Slow steps forward

This week I have increased my walking around the house. I now am able to walk without the aide of my walker around the yard. I am also just starting to use “ski poles” to get around giving me a little more balance and stability. This has helped me to move faster in the yard. I am also able to move up and down one flight of stairs, with the aide of a hand rail. I would love to be involved in a small amount of yard work such as trimming bushes or pruning the roses. But I have been told by the doctors no yard work this first summer as I can easily pick up a bacteria or mold from the ground. Anyway the deer gardeners are still around. Today when I was in the kitchen, one ran past the window and into the neighbor's yard. I believe he was teasing me. A few years ago my 90 year plus neighbor would sit in his back yard with a slingshot and a hand full of marbles. He was protecting his vegetable garden. Somehow a scarecrow doesn’t work so well for deer. Now that he is no longer protecting his garden, the deer are more prevalent in the neighborhood.

One problem I have is an interaction between all the medications I am on. One heart anti-rejection medication was hard on white blood cell generation. That one has been removed temporarily until my white blood count increases. Several drugs affect my blood pressure, bringing it low to where I lose stability when I stand up. Now I am on a drug to increase my blood pressure. If the bad interactions could be controlled, I am sure I would be on four to six drugs instead of 15. I need to keep reminding myself that medicine is advancing quickly. Had my blood disease showed up 10 years earlier, there was nothing that could have been done for me. Today, I have a double transplant and slowly recovering with the hope and anticipation of many more years of life. In 10 years from now, I hope the early detection of this disease will allow for a quick bone marrow transplant and rapid recovery, not requiring the anti-rejection medication that I need for the donors heart for the rest of my life.

May 11 marked eight months since my heart transplant. Most days I forget I have been through all that I have. All indications are that the heart is performing well with no rejection issues. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.