My last appointment at UofM was with Dr. Kitco who is a Graft vs Host Disease (GVHD) specialist. I had a lung CT scan the day before and it showed either significant damage or GVHD of my lungs. She leaned toward the GVHD diagnosis. She tweaked some of my meds and I am using two inhalers now. I think they are helping because I feel as though I can inhale more deeply now. It was not exactly what I wanted to hear but I am determined to make the best of it. She encouraged lots of exercise. I asked her if it winded me to go up and down stairs should I go again? Her answer was yes. Good exercise will help with lung expansion and make the best of the capacity that I have. Again I will follow Drs. orders. It is a bit challenging because the two inhalers make me so shaky and off balance. Sometimes my gait is a little crooked!
Feb. and March were pretty boring months as I stayed in the house for the most part. Den came back from a business trip with a terrible cold, which of course is what I worked so hard to avoid. I moved into Beth and Chad's place for 5 days or so, until Den was feeling much better. The temperature has been SO cold that just walking out to the car could induce a lot of coughing. Staying home seemed the best option.
HOWEVER I DO HAVE EXCITING NEWS! Meet Tina!
Tina is the donor who gave me life and hope. She is a beautiful person inside and out. We met for dinner on our way South. Her husband, David, and her son, Peyton and daughter in law Meg also joined us. They are a wonderful family and it was fun to start to get to know each other. Tina and I spent most of our time sharing stories. She registered for Be The Match 20 years ago, back when it was bone marrow only, no stem cells. After all these years she got the call and immediately went in for her blood work.She was chosen by my transplant coordinator and really she not only was my best choice but my only. If she had not registered 20 years ago I would not be here today. If she had not responded so quickly it might have been too late judging by how I felt. The Lord knew what I needed long before I needed it and the medical technology was not even a reality. How amazing!
Again my plea for young (18-44 years) adults to register with Be The Match. You may be the only one who can give life and hope to someone desperately in need. A young man who registered at the LMCCOA swabbing event was called in for blood work and is waiting to hear if he will be the donor. I am so proud of my officiating friends and the effort they put forth to host the event. If we can help one person it would feel awesome.
Tina and I look forward to seeing each other again. I invited them to Michigan this summer so she can meet our family, which she very much wants to do.
So to all my prayer warriors, our prayers have been abundantly answered. Tina and her church family have been praying for me long before she had any idea who I might be. All she knew was someone needed her and she considered it a blessing and an honor to donate. What a beautiful heart and attitude!
To say this has been an emotional time for me would be an understatement.
Yet like many other difficult times it has produced a harvest of good experiences with opportunities for growth. Sometimes I lose sight of that. Meeting Tina has really given me encouragement.
So after a very long Feb. and March I was able to experience something wonderful. My heart is filled with gratitude. How many times do you thank someone for saving your life? That is the thought and question I leave you with.
Grace and Peace To All Of Us......Peggy
