GIVING THANKS

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I spent the day with my family and thought about all the things we are grateful for. My cousins, Mike & Donna Salvato, Sandy and Bob Kent and Angie called to wish me thanksgiving. They talked about how thankful they are this year for everything in their lives. I hope everyone feels the same. I sometimes wonder why I'm on this road and why my life took this course. I know I have given some thought to alot of people just what is important in their life. Is it money, cars, things or is it family, children, good friends? I can tell you nothing compares to the love and support of my family and friends. I would not have a positive attitude and the ability to fight this disease if it was not for the support of my family and friends. I am so grateful!

This week is going to be festive. On Thursday, Kathy Conley from Youngs Market Company is coming to visit. We are going out to dinner to John Ash & Company on Thursday night. My first dinner out in 3 months. Then on Friday I will go to San Francisco to Tommy Toys for our client appreciation lunch. I will wear my mask and see all my clients. I'm so excited! It will be a very long day but it will feel good to see everyone. On Saturday, is our company party but I will see how my body feels after the long day on Friday. It might be too much!

I don't have a biopsy until December 23rd. That will give my neck a rest! Wow does it need it! I'm feeling good but sometimes a little shaky which is normal for the Decadron drug I'm taking for the Amyloidosis. I plan to hear something this week regarding the chemo drug Valcade and when I will be starting that treatment. I'm hoping I will be able to do the infusion here in Santa Rosa instead of Stanford. I want to get going on the treatment for Amyloidosis but do not want anything to hurt my new shared heart. I continue to exercise on my bike which feels great! If anyone needs movie reviews just call. I think I have seen every movie out there at least 2 times. Markie has a big selection of movies and he brings me new ones every week. Matthew took me to Michael's the other day and I brought all kinds of cute stuff for my photo albums. I have been working on the Italy trip from 3 years ago, so hopefully I will be able to finish that album soon. I have been back to Italy twice since then and still have the other vacations to Spain and the Cari bean to do. Well can't say I don't have anything to do!

Have a wonderful week and enjoy each moment in time! I plan to enjoy the moments I have with my clients this week. I especially look forward to my time with Kathy. She has been such a support to me. Kathy is a cancer survivor and when I get scared she is always there. I'm grateful for her friendship.

Giving thanks this Thanksgiving means more to me than ever before. I am most thankful to my donor family and hope God gives them strength and courage. Please say an extra prayer for them.

Love,
debbie

A DAY TO BE THANKFUL

This Thanksgiving we have alot to be thankful for. I just received my call from the Heart Transplant Center letting me know the results of the biopsy. It was a 1R/1A which means slight rejection. No change in medicines and everything is ok. I feel wonderful except for the fourth day after taking Decadron and my body starts to ache and feel sore. If that's all I have to deal with I will take it. I have been riding my stationary bike 30 minutes each day and would like to start some ball squats. So my energy level on some days is high and others after I take the Decadron is low. I took the drug today so I expect to start feeling crummy on Saturday and Sunday.

I also met with Dr. Shrier at Stanford yesterday. My Lamba Light Chain for Amyloid was high at 206. That was a little disappointing but he felt confident that the second chemo drug Valcade will work to lower the count. This drug is administered by infusion and to be honest I didn't hear how many times a week because I want to do the treatment at Kaiser in Santa Rosa. I also do not want to do anything that will hurt my shared heart without the direction of the Heart Transplant Team at Kaiser. So when they called today I told them that Stanford wants me to start Valcade now. The coordinator said she would pass the message on to Dr. Dana and they (Stanford & Kaiser) will talk and let me know. I was thinking I would start in January but he thinks because the count is so high - why wait. I agree but only if it will not cause problems with my new shared heart. So I will wait for further instructions from Kaiser.

Tomorrow I will spend the day with my family - Mark, Matthew, Markie, Erin, my Mom and Sissy Mary and Britney. We have planned a wonderful dinner. Thanksgiving has always been my most favorite holiday. I don't really care much for Christmas. Too much about buying and not spending quality time with the ones we love. I feel this year that will change. Maxwell will be coming home (finally) on December 17th until the 26th. I'm so excited to see him and spend time with him. So for us Christmas will be different this year!!!

