Mayowood Estate

From Jeanine:  Walking to Mayowood. Charles Mayo lived on 3,330 acres. I took a tour of his mansion and had a great day walking on his property.

Gail goes home !!

Gail looks terrific in her new duck attire - thanks to Rob and Jolene.  We were happy to see Gail and Scott before they left.

Bye Bye Rochester

Other than a bacterial infection which I am treating with anti-biotics for two weeks, the Dr. was very happy with my tests and said everything looks great. Leaving here on Thursday. May stop over in Seattle for a few days to see family and friends there, but should be home over the weekend. Se you all soon . Rick

A poem on the sewing machine at the GOL

The gift of healing is
an ever-changing journey.
The path is sometimes smooth,
the road is sometimes rough.

But always, the journey is a
beautiful tapestry
woven of yesterday's memories
and tomorrow's dreams.

The gift of healing is an ever
changing journey with threads
of faith and courage
intertwined among the gentle
colors of hope.

And though the road is sometimes
long, and our hearts sometimes
grow, weary,

There is joy in the knowledge
that we are walking ever closer
to the healing gift of peace.

My test results continue to improve. There are no signs of any rejection, so that's good news. They did find that I have a bacterial infection which they are not taking lightly. They have put me on an antibiotic to deal with that and will watch it closely. They still have moderate concern about a possible bile duct infection, but that is looking less likely. Just to be safe they will keep me here a few more days. They will run some more tests on Wednesday, and if my numbers are stable or continue to improve, then we will come home as scheduled on Thursday.

It was probably good that we came back here even though it was a hassle. Had a few things arise that are of definite concern and we are glad that it happened here. I feel confident things will be fine when we get back home. Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon. Love, Rick

Good News

My blood tests from Thursday showed an improvement in my enzyme levels. The ultrasound of the liver looked good, and the biopsy showed an absence of rejection. They will keep me until Monday to do more blood work, and absent any problems, then let me come back home.

They think the problem with the enzymes is due to either a slight obstruction in the bile duct which they don't think requires any further treatment at this time, or could be attributed to some type of intestinal bug. Neither of these possibilities necessitate any major concerns at this point.

Had a slight scare this morning when a tube was removed from my bile duct. Apparently there was some brief leakage reulting in some major abdominal pain, but fortunately it resolved itself within a few hours. So it looks like another weekend at the Gift of Life, then back home.

See you soon. Love, Rick

No News Yet

Ended up waiting almost 5 hours for my biopsy. Given the late start we won't have any results until Friday afternoon. When we get some news we will be sure to post it. They did do an ultrasound and told me that everything looked good, but that they will review it more closely Friday as well.

Settled into our new room at the Gift of Life House. Several old friends are here, many of them leaving this weekend, so it was nice to have a chance to say goodbye. Lots of new faces here we have yet to meet.

Hoping for some good news and a simple solution tomorrow. We will let you know. Love, Rick

We're here !

From Jeanine: We're very happy to be at the "GOL" once again. It's a very calm place for both of us, and we still know many of the residents here. Rick goes in at 7:00am tomorrow for blood work, and then it's off to the hospital for another liver biopsy. We should hopefully know something in the late afternoon. Rick is mentally ready and had a good time on the front porch catching up with everyone tonight. The fireflies were dancing everywhere; I just can't get enough of those little mesmorizing insects.

Mayo Revisited

My weekly blood tests are showing an increase in my liver enzyme levels.  That is indicative of possible rejection, so I have to go back to Mayo for a liver biopsy and further testing.  Although this is a bit of a setback, it is pretty common.  If it is rejection, it is dealt with by some steroid injections.  Sometimes it just takes a while to calm the immune system down so that it doesn't attack the new liver. 

It could also be attributed to other causes unrelated to rejection, and that is what the biopsy will reveal .  So it looks like we will be back on the blog again much sooner than anticipated.  I knew about a week ago that this was a possibility, so we have had some time to mentally prepare for this.  It was sure great to be home and to see friends again.  Hopefully this shouldn't take more than about a week, and then we will be back home again.  Rick

HWBM Summer BBQ

Welcome back Rick !  As our friend Bill once asked, "What kind of a resume do you have to have to work for you guys anyway?" Love you all !!!!

Another view of the Mayo complex

This shot was taken from the mall.

Harmony

Dale Morse and Rick

Miscellaneous photos: Dale visits from Eugene.