Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The First Jog, The Last Relay

Sorry, It's been 2 weeks and I haven't posted. It's been a good 2 weeks, though :)
Thanks again for the amazing support I've gotten! The great emails, cards, encouragements and the prayers, from friends and churches, for Bobby & I.

Last week Bobby told me he feels like 100%, is jogging and wants to be cleared to work. He still has to be extra careful until the 3-month no-rejection goal is met.

On 9/2 Robin & I met with the GI specialist, the surgeon, and the transplant coordinators and it all went well. The specialist diagnosed the nausea problem as a result of mini-ulcers possibly caused by the aspirin prescription. I've continued taking the acid-blocker medication and have felt better every day! I'm getting a little stronger and heavier each day (still 10 lbs to go). Eating is fun again and the nausea really doesn't bother me anymore.
On 9/4 I started working again full time and it's gone well. On 9/9 I did my first jogging and on 9/12 I increased my biking up to 36 miles - and was able to ride with Robin as she finished the Auburn Century.

The first jog I did on 9/9 was special. It was on the Guadalupe Levy with my old running buddies at Rockwell Collins San Jose. Even Dick Kirkpatrick made a special visit to run. Don't worry, for me it was more like a fast walk, the guys either circled back or waited for me. These guys, and some of the gals, in the club, run the Napa-to-Santa-Cruz Relay each year. Tom has done it 14 times and this year became the only one to have run each of the 12 legs. Sadly, with the upcoming closing of the San Jose plant, this was the last year for the Relay team, as everyone must move to new employment.

But as we jogged, Tom reminded me that I started the company doing The Relay, and that the event's main purpose was supporting organ donating. Their statement is, "The transfer of the baton from runner to runner symbolizes the transfer of an organ from donor to recipient." Each year a special child or adult was honored as their need for an organ is fulfilled. This, the last year of the team's running, is also the year Bobby finally got the kidney needed. All these years supporting The Relay and organ donating finally became a reality for me and the team.

I want to leave you with something my friend, Monique Vandenberg, who is battling Leukemia, wrote on her blog (2/17/09), "DON'T WAIT TO GET SICK, OR FOR A TRAGEDY TO BOND MORE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES!!! Life is short....I know it's easy to say....but more often then not,,,,put the chores and "TO DO" list aside and make time for your family and friends :-))"

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