Here we go! Bill was notified today that he's to be in Houston on July 7 & 8 to begin the testing for the stem cell research program. So now I'm going to send this link out to people. I don't know yet how often it will get updated, hopefully at least once a day. Some of that will depend on internet accessibility.

Where does the time go? Bill had his check-up last week. Dr. Burnett thinks the culprit for the fatigue is the Aricept. We've got a call in to Dr. Salguerio about lowering the dosage. Other than that, everything was fine.

Ball season has finally ended, this week. Brianna's team came in second for the season and the tournament. I think everyone is glad that it's over. It has been so hot that the girls didn't need to be out on the field. For the past 2 weeks it has been in the mid-to upper-90s. We've had heat advisories and heat warnings almost everyday. First it was the rain and now the heat.

We don't have to go back to any drs. until the middle of July, and so far, except for labs that can be done here and mailed, we don't have any appointments in August! Maybe we can schedule a little trip for the two of us somewhere before I start getting ready for tax school. It would be really nice to get away, and not go see relatives, although we need to go see my mother. But August in Illinois might not be too bad. Have to think about that.

We've had a good week. Since ball season has apparently ended (still should have a make-up game and a tournament) we haven't been quite as busy in th evenings. And with school now out, Brianna isn't here as much. She's not a lot of trouble since she's 10, but when you aren't used to having kids around it can get tiring.

Bill doesn't seem to be as tired since things have slowed, which makes sense. We were able to be lazier in the mornings I didn't have to work. Bill did get up early one morning, something he hasn't done for a long time.

He sees Dr. Burnett Tuesday and has more lab work and another hepatitis B shot. Jackie also told him that he has an appointment with Dr. Garrett on July 14. Garrett is the director of the transplant program. He's only seen him once to see if he was a candidate for transplant.

As for me, I've been having trouble with my back for the last couple of days. The dr. says there is nothing wrong, but there has to be a problem when it hurts to sit, stand, lay, walk, raise my legs if I'm sitting, and the 2 little toes on my left foot ache most of the time. But, there's nothing wrong! The chiropractor down from the office has said I probably have a bulging disc and to keep ice on it and move as much as possible. So I'm trying that and it does help some. But, when you spend a lot of time in waiting rooms, it can get hard to move around a lot.

So, that's our life for now, good days and bad....for both of us!

Bill has been very tired for the past few days, and is even admitting it. That is a major accomplishment for him. I'm always the one to tell him to slow down, sleep in, whatever. Most of the time he just looks at me like I'm crazy.

Sometimes it's very sad to watch. Two of the grandkids are here this afternoon and one of them keeps asking "Pa" to take her for a walk. She just doesn't understand that a simple walk around the block is too much for him most of the time anymore. And when he's really tired, it's impossible.

He goes to the doctor in about 10 days, so maybe he can give us some suggestions, or adjust his meds some. We'll also see the girls (and Kevin) at the transplant center. Everyone there is super nice and take all the time that's needed to answer our questions.

When we were first told that Bill needed a heart transplant, I was not bothered by the fact that a heart transplant is the only transplant that I know of where someone has to die. But, that fact has not bothered me. I don't mean it in a selfish way, like whatever it takes to save my husband's life is ok. I also haven't blocked the thought out intentionally. It may sound cold, but it seems like we're waiting for a part to come in, like for the car, and when it does, we take out the old part and put in the new part and he's fixed.

What I've also noticed recently, is when I see a news report of a horrible vehicle crash, or hear of another shooting in Memphis, I'm wondering if this will be the time we get the call that a heart is available, or if the family involved will donate any organs, or if someone else is lucky this time and gets whatever organ they need.

When our coordinator Jackie told us to live as normal a life as possible, it seemed like nothing would be normal again. I have felt that way since the last heart attack in 2007 that changed our lifes forever. How can we live a normal life when we are waiting for the phone to ring every minute? But, I've found that we can. Some days I never think about the transplant. Other days it is always on my mind. I have a special ringtone on my cell for the main number of the transplant center. I'll probably freak if it ever rings! We've made as many arrangements as we can, so that when the call does come, we're as prepared as we can be.

So, those are my thoughts for today. If anyone is reading this, I will ask that you pray for us. I also thank you for taking the time to read it. Please share any thoughts you may have.

Okay, this is something I've been kicking around for a few months. When Bill was accepted into the stem cell research program, and then put on the heart transplant list, my mind went into gear about how to keep all of our friends and family updated on the pertinent happenings.

When the first trip to Houston was cancelled at the last minute, it would have been so much easier to have had this set up to let people know that we weren't going anywhere. But, since he's heard from them now and we may have a tentative date, I decided that now was the time to get with it and start this thing.

I don't know what I'm doing, or what a "blog" is supposed to look like, but this one will be more of an online journal, at least for now. That may all change later.