Nope, None

Last night we received an email with Jason's test results from Duke.

No rejection. No antibodies. No infection.

This is wonderful news! We both feel like we can give a huge sigh of relief.

So happy and so so grateful.

It was quite a whirlwind trip (just 3 days, 2 of which were fully travel) and, thank the heavens, everything went smoothly. The recovery from the bronchoscopy on Monday wasn't fantastic (bronchs are usually bears), but Jas is feeling better today and back in classes.

We got to see some of our transplant buddies at the clinic. We also got to catch up with our Checketts friends and experience some delicious gourmet pizza done right, followed by a Pelican's Snoball each. These things made it into a pretty ok trip. We're happy we get to come back and see our Durham peeps... even if that means a full day of Duke stuff.
I finally got around to reading Edenbrooke this weekend. I read while on the plane on Sunday and then all up in the waiting rooms on Monday and then I was very sad by Tuesday when I found myself with no more pages left. It was one of those books where upon finishing all I wanted to do was call my sisters, my mom, my friends, anyone who might be interested, and tell them to get their hands on a copy! Someone could even borrow mine!—Yeah one of those books. Not the most brilliant writing, but oh I loved it nonetheless.

Now that we know there's no rejection at this time we get to wait until June before we head back to Duke for more awesome appointments and doctors and scans and waiting rooms and stuff.

I'll be on the lookout for another good book for that 8 hour day of travel. Suggestions are always welcome.

and THAT'S a road trip!

We knew driving coast to coast (40+ hours) might be a little bit long. But we also knew that it might be fun too if we had the right amount of tunes and stories and jokes, and we did so it was fun. And long.

North Carolina is trees and lots more trees and we fell right in love with Asheville.

Tennessee and Arkansas is cuuuuuntry. I'm pretty sure 96% of radio stations were country music, but it just so happened that country music was exactly what we were looking for. We mostly listened to the awesomeness in our playlist and found ourselves in the company of George, Tim, Taylor, Garth, Trisha, etc, and they're nice country company.

Texas is flat. And it kind of felt like taking a giant, deep breath driving through the wide-openness. It also felt like sunset lasted about an hour longer than the usual and it sort of felt like being at the ocean, being surrounded by the flat, pink sunsetty abyss.

We found that New Mexico isn't exactly "The Land of Enchantment", but I met a nice man with no front teeth named Tio in Cuba, New Mexico who made oil paintings of football and mesas. I didn't have any cash on me so he didn't let me see his work, but if I had I think I might have thought about handing over a ten dollar bill. We chatted for a minute and he told me I was cool. I said he was pretty cool too. So that was fun.

The tip of Colorado was snowy and farm-landy, so it made us feel like we might be inching closer to home.

Moab and southern Utah is red and gorgeous, northern Utah is snowy and cold and surrounded by mountains.

And Idaho... Idaho is home.

(TX)

(NM)

(UT)

And in the morning we set out for home number two—California or bust!

Crazy Little Thing Called

Looks like we'll probably be packing or moving*, not really clear on which stage of the process, on Valentine's Day this year. But we'll be listening to love songs of all shapes and sizes, playing loud for all to hear, incase we feel like dancing. If things get really jiggy we might also wear our beautiful sequin glasses I picked up at Kroger. I heard the local German restaurant has a special Valentine's hazelnut macaroon—that might just put Valentine's Day of 2013 right over the top!

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing—Bee Gees

Feels Like the First Time—Foreigner

Just What I Needed—The Cars

*we get the "all clear" to relocate on 2/12/13, so we can't say anything definite until then. but our apt has been rented to new tenants after us, so regardless we will be moving.

Merry and Very Bright

Over the last few nights we've been putting up a tree. A bright bright white tree.

Last night we hung the last acorn, ball, and bow... and Jason crowned it with a star.

There is something about a beautified (when lit, fluorescent) tree and garlands made of paper chains and pine-boughs that breaths comfort and happiness into a home. It's like walking into a big hug. We're thinking we might be leaving it all up until it's time for us to move out.

All I know is we love Christmas! It's merry and very bright; two things we really appreciate.