Take a moment today and ask yourself this question - What am I thankful for in my life today? For me it was that moment in time on September 26, 2008, sometime in the middle of the night, when my diseased heart was removed from my body and my new healthy shared heart starting beating inside me. That is what I am thankful for!! I am grateful to a beautiful family, somewhere out there, who gave me a second chance to live. My thoughts and prayers are with them each and everyday. I pray God gives them strength and hope someday I can tell them personally how grateful I am.

Have wonderful Thanksgiving!

love,
Debbie

BIG DAY TOMORROW

Mark and I leave tonight to spend the night in Santa Clara. I have to be at the Heart Transplant Center at 7:00AM in the morning for heart biopsy, lab, echo, chest x rays, clinic and two hour infusion. Then at 2:20PM we have an appointment at Stanford to meet with the specialist for Amyloidosis Dr. Shrier to discuss further treatment of the Amyloidosis. It is going to be a very busy day. I get so anxious the day before biopsy. The stress of waiting for lab results is awful. I wish there was a better way. I get to see Tippi (Tippi is one of my heart transplant friends who received a new heart on 8-28-08) tomorrow. We talk every day all day long. I love talking to her. She makes me feel so comfortable and we have a lot in common. I wish we lived closer. We could recover together. She is such a dear friend!

I will let everyone know results on Wednesday. Please pray for me and Tippi that we get an NER (no evidence of rejection) or 1R (slight rejection). Thank you for all your prayers and thoughts.

love,
debbie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!


Today is my 51st birthday! Wow six months ago I didn't think I would be celebrating and feeling so good. I'm back exercising and riding the stationary bike 30 minutes a day, which feels great. I hope to begin some lower body weight training soon, if the doctors say its ok. The drug Decadron kind of kick me in the butt today, just feeling a little sore and swollen under the neck but nothing that will keep me down. Scott and Linda Ford are coming tonight to cook me dinner and celebrate my birthday. Scott's birthday is Monday, so we will share a birthday cake tonight. I plan to rest and relax today and enjoy my evening. The Sharks play at 7:30PM, so I will watch the game. Mark and Erin went to Grandma Ruby's to celebrate Thanksgiving with Erin's family and they will be with us on Thanksgiving Day. Matt is coming up from Los Angeles. He sent me the most beautiful flower arrangement and a beautiful card. It made me cry the things he said. We have a lot to be thankful for this year!

This Thanksgiving a special prayer will be sent to my donor family for the blessings they have given me. My thoughts are with them each day. I am so grateful!

love,
debbie

TRINACRIA

STORY TELLING

i was thinking about Italy, actually Sicily today, and my conversation last weekend with
Kathy Dolinsek.

Kathy and her mom just spent 12 days in Sicily. She and her mom did not do the typical tourist thing, they immerse in the culture. Spent time with the people in the little cafes in the villages all through Sicily. It was interesting to hear her talk about the country and how it has not become commericalized like Roma and Florence. They enjoyed their time together and I'm sure there were many, many moments in time that took their breaths away.

That happen to me 3 years old when I had the opportunity to visit Sicily and a little fishing village called Santa Elia where my dad's mom was raised. But before I talk about my trip, how did this come to past?

It started in 1913, when my great grandfather and his brothers were fishing on the San Francisco bay (this is what movies are made of). As they were fishing, a fish and game warden, came aboard their boat and accused them of using illegal nets to fish with. A fight broke out and one brother was killed, the other was shot in the hand and my great grandfather struck the fish and game warden with an oar and knocked him into the bay. He died. My great grandfather fled back to Sicily. The one brother served time in San Quentein. And the story goes!

My great grandfather came back to Sicily and married a 15 year old girl and had six children with her. My grandmother and her sister were old enough to be left with family in the United States and he began a new life in Sicily (my greatgrandmother died in the 1906 earthquake). Yes, from time to time he would sneak back to the US (the interrupter we hired thought maybe there was some Mafia stuff going on, HAHA) and attend one daughter's wedding and avoid being arrested.

