Let me warn you now, this is going to be a Debbie Downer of a post. I had big aspirations for 2024 and so far it’s been less than stellar. I’m full of frustration and I think that if I write it all down it might make me feel a little better. I totally understand if you want to skip this post. I wouldn’t blame you at all. We spent the last four months of 2023 in Canada with my…
I didn’t think it would take me this long to write about my transplant process, but it turns out there is a lot of stuff to do post-transplant that has kept me busy. Twice weekly visits to the hospital being the most time-consuming, along with shoveling tons of pills down my gullet everyday. Don’t get me wrong, I am most happy to be doing this because I get to live! Well, as long as my body doesn’t reject the new…
I wake. I look at the clock on the shelf beside my bed. It’s around 7:20 AM. I groan and get up. I start to get dressed for another day of telework. I’ve been doing this for the better part of the last four years, with the last two and half from the “office” in the front part of our RV where we live full-time. I feel a little melancholy. The previous day marked one year since we have been…
Figured I would keep y’all up to date on my health saga. As I mentioned in my last health post, they discovered two new malignant tumors in my liver. We were hoping that wouldn’t be an issue as my priority on the transplant list went up pretty high and a new liver would have taken care of the problem. As it turns out, I haven’t scratched the winning lottery ticket on the list yet so in order to keep the…
Evidently there are a few of you out there that still want to know about the ongoing saga that is my health. Well, there is good and not so good news. Here’s the latest skinny. When I last wrote about this saga I explained that the timeline we had hoped for was not going to be as quick as we wanted. Boy, did I understate that. Also, we were still hoping for a living liver transplant from my sister. Those…
I saw my new transplant doctor in Dallas last Thursday. Here’s a little snippet of the conversation: Doctor: So, what can I do for you today? Me: Hook me up with a liver transplant. Doctor: OK, that’s our end goal here. Me: Cool, so can we get this done like next month? Doctor: Whoa! Pump the brakes there! I’ll spare you the rest of the conversation. Basically, things are not going to progress as quickly as we hoped. The doctor…
I’m Iron Man! Oh wait, no, that was Tony Stark. I’m Radioactive Man! Yesterday, my cancer doc implanted a gamma radiation pellet in my liver to kill that pesky tumor that has taken up residence. Soon after the surgery I had to get on Facebook and post about it of course. This is what I said: So far, no manifestations of super powers. I do have restrictions because I am now actually emitting low levels of radiation. I have to…
I’ll tell you when. When it bumps my priority level for a liver transplant into the stratosphere! The scene earlier today: Doctor: So, why are we seeing you today? Arionis: Have you seen my latest MRI results? Doc: Let me look at that right now. *clickity clack clack click* Oh, you got cancer. Ari: Yup. Doc: Well then, remember all the times you pushed us to do a living liver transplant and we said no because you weren’t sick enough…
EDIT (08/29/21): I published this a few days ago but I am going to update it due to a comment I got from Rebecca (see below.) I think not calling it the BIG C and referring to it as the little c would be much more appropriate. I can’t change the title because it would mess up the original URL of the post, but I am going to change it in the body of the text. Thanks Rebecca! I’ve written…
I met Isaiah last weekend when my dog Finn and I spent three days and two nights on the Appalachian Trail. Isaiah is an interesting chap. Definitely not the kind of person I would usually hang around with. The introvert voice in me told me to get away from this guy as quick as possible. For once, I didn’t listen to that voice and I’m glad I didn’t. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have got to have an experience that took me…