Oh. And I also know that Jason got a haircut and shaved off his whole beard. And if I'm telling the truth, I kind of miss it. The scruff, not the unruly head of hair—although the bed head had been quite fantastic lately.

Maybe after I vacuum I'll show off the rest of the joint.

But for now consider yourself hugged. By our Christmas tree.

Traditionally Nontraditional and Happy Thanksgiving

Around the time of Jason's transplant, Miss Sydney and I hatched a plan to get together for Thanksgiving. And so we did! There was the traditional holiday trip to the hospital in there somewhere, but we managed to have a beautiful Thanksgiving table (even if it was the day after Thursday). We whistled while we worked our little hearts out in my tiny kitchen and boy! We were pretty pleased with our little selves and the delicious results.

As we shared our thankfulness round the table there were mentions of all the most important things: loving family and friends, a gracious Heavenly Father, good change, miracles, selfless angels providing second chances at life, support through hard times, even social media—to help us all keep in touch.

We love our friends the Poultons. So thoughtful and so sweet! Thank you, again, for your support and jumping to our aid from afar... before we could even ask.

You're rockstars.

Also, this little guy is the sweetest. When he crawled over to find me in the kitchen and pat my legs with his tiny hands he stole my heart. I was done for.

It's so crazy to think the last time we got together the littlest member of the fam wasn't quite able to make our acquaintance. A year and a half later, and on the other side of the country, we played Throw Everything We Can Behind Our Head, and Quick! Clear Off The Coffee Table... two very popular games. Obviously we were fast friends! When Jas came home from the hospital Everett was instantly interested, no playing required—we all decided it must have been the beard (because Everett digs old guys).

...............................................................................................................

a little update: On Saturday we checked Jas back into the hospital due to the fact that he was feeling tightness in his chest, as well as feeling so fatigued and weak. There are tests being done and x-rays and samples etc in the works, maybe we'll be able to know the culprit over the next week. Already he's feeling stronger and a bit better. It looks like he's pretty much healed from the stomach wrap (which he still does not recommend to anyone... but he will also admit that the recovery was pretty short, just some intense few days right at the front).

We're very aware that our life is made up with many hills and valleys right now, and we're hopeful he can bounce out of this particular valley soon. Which would be surely appreciated because we've got things to do... like be excited for Christmas and stuff!

Nissen Fundoplication (stomach wrap around the esophagus)

We are two months out of transplant and a few weeks ago Jason seemed to have a breakthrough—he got on some pain medication that really helped him and his recovery improved greatly.
We have had some bumps in the road to be sure (very slight rejection, a very small amount of donor-specific antibodies, an old infection that grew in his old lungs lingering in his body and creeping into the new, etc) but with the help of Duke's fantastic team we have been able to get all proactive on all that shtuff to ensure it didn't develop into something more serious.
In fact, for the past couple weeks he has felt better and better each day—and last week he was even proclaiming he was "starting to feel like his old self again"!

So what did we do about that?? Why we packed a bag and scurried off to the bustling streets of New York City to meet up with my sissie and her husband! (I'll be posting about that weekend trip pretty soon. I hope.)

And then we came back to Durham and were welcomed by a full day of pre-op appointments yesterday and a Nissen Fundoplication today, with a side of another long, yucky recovery. Hip hip!
*the Nissen stomach wrap is a laparoscopic surgery to prevent Jason's stomach from refluxing acid and food into his lungs—this is to aid in preventing rejection

I spoke with the surgeon (Dr. Hartwig, who looks very much like a thin Clark Kent–Superman, and is probably the friendliest surgeon we've ever met). The surgery went very well. Took longer than usual because of some big artery they had to work around, but went well.
Then I went into recovery and saw Jas, who was doing good and very medicated. I happened to catch this conversation with his nurse man, "Hey, I really like your gray pants." Nurse man looked at his gray scrubs and said "'Preciate it." Jas just nodded his dopey little head and said "Yeah... I wish I had pants." The fact that he was lying there fully naked under his gown and blanket continued to disturb him for the next few minutes. Next he tried to "count the ways he loved me". Number one being "you have beautiful hair" ?  Number two, "you take real nice care of me". Number three "you love me". Number four "you're kind". Number five "you have bosoms to be envied" ??  (Emily Dickinson would be so proud)... and so on until he managed to get his hands on his phone and moved onto trying to navigate Facebook and read comments... now that is something I wish I had recorded.