Several years ago, some of my consins decided to research Nana Salvato's family and could not figure out what happen to her dad. Well, as the story goes, they found a whole family living in Santa Elia, Sicily. Consin Mike Salvato and Donna visited first and three years ago, Debbie, Gary, Mark and I went to Sicily. I was able to meet three of the six children. I was in the house my grandmother was born in. The feeling is unspeakable. Let me tell you how many moments that took my breath away that day. I cried, they cried, we all cried. Family - Una Familgia. On my slide show are the pictures of the family. Please see them. I promised the granddaughter that when I came back to Sicily I would "parlare italiano" (speak Italian). That is my goal!
Although I have to tell you at 51 years old learning a second language is tuff, but my passion is to speak. I hope to visit in 2 years and speak fluently to my family. This was a moment in time that I will never forget!

A special thanks to Kathy also. While staying in Sicily she purchased a charm, which I am wearing ever since. The charm is the "3 legged women" Sicily's mascot on the flag. It represent the three regions of Sicily. It is called the "trinacria". The special part of all of this is that Kathy waiting 2 hours at the Vatican in Roma for the Pope to bless my charm. I will always cherish it. Another moment that took my breath away when she told me. As I watched her eyes and mine fill up with tears, I realized how that moment took her breath away too!

In closing, I have lots of time to think about things and one thing I want each of you to ask yourself "what do you value in your life"? I'm realizing what matters to me. It's how many moments I can have that take my breath away! It's dreaming about going back to Sicily, going to Paris, to Washington D.C., seeing my first grandchild be born, spending time watching the Shark game with my son Mark each week since I have been home, and many, many more things. Don't want to be sentimental but when an illness strikes so suddenly, we are lucky to have these moments to reflect. I'm grateful I have this moment. God bless my donor and her family for giving me this moment in time.

Love,
debbie

Another Beautiful Day

Today is Monday and what a beautiful day! I want to say "Happy Birthday" to my little sister Kathie who turned ???? yesterday (won't give her age, HA HA). I hope you and Ed had a wonderful time at Bodega Bay. The weather must have been perfect!

Today Mom and I went to Kohl's and I brought some shirts. I can't lift my arms over my head so I need shirts that button up in the front or are lose to get over my head. Of course, I found lots!!

I have been using my slow cooker alot lately and found this chili recipe. It smells so good and was so easy to make. I need things that are easy and quick.

Mark brought home the exercise bike and it is terrific. The doctors want me to do at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. It has been hard finding someone to take me for a walk, although Gary and Debbie Looney have been taking me on walks and to the gym. I thought once the weather changes I will be able to do my exercising here at home. So starting tomorrow I plan to ride the bike at least 20 minutes working up to 30 minutes a day or more. Any type of exercise will help with my recovery. I was in such good shape before the transplant and I really think that has helped in how fast I have recovered. I strongly urge everyone to exercise each day, eat well and reduce stress. Remember to enjoy the moments that take your breath away!

This week will be a week to rest and relax. I have heart biopsy next Tuesday along with the normal labs, clinic and infusion. So this week, I will just rest up. This week the chemo drug Decadron didn't effect me too bad! Just a little soreness in the upper body, but it is bearable. I cleaned and organized the craft room so I can start doing my photo albums from my Italy vacations. I have not had the time to finish them. It's so fun looking back at all the pictures and remembering the wonderful time I had. I can't wait to go back!

This weekend I turn 51. I can't believe how my life has changed since last year when I had my beautiful birthday party. My illness hit so fast! But look at where I am today! I have a second chance to live a healthy happy life. I plan to spend every moment enjoying the time I have! I pray for my donor and her family and hope someday I will be able to tell them personally how much I am grateful to them. I cherish my shared heart and will always honor my donor and her family for the decision they made that night to save my life. I hope to have many, many more birthdays and hopefully soon, as most of you know, "I want to be a grandmother". Hint: Markie and Erin. HA HA! I will be in trouble for that one!

Have a wonderful evening! Hopefully my chili is good! Remember to enjoy each moment in time because we just don't know how many more moments we have!

love,
debbie

It's a Beautiful Day!

