Turning Over the Reins

News from the trenches is very slow these days and I fear my days as a blogger are coming to an end.  Without paint, a painter cannot paint.  Without stone, a sculptor cannot sculpt.  Without flour, a baker cannot make delicious carrot cake muffins loaded with creamcheese frosting.

Please check back now and then.  You have not yet heard the last from me, but for now, I must say goodbye.  Thank you all for your faithful support and your kind words of encouragement.  Until the events of life once again inspire me to put pen to paper, I leave you in the wonderful and very capable hands of my extraordinary wife:

www.timjoandanna.blogspot.com

The last 7 years have been absolutely amazing and I truly hope you have learned as much as we have about playing the game of life - about swinging for the fences no matter what kind of pitches are thrown your way.  There is no hurdle that life can put in front of you that you cannot cross.  Take full responsibility for your entire life, even the things that are seemingly not your fault and you will live an extraordinary life.

In case life throws you a pitch that appears less than perfect, I leave you with the Szymanski Prayer.  We say it every day as a family.  It is and has been a tremendous rudder for our family and if it someday helps you navigate the waters of your life, we feel privileged to have had the opportunity to share.

May God give you the STRENGTH to always accept the present

exactly the way it is and exactly the way it is not,

and the COURAGE to never give up on the future!

9 Month Checkup

Wait a minute. I thought we had Jo's 9 month checkup almost 4 years ago. Oh yeah, that was before we started over! Actually, most of the last 7 years seems like ancient history. Combine that with the worst two long-term memories you may have ever run across and you have the perfect formula for living an extraordinary life independent of circumstances - now that sounds like a book title if I don't say so myself. Hmmm?

Jo went to Texas last week to see the good Dr. Anderlini. We had been hoping to start weening off the Tacro, but that is not the case. Jo's body and Uncle Eddie's stem cells are still learning to get along. Some days that process goes well and other days it looks like the Democrats and Republicans trying to agree on what to do about the budget deficit - kind of ugly.

Jo hasn't had any horrible signs of graft vs. host disease, but there are some little indicators. Dr. Anderlini says that even though her platelet counts are good, they have been slightly on the decline for several months. He thinks this fact combined with some other minor stuff warrants an INCREASE in Jo's Tacro. Doh!

Not all was lost on Jo's latest trip to the humidity capital of the world. Dr. Anderlini said she can start eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. She had been pretty much limited to Watermelon, Avocados and other thick-skinned items. I bought her a delicious Colorado Cantaloupe, but she doesn't seem interested.

Jo did give a bone marrow sample while she was at MD Anderson. After 15 or 20 times, it gets a little routine. To try to make things interesting, she tried everything she could to stay awake and watch the procedure. She remembers going in. She remembers coming out. The rest is a mystery.