And speaking of goofy Jason, I thought I might share a little treat I whipped up.
Earlier today, just before surgery.
*you can see the photos individually here

... and as they wheeled him away to the OR he was whistle-humming the Indiana Jones theme song... very loudly.

Now you see what I deal with? ;)

"And now you know the rest of the story" said Paul Harvey

Aug 12, 2012

We had been in Durham, NC for three Sundays and our ward had been nothing short of amazing to us—welcoming us to the area before we even arrived and searching for ways to serve and befriend us the minute we came into town. Moving to, literally, the other side of the country was scary and hard (yes, we've been over this before) but finding such good people waiting for us made all the difference. Anyway, it was Sunday, we were at church, and a clipboard was passed around the Relief Society room for the annual Pig Pickin on Sep 15 (apparently this is an annual thing for a lot of people in North Carolina). What's a Pig Pickin? I didn't get a chance to ask, but I saw a blank beneath Baked Beans.
Ehh. It's in the middle of September. Jas will probably be in the hospital and I'll probably just have to call and say I won't be coming after all. And if not... I like Baked Beans. I'll get my mom's recipe.
I signed up.

Aug 28, 2012
Jason was notified that he was officially listed for transplant (you can read about that here).
That night I gave Jason a card with a love note inside.
When I saw this card I was struck by the symbolism of the phrase. It has since become our little family motto of sorts. "I love you to the moon and back."

We were informed that it wouldn't "be long at all". So we told our family and Jason's parents came the next day. After a week of waiting Brad (Jason's dad) went back to Idaho to work and Tami (Jason's mom) stayed with us in anticipation for the transplant.

Sept 11, 2012
It was in the afternoon and I was drying off from a nice, warm shower. There was a rap rap rap on the door and Tami's voice, "Geri, Jason's on the phone... It kind of sounds like it might be the call?" I finished drying and walked out of the bathroom to see Jas sitting on the sofa. This didn't seem like a normal "call" conversation.
Jason hung up the phone. It was a nurse wondering if Jason would want to participate in a study. There was a lot of "lung action" happening, so he would come to our apartment for Jason to sign papers as soon as possible. Once we had digested this news I realized I had been standing in the middle of the living room in my towel.
I put on some acceptable clothing. The nice nurse man came, said he wouldn't be surprised if we got a call later that afternoon or possibly the following day. Jason asked for the date as he signed the paperwork. "September eleventh," the nurse man said.
I gasped, rather loudly. "Oh. Sorry, it's just... that... I didn't realize... Interesting day."
For some reason I really didn't feel ok about a surgery on that date.
I shook it off and put on mascara.

Sept 12, 2012
There was an incessant noise interrupting my dreaming... a digital singing. It sounded like Apple's ringtone. The phone! It's the phone! What time is it? 250 am. 250 AM! I shook Jas, tapped his shoulder, "The phone! Get the phone!" He picked it up with a groggy hello, said some single or double syllable words kind of like: "Ok. Yes. Ok. I will. Ok. Thanks. Bye." We sat there for about four seconds.... Was this it?
We scrambled up to get ourselves together and shake off the sleep. I woke Tami (Jason's mom) and called my mom to let her know we were headed to the hospital.
The getting to the hospital is a blur of red stoplights and valet parking at the ER and a maze of hospital hallways. Once we got into the little room it was 315 AM and the prepping began. In between nurses and tests we dozed and "slept" in a very small, very chilly short stay room. 700 AM we still hadn't heard from the surgeon, after a very long night. Should I text Leah or Amy or Lindsay to let them know we were at the hospital and wouldn't be at the Pig Pickin Saturday? 755 AM we received another call. The surgeon, who was at the donor's OR, after testing and viewing the lungs had determined them not viable for transplant—the lungs were not good enough.
Dry run.
900 AM go home, go about your day as usual, try to take a nap and hope to get a call again soon.
Nobody passed out or had a panic attack... so I'd say that was a win.