It's Friday and Mom is coming to get me to take me out for awhile. I'm going to the office to visit everyone. I haven't seen anyone for over 2 months and I'm excited to see them. I'm getting bored sitting in the house watching movies, reading books and playing on the computer. As alot of you know, that's not Debbie. I need to be doing things but I know I can't right now. So I sit here thinking of things to do later or who I could find to do them for me now (like Sissy Mary). HA HA Sissy! I'm full of gratitude that I'm here today being bored and not sitting in the hospital waiting. I am blessed each day I wake up and feel so much happiness that I have been given another chance at life.

Tomorrow Mom will take me grocery shopping for the week and I plan to make a big pot of my homemade spaghetti sauce on Sunday. YUM! Scott and Linda are coming over and cooking dinner on Saturday. I love spending time with Linda she keeps me positive and always eases my mind. I think I might get Scott to do one more "honey do" and that is to put up a new shower head in our master bathroom. I hate the one we have.

This weekend will be a relaxing and restful weekend, no big plans. I can't go anywhere anyway but looks like the weather will be beautiful! Doesn't matter what I do, I will enjoy each and every moment in time and I hope you will too!

love,
debbie

GOOD NEWS!!!

Sue called from the Heart Transplant Center with my heart biopsy results. I have a 1R rejection which is slight rejection. I want NER (no evidence of rejection) but I realize my count was low so I knew it might be a 1R. That's ok. Just a change of drugs. So starting tonight I have to take 125mg gengraf in the morning and increase to 150mg at night. My count has to be between 200 and 250 and yesterday it was at 197. So this should do it. I go again on November 25th for heart biopsy, labs and everything else. All my lab work she said was perfect. I'm feeling great and so happy my beautiful shared heart is so strong and that I'm taking care of myself and my new heart. I always want to be sure that I say each and every time how grateful I am to my donor and her family. God bless them each day. I pray each day for them that God will help them through these days and give them strength. They will always be in my thoughts and prayers. I want all my friends and family to say prayers for them too!

I spent the afternoon resting. I watched the movie P. S., I Love You that Sissy Mary brought for me. What a great movie! Love story with some very cute Irish men. Those Irish men are pretty close to the Italian men in Italy, WOW!

I took my second dose of Decadron today, so tonight I probably will be up all night wired. Last Wednesday night I never went to sleep until 4:00AM. That was fun! The drug started showing side effects on Saturday night and all day Sunday, so we shall see what happens this week.

Tomorrow is Thursday and Mark and Markie are going to the Sharks game in San Jose. Wish I could go see my Sharks play, but that is going to be a long time before I'm able to go out like that again. Mom is coming over to cook me dinner. She made salmon one night at the hotel and it was so good. So she will spend the evening with me cooking salmon for dinner. I gained so much weight, some of it was the drugs and some was her great cooking. I needed to gain weight since I have lost so much muscle tone. All that working out I have done for the past 6 years is gone, but Tim Rogers said it will come back when I'm able to start super slow again. No big deal I have a second chance of life and I'm not taking it for granted.

I plan to take some current pictures this weekend of me and some friends. I realize my profile picture is awful. That was 2 weeks after transplant and I look terrible. I have puffy checks now which looks like I have no wrinkles (which I don't for almost 51 years old) HA HA, from the steroids.

Sissy Mary came over tonight and cleaned out my linen closet and Mark's closet. I have been wanting to do that for months. I can't do anything upper body so I sat there and told her what to throw away. Everything looks great! She is going to do my china closet next and Maxwell's closet after that. Maxwell left for Canada and a closet full of his junk. He doesn't know it yet but I repainted his room and brought all new bedding and it is beautiful!! He will be home in December, won't he be surprised!

