we will have to get there and they said between 12-24hrs, that is a huge relief since it takes four hours to drive there. We are hoping transplant is not far off and that we can put all of this behind us.

Crazy kids

The kids have been doing great, I thought I should update everyone on them.  It has been a different sort of summer for them. Not the usual running, here and there with summer activities for them. They have been going to lot's of different people's houses to stay while we go to doctors appointments.

Elizabeth~ is growing like a weed, she is so tall and her face has changed so much. I love the new little freckles that are cropping up across her nose. She has been taking gymnastics for the summer with her friend Huntar. She was really excited last week to watch "The best of both world's" concert on TV. I know how my parent's felt when I watched my New Kid's tapes over and over. She has gotten to spend some time with her two best friends Huntar and Tasha over the summer.

Conner~ has been such a big help to Marty and I. He has really done a lot of things around the house to help out. He is getting so big and I hardly can believe he will be 11 in a few months. He still makes us laugh everyday with his crazy little sayings. He has been able to have two friends over this week. His face never changes much, still freckles all over, I just think they are so cute. Marty and I never had them so we just love seeing our kids with them. Conner was really intrgiued by the earthquake and spent time calling my parent's yesterday to learn all about it. One big thing is he took apart a bike we bought him and switched the part's out from another bike. He put it all back together and it rides great, we were really proud of him.

Here's a few pictures to make you smile