Sept 15, 2012
Baked Bean aroma filled the apartment.
Nobody was in the hospital today, looked like we were headed to a Pig Pickin.
When we arrived I was much relieved to not see a rotating pig on a spit or one laid out on a table (I asked a checkout guy at Target and he filled me in on the tradition). Somebody told us this was "not a real Pig Pickin. Hopefully next year you'll get to see the real deal." I said "Yeeks." But the bbq sauce was fantastic.
There were lots and lots of questions about transplant stuff. When will it be? We don't know. How long do you have to wait? The average is 17 days, but probably longer, or maybe a little less... we don't know. How long will he have to be in the hospital after the surgery? Depends on the patient and how he does, we don't know.
There's not a lot to know in this game. Sorry. But thanks for playing.

Sept 16, 2012
We were almost finished getting ready for church at about 1:30 that Sunday afternoon. I heard a phone ringing, it wasn't mine. "Hey Jas! You're phone is ringing!" I found it on the table in the living room, caller ID said Unknown. Hmm.
Jason answered it. After only a moment I could tell this was another call.
They told us that the surgeon would be going to the donor's OR shortly, there was another transplant in progress at that moment (I guess these transplant things run in multiples), if Jason could get to the hospital within the next hour or two they would start preparing for transplant. Yeah yeah... we knew the drill.
I finished curling my hair. Jas took a bath. Tami packed us a sack of fruit and snacks. We all changed out of our church clothes and Tami and I put on our Team Jason shirts. We loaded our bags a second time and got in the car.
Once we got to the pre-op room we looked at the clock. 3:15 PM. Weird. The last time we were in a prep room I swear the clock said the same thing. We made ourselves at home with some Phase 10 and college football games. The clock kept ticking along. Jason filled out his Living Will (which I strongly suggest anyone going through a large surgery to do prior to the actual event). And there was more waiting. By midnight we had watched a few episodes of Storage Wars and were a little bit sick of waiting... At about 12:55 AM, in the middle of another episode of Storage Wars, Jason's phone rang.

The next part of this story will be told primarily with texts and FB updates—mostly because it's all a hazy blur for me now.

Text to family: Sep 16, 1:37 PM
We got a call so we'll head into the hosp in the next hr and we should know if the lungs are a go later tonight.... So no announcements yet—we'll keep you posted :)

Text to family: Sep 17, 1:00 AM
Just got the call from the nurse coordinator The lungs look good. It's a go! The nurse will come get him in a bit.

Instagram: @geriegbert

Jas is getting lungs tonight. And oh my racing heart... I love this guy. He's my favorite person.

FB update: Sep 17, 2:45 AM
Jas was just wheeled back to the OR. It will be avery long surgery (around 9 hrs)... We should get a couple updates throughout the wait.
>> as they wheeled him back on the bed all I could see was the top of his red hair and his hand from the wrist up as he waved and gave us a thumbs up. I knew his heart was anxious and racing, I knew he had to be terrified—but he was still my sweet buddy, being cute and funny as they took him back to the OR to begin something so huge... something we never could imagine actually happening. this shook me and I felt the room spinning and all I could hear was myself screaming inside my head. me and Tami hugged and cried for a minute, then ventured out into the waiting room.

Instagram: @geriegbert

So hosp lights never turn off. But I MacGyvered a magical floral hobo fort w the umbrella in my purse.
>> our friend Clark came to find Tami and I when he finished his shift that night (er morning?). he said he couldn't find us. I said, "Oh that's probably because I had a floral umbrella on my head." He said "I did see a floral umbrella... I didn't want to disturb whoever was under it." I don't know why, but this still strikes me as hysterical.

FB update: Sep 17, 9:33 AM
Update from Geri just now: Jas was wheeled back at about 230. They called me at 425 and said they had started the surgery. And just got an update from them "team is still working". So far so good! Keep on praying!
>> all of the updates were like this. I would get paged every two hours to go up to the nurse's desk and she would say, "You have a message from the OR." I would nod. "They are still working." The first time I didn't get it... I said "Ok, what's the message." "They're still working." "Ok, so what's the message?" "The message is: They are still working. That's the message." "Oh—ok." It was 6:30 AM after close to zero sleep and high stress—give me a break is all I'm saying.