Have a wonderful evening! I'm enjoying this moment in time! I received good news about my heart biopsy and that was a wonderful moment!

love,
debbie

Good Day Today

Just got home! I am so tired. Spent all day at the heart transplant center doing heart biopsy, chest x rays, lab, clinic and two hour infusion. Another long day but the heart biopsy this time went quick. A new doctor they call "JoJo" a fellow from Stanford did mine. He was great. In and out so fast. I get so anxious when its time for the heart biopsy. Now I sit and wait for results. I've already checked on line for other lab results and everything so far looks great! My cyclosporine count is not on line yet and that's the one I really want to see. It will tell me whether the level is too low and I might have a rejection. I'll report that as soon as its available.
I don't have another biopsy until November 25th, so I get another two week break. My neck gets a rest too! I also have an appointment at Stanford that day regarding my chemo treatment for Amyloidosis which I think will begin with the second drug at the first of the year. Tomorrow I take Decadron again. The doctor said the soreness and swelling I had over the weekend was from the chemo drug Decadron. So I will see what side effects I have this week. Doctors are very pleased with my recovery and everything so far is perfect.

Tomorrow is a rest day and I plan to watch the movie "P. S., I Love You". I started watching it yesterday, but had to leave to go to Santa Clara. So tomorrow I will watch the movie from start to finish. A really cute movie! I'm getting bored watching movies all day, so Friday Debbie Looney is taking me to Break Through Fitness to ride the stationary bike and maybe do some wall squats. I'm excited to be able to do some exercise. I haven't been able to walk because there is no one here who can walk with me. It's not very safe on the road I live on to walk by yourself.

Time to say goodnight. My San Jose Sharks are playing and my favorite TV show "Dancing with the Stars" is on. So I will be flipping the channels to watch both.

Enjoy your evening and this moment in time!

love,
debbie

Words of Encouragement

I received a comment this morning from Jan in Indianapolis (see comments). Thank you so much Jan for the words of encouragement. I want to be able to talk more with you about the disease and especially the treatments (stem cell transplant and chemos). You can reach me at my email address which is mythreesons02@aol.com. I have so many questions regarding the disease and you are the first person I have heard of who is in remission. Please contact me when its convenient. Thank you.

AMYLOIDOSIS

I wish I never heard this word!! As most of you know, this is the disease I have that caused the damage to my old heart. Yesterday, Markie, Erin and I went to a support group meeting in Walnut Creek for Amyloidosis patients. I have to say it was nothing like my support group for heart transplant patients.

The mood was very grime and hard core. The members do not hold anything back and are very clear about their disease, treatment and life expectancy. Up until now I have chosen to stay in a denial state about my disease because managing the recovery of my heart transplant has been overwhelming. Knowing which drugs to take, the side effects and getting plenty of rest has been a full time job. Now I'm faced with dealing with the disease that has caused all of this.

I have started the chemo drug Decadron last Wednesday and today I'm feeling the side effects from it. It started last night with swelling around the neck and some soreness on the shoulders and back. Dr. Kevin said it usually happens on the third day but mine chose the fourth day, I guess. I hope this is from the chemo drug and not anything with the heart. I have no pain with the heart just this soreness in those areas. I did have a busy two days going shopping on Friday and the support group meeting yesterday. So today and Monday I need to get plenty of rest before heart biopsy on Tuesday.

Dr. Kevin was at the meeting yesterday and said that Kaiser, Stanford and the Mayo Clinic have all confirmed a treatment plan for us. I guess we will know on Tuesday at clinic what the treatment plan will be and when it will start. Dr. Kevin has made the choice to follow the chemo plan for 3 months and will undergo a stem cell transplant next year. I am very scared of the stem cell transplant. To me that is scary! It involves 2-4 weeks in the hospital, hotel stay (again) after transplant and still there is no guarantee that it will put the disease in remission. Most of the patients yesterday had stem cell transplants and are not in remission. They are still on very high doses of chemo fighting this horrible disease. I know I have to fight and its hard keeping up the positive attitude when everything looks so bad. But I have made a promise to my donor, her family and of course to my family and friends that I will fight this. I will! So sometime in the near future I will have the stem cell transplant if the chemo drugs do not work. On November 25th I have an appointment at Stanford to discuss my complete workup of how much Amyloid is in my body and what my prognosis is. Until then, I have to continue recovery and managing my beautiful new heart. I could not have a stem cell transplant without a new heart. My old heart would not have made it. This is alot to think about and I need to come out of my denial and face the facts. I have a fatal rare disease that needs to be treated now!

One thing that came out of the meeting yesterday from each and every patient. I have tried to stress this in my blog every time I sign on. That is to enjoy every moment! We don't know how many moments we have left and each is special. Please take this to heart and enjoy life and the moments we are given. Don't measure the number of breaths we have but the moments that take our breaths away. I want lots more moments where it takes my breath away. Like the first time I saw my beautiful children being born, going to Italy, watching Mark and Erin get married. These are the moments that take our breath away and I plan to have many more!

Enjoy this beautiful Sunday and especially enjoy each and every moment it brings!

love,
debbie

DONOR INFORMATION

Dear Friends and Family, I have included in my blog site information from the DMV to register as an organ donor. Also, a poem from Robert Test that tells it all. I hope you will click on the sites and read the information and poem below under Dr. Kevin's blog site.

I can't tell you how important it is to become a donor. Please take the time to make an informed decision to become a donor.

My donor family made the ultimate decision to donate their beautiful child's organs which saved many lives that day. They gave me a second chance at life and I am so grateful for their decision. I will alway honor and cherish the shared heart I have beating inside me. My donor lived 18 years with this beautiful heart and I will live the rest of mine with her heart beating inside me. I will never take this for granted.

Please tell everyone you know to become a donor. Become a HERO and donate!

love,
debbie

LAB RESULTS

Just spoke with Sue, Nurse at Santa Clara Heart Transplant Center. My cyclosoporine count was 237, which is within the range of 200 to 250. They did not change any medicines at this time. Will look after next week's biopsy. The chemo drug Decadron she said is equivalent to 200mg a day of Prednisone. Now that makes me really happy. She said the side effects is being wired and the usual puffy cheeks (more than I have now) weight gain and staying up all night. I take the drug once a week, so she said it is slow acting. She did say that Dr. Dana has talked to the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Brooke Edwards and Stanford to discuss further treatment for Dr. Kevin and me. I will know something next week. I am feeling terrific except for no sleep last night. I plan to take a little nap now and one later this afternoon. The other lab tests for the disease Amyloidosis have not come in yet, should know something next week.

I hope you enjoy the poem "Life". I will post these words from time to time, I think it is important for us to live our lives each day "not by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away". On September 26, 2008, a moment took my breath away, was the moment my new shared heart starting beating inside me. I bless my donor and her family for the blessing I receive that night. I feel deep gratitude for the decision they made to save my life. I have not spoke too much about my donor and my donor family. I don't know much except she was 18 years old from a local community. I wrote my letter to the donor family telling them my deepest gratitude for the gift of life and hope someday they will contact me.

Have a wonderful day. The sun is shining and it is beautiful outside.

love,
debbie

LIFE

is not measured by the

number of breaths we take,

but by the number of moments

that take our

breath away.

DOCTORS APPOINTMENT TODAY


Just got home from Santa Clara and meeting with Jackie, nurse at the Heart Transplant Center. I have been having problems with evaluated blood pressure and headaches since I came home last Thursday. On Friday, I finally called and told them what was going on. Sue changed the dosage of the drug Gengraf and added another pill (that makes me happy) Dilacor twice a day for high blood pressure. Today, my blood pressure at the Heart Center was 122/87, which is great. Pulse is high at 107 but they are not concerned because I'm a recent transplant patient. So my visit was great! No problems at all! Tonight Mark will bring me to Kaiser Santa Rosa so I can have my lab work done to check the Cyclosporine count before next Tuesday's biopsy. This level is what tells them whether a rejection could be possible next week. I have to be at 200-250. My level was very high at 311 last week and that was the reason for high blood pressure and the headaches. So hopefully, tomorrow I can check on line and see what my count is. Again, if it's high or low, they will adjust the dosage of Gengraf before next Tuesday.