FB update: Sep 17, 11:25 AM
Latest update: they are almost finished. Next update will be talking to the surgeon.

Photos taken during that last bit of waiting....

>> I believe I remember asking someone to pass me a Diet Coke. Wait. Yes. Yes I did. It was on Instagram/FB (and three days later the most awesome Relief Society President in the solar system brought us dinner... with a six pack of Coke Zero. Leah, if you're reading this, I heart you).

FB update: Sep 17, 12:18 PM
Update from Jason's sister: The surgery's done. His new lungs are in! Geri and my mom should be able to see him in the ICU in about 45 minutes!!!

FB update: Sep 17, 2:10 PM
Geri here: we just went into the ICU and saw Jas. He's still sedated and will be for about six more hrs. Not totally out of the woods yet... But the lungs are in and he looks pretty good to me. Should know more in a few hrs.
>> they tried to warn us before we went in there that he would be bare-chested, high temp, cold sweats and have a massive amounts of tubes coming from his body. Tami told me to picture the absolute worst in my mind so it could be better than that. I did, and therefore wasn't shocked at the sight. but it was still disturbing to see my man with tubes in the side of his neck, five tubes in his chest, tubes coming from the high upper thigh area (that part was covered, I saw them coming out from under the sheet), IVs in both hands, and a big one shoved down his throat. 

FB update: Sep 17, 9:41 PM
Geri again: We just left the hospital after seeing Jason. He looks so good and the nurses are excited that he is doing well. He is not so heavily sedated now, he is breathing on his own—once they get the epidural in for pain management they will be able to take out the ventilator and the central line. Hopefully by morning he will be sitting up in a chair and then up and taking a few steps. The sooner he walks the better.
So grateful for these lungs and watching his chest and belly rise and fall with a deep, full breath.
So grateful for a wonderful donor and fantastic surgical team.
So grateful for all of the encouragement, love and prayers—it has helped more than you know.
So relieved and can finally relax a little bit after a very stressful 32 hrs.

Sneaky ICU photo from Brad's phone via text: Sep 17, 11:00 PM

FB update: Sep 18, 12:34 PM
Jas is doing so great. His nurses are calling him their Rockstar. He's already walked a lot today and they're talking about moving him to the step down unit later this afternoon. Still so much recovery to go... But it's truly amazing he's doing so well up to this point.
>> I visited him in the ICU at about 9:15 that morning and by that time he had already walked 1500 feet. Everyone was doting on him and his dopey little self was sure enjoying it. When a new specialist would pop their head in the curtain and introduce themselves he would say "Hi I'm Jason and I'm doing really great! I just had a transplant yesterday." And they would smile and nod and say "Yes, I heard! You ARE doing great!"

FB update: Sep 18

Jas is out of ICU and in his room now. Doing miraculously well, super dopey from meds but super good. They did a bronch and said "the lungs look beautiful".

Text to family: Sep 19, 11:26 PM
Update is we walked like crazies today w/o any O2 (40 laps around the unit total). Got rid of 3 chest tubes (2 left). Brushed his teeth. Had a blood transfusion (the meds work on the bone marrow, so a transfusion every now and then is part of the deal). Cracked some jokes. Had a bronch, still looks good. Had a swallow test, passed the thick nectar drinks and the cookie—so now he can have thickened liquids (but no cookies cuz he didn't pass the pudding or the thin liquids). No diabetes so far. And now going to go to sleep.

FB update: Sep 20, 10:59 PM
Gerl here! Third day out of transplant was kind of hard, but he's still doing great. He can eat thickened liquids which makes this guy super happy (huge blessing). And he got the scary tube out of his neck, among a few other tubes in various places.... which is a plus :)
>>yeah, I spelled my name wrong. it had been a very long week. or a very long year.... either one.

FB update: Sep 22, 10:38 PM
Geri again: Just waiting on two chest tubes (there is still some fluid draining from the lungs) and we can break Jason out of the hospital! Plan is for Monday... but hospital plans almost always change. 
Jas has been recovering better than ever expected—today's PFT (pulmonary lung function test) was 67% (he was around 22% pre transplant) which is remarkable! And he walked 101 laps around the unit 

today (the prerequisite to going home is 20, 18 is a mile). He's sick of being in his room and antsy to move around... that means he's feeling pretty good and ready to get on out of here. Yay!

We really are seeing miracles everyday and so grateful for your support and prayers. Thank you again. And again and again.

Text to family: Sep 24, 4:48 PM
Outskies. He's doing good.

FB update: Sep 24
Jason is home tonight... and filling a giant pill box with new pills and not wearing any oxygen. Labs at 730 in the morning and back to rehab tomorrow afternoon. Lots of recovery to go. Bring it on!!

Instagram: @geriegbert

Look who's home!

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Sep 27, 2012
We just got back from our evening walk and are about to turn on a movie, then we'll go to bed. No two hour breathing treatment needed. But not before a few more IVs and checking blood sugar and taking pills right on time and cleaning the cannonball wound. Every day seems to be a little better than the one before. We're planning on a few steps forward, a couple steps back.... But oh! How can it be? We thank our Father in Heaven every night for this blessing of life. We are so excited to no longer be waiting, but to be recovering and to live it.

"And now you know the rest of the story."

(If not familiar with him, or even if you are, here's a good Paul Harvey story.)

There was this one time when I had a birthday and everything else was upside down so we ate a gigantic breakfast and took a nap.

Jason got me two ah-mazing globes (translation: Jason saw me Oooing and Awwing over said globes and said Please get them and it will be for your birthday, since I can't really do anything super birthday fantastic this year, even though I wish so bad I could.—mm hm, that was totally word for word. And well, I couldn't say no to boy with oxygen tube in his nose so I did as I was told because I follow instructions well). I left the rest of my globe collection in CA, which was super depressing at the time, but once we recieved our things and saw the horrible condition almost everything arrived in I was oh so grateful I left (most of) the best stuff behind.

Reason 743 Why I Love My Husband: He gets me the perfect presents for my birthday and other gift giving holidays. Every time (maybe with a little help). Globes, a sweater and a great big kiss on the lips. Success.

We celebrated with a big birthday breakfast at Waffle House with Brad and Tami. And I don't know if you know this, but Waffle House by definition means: delicious and ginormous. It was there, on this 24th birthday, that I tried grits for the very first time (they were..... meh). And it was later that night that I tried Chicken n Dumplins and fried okra. I guess this was a Southern-food-firsts kinda birthday. When in Rome.

p.s. just looking at that picture gives me indigestion and heart burn.
p.p.s. still waiting.

Phase Two

Today I was thinking about posting about the awesomeness of thrifty shopping: case in point our super cool table we scored at Salvation Army or our bright blue chair from Furniture Follies.

But then we got this phone call that just seemed to be so much cooler than that....

Today, this very afternoon around 4 pm, Jason was officially listed for transplant.

So I think maybe we'll chat about those thrifty things another day.

Right now we'll celebrate with a nap and then maybe a crazy game of dominos, followed by packing a hospital bag for when we get another exciting phone call (hopefully in the near future).

Whoa.

And then there's the part where I get emotional...

First let me tell you that we are doing great. We made it to North Carolina and we're still kickin.

Jason is in Duke's pre-op rehab program and we have met with great doctors and had labs and tests—working our way to get on that list. We are confident in the transplant team here and grateful for the mandatory rehab. Jas' body is already getting stronger and more prepared for what is to come. And that's so good.

We have already met so many sweet people and made some fast friends. We're happy with our sunny little one bedroom apartment and have our routine that seems to work for us.

Things are looking up. We're looking up.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It felt like hiking Mt. Annapurna, that whole part where we prepared for moving and then the actual moving and red–eye flight and that first little bit after we got here. No. It felt so much more impossible than that. I will spare you the terrifying, lonely, medicated details. All I can say is this; that time was probably the darkest for me. Crumpled on the floor by the bathroom door of our extended–stay hotel room, shoulders shaking and mascara streaming down face. It was a lot.