Dr. Dana has been talking directly with the Mayo Clinic regarding the chemo treatment for both me and Dr. Kevin. The Mayo Clinic decided that I will begin the chemo drug Decadron tomorrow. It is an oral drug taken once a week. The mg are 4mg in which I have to take 10 at a time. That makes me even happier (more pills). Oh well, whatever it takes to fight the disease and protect my beautiful new heart I will do. Dr. Kevin is feeling terrific. I talked to him last night when I was having all these problems. He reassured me and said everything will be ok.

On Saturday, Markie, Erin and me are attending an Amyloidosis support meeting at Kaiser in Walnut Creek. Dr. Kevin will be there also. This is the Northern California support group for those who are suffering from the disease. I very nervous because I'm sure there will be both happy and sad stories to tell. I hope it will be just as wonderful as the heart transplant support group I belong to in Santa Clara. I have so many friends (Dr. Kevin and Barbie, Tippy and many more) who gives me courage during the hard times. I'm glad Dr. Kevin will be there too!

Tomorrow and Thursday I plan to rest and relax. I want to be rested before next Tuesday's biopsy. Mark, Markie, Erin and me are staying the night in Sunnyvale because I have to be at the hospital at 7:00AM for heart biopsy, chest x rays, lab, clinic, support group and then 2 hour infusion. Another 10 hour day! On Friday, Mom and I get to go to our friend Susan for manicure, pedicure and waxing. Mom is finally getting her hair cut, just like Victoria Beckman's new style. She is going to look HOT! We then will go to Walmart because I need some green plants for my new guest bedroom (Maxwell's old room - won't he be surprised when he comes home in December) and a chair for my computer.

I'm off to Kaiser now. Have a wonderful evening, it's going to be cold. Always enjoy this moment in time!

Love,
debbie

A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY

What a beautiful day today is. The sun is shining with broken clouds. Thought it would rain but no rain in sight.

Woke up this morning very early because of the time change. Wrote thank you notes and study Italian lessons. Eat a big breakfast and fell back to sleep for an hour nap. Did that feel great!

Markie came to visit and wash clothes. He is so helpful with my computer problems and of course my computer skills. He is teaching me so many cool things about the computer. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful son. Not to forget Matthew and Maxwell, who both bring me so much love and happiness. I thank God each day for blessing me as a mother. There is no other job in the world that compares to being a "MOM".

Anita Rackerby came by the other day and dropped off a special silver bracelet she got for me in Mexico. The words inscribed on the bracelet read: Family - Hope - Trust - Joy -Truth -Charity -and Love. These are very important words in all of our lives. I thank her for the special gift. I will treasure it forever!

My Auntie Bev sent me a special Italian CD called Il Divo "Ancora". The singers are Italian - very nice looking Italian men and can they sing. There are several songs with Celine Dion. I play it really loud, I'm sure the neighbors can hear it! It reminds me of Italy and my hope (there is one of the words) to go back in two years. What a beautiful country with beautiful people.

Tomorrow is Monday and Mark will be going back to work. I plan to rest because Mom and I have to go to Santa Clara for my doctor's appointment on Tuesday. No heart biopsy this week, thank God, my neck is soooo sore! I have a big day on November 11th, so I get to rest this week. I plan to watch movies, Legally Blonde 1 & 2 and maybe Sex in the City for the 5th time. Funny movie!! I guess from now until the first of the year this will be my routine each day. I was thinking this morning that I need to continue my daily activities just like before such as getting up taking a shower and putting on makeup etc. I think it will be good for the mind, soul and body. I'm frustrated about exercising, but Debbie Looney thinks we can work that out. Possibly take me to Break Through Fitness (my Gym) and work out on the stationary bike while she works out with Tim Rogers, our personal trainer. Wow do I miss super slow!!! Doctor said I can do lower body but no upper body what so ever! Maybe at the first of the year I can start doing lower body super slow with Tim. I know my body needs to recover and heal. Believe me I do whatever the doctors say. I do not take any chances. I have been given a second chance at life and I will not take it for granted. That is a promise I have made to my donor and my donor's family.

It's about 4:30PM and it's starting to get dark. I love this time of year.

Have a wonderful Sunday evening and enjoy this moment in time!

love,

debbie