But then we did it. And now it's done.

On to the next.

But wait, before we move on... let me say one more thing: we love our Father in Heaven, we love our family, we love our dear friends, we love people we have not even met. We have been lifted and strengthened and supported by so so many. It is astonishing. Humbling. It makes me gush with tears whenever I talk about it.

And Steph... You're an angel. I miss you.

After that part I'm pretty much positive we can make it through everything else. And everything else.... is a lot. But do you see those hands there? They're strong little hands and they've got each other. And as corny as this might sound, together they can do anything.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1. because Sunday evening is for walks  2. because air mattresses make me yawn

There's more where that came from. @geriegbert – Instagram baby.

Updates can probably be found there. Or the Team Jason fb page.

Our moving date has been SET!

Home Sweet North Carolina print found here

You heard me! We are flying away July 22. And that's that.
.....As long as nothing changes with Jason's stomach sitch...... our plans tend to change rather quickly, I'm currently suffering from whiplash, so you may want to stick around to make sure it really happens.

We have decided to wait on the feeding tube. Jason's nausea has been controlled with the high–power meds he's on and we don't want to do anything invasive that might complicate recovery after the transplant. So right now the goal is to get our little selves over to North Carolina ASAP.

This is it! Our tickets have been purchased, we're gonezo. I'm in a packing frenzy, we're up to our eyeballs in moving–preparations (travel oxygen for the flight, oxygen for when we get there, shipping meds, changing-of-address, scheduling a movers, packing packing packing, deciding what to store and what to take, wondering what to do with our car, etc).

Whoa.

Good thing we got lots of awesome peeps helping us out....
this would be waaaaay too much to handle alone.

An exhausting eval week and Duke looks like a castle

Duke's clinic facility is impressive, very very beautiful. And North Carolina peeps are super nice—Southern Hospitality is alive and well.

This was an intense week of more tests than we knew existed and so much waiting waiting waiting in waiting rooms. My sissie Cassie drove from Ohio to be with us and drive us around and help us though the week. We seriously could not have made it without her. It was a long week and physically and emotionally exhausting for everyone involved.

It wasn't all hospital and no fun (although it came pretty close to being just that). We were treated to some local treasures—Hog Heaven which had some awesome North Carolina bbq and where we tried our very first hush puppies (I'm a fan, Jas thinks they're super wierd). And Locopops which provided us with the tastiest gourmet popsicle deserts for two nights in a row (strawberries and cream and Mexican chocolate were the clear winners).

Thank you to our brand new friends Amy and Clark for introducing us to those places listed above, but more importantly for introducing us to the Alder family, who so graciously let us stay in their home for the week. Thank you so much Alder's. We cannot believe your kindness and generosity! Thank you again and again.

The biggest drag of the trip might have been Jas getting to have a tube threaded through his nose and down his throat to his stomach to measure his acid reflux (among other nasty things) for 24 hours. For some reason the giant patch of scotch tape smeared across his cheek was really sad.

We're reading this together right now, almost finished actually. It has made us laugh, made us cry and made us realize what we're going through really isn't so bad and through incredibly hard times we can still find hope and joy.

Pick yourself up a copy. You'll be glad ya did.

...................................................................................................

Now for the big news!! (hope you're still with me)

Duke's transplant board met together yesterday and we got a call from them same–day, which kind of shocked us—they had told us to expect a call about a week after their meeting. They want us to relocate to North Carolina ASAP and have Jason do some more testing (like liver biopsies and stuff) and start their pulmonary rehab to prepare for transplant.

This will all happen before getting listed—meaning, Jason is not yet listed.

The process at Duke is different from other centers. They want their candidates to be fully prepared for transplant before listing them; they don't list right after the initial evaluation, they run a million more tests and require a certain number of rehab sessions to be sure the patient is really ready.

So the ball is rolling along and it feels good to move forward.... but please excuse us while we scramble to figure out how to move cross-country in like two weeks!