Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Happy Anniversary!

Twenty three years ago I said "I do". It was a 97 degree day, the wedding was outside, my cousin couldn't get my husband's name right, the cake split in half because of the heat, and years later I would learn that most of my family placed bets that it would not last more than a couple of years since we were so young (18 & 23). HA! Showed them! Most people who didn't think WE would make it aren't even married anymore! Persistence. No guts no glory.

We have been through the fire. Heartache, illness, loss....we made it through though by the grace of God. We love and respect each other and take pride in our relationship. He has supported me and encouraged me to reach for the stars and fulfill my dreams. We cherish our family and have made it a priority to model a healthy loving relationship to our children and others. Of course we have had days, weeks, months when it seemed like we wouldn't make it, but when we counted the cost, we knew we could make it, we had to make it and honor our vows!

Twenty three years is a LONG time! We have no shelf life, its 23 years to forever. No going back, no trading in for a new model. I have to admit that I did not quite know what I was getting myself into back then, just kind of closed my eyes and held on for the ride! And what ride it has been! I couldn't ask for a more loving, kind, caring, strong, responsible husband, father and grandfather. He's the love of my life and is definitely one of a kind and irreplaceable. Here is to infinity!!!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Where does the time go?

It has been 8 weeks since my last post. Let's see, I have perfected swimming with a kick board, had a 41st birthday, my husband was hospitalized-THREE TIMES... I don't know where to start!

I am still feeling how shall I say? Traumatized? Sure. Great word. Just days after my last post, my husband was hospitalized to be treated for acute rejection of his transplanted organs. It was supposed to be cut and dry, in and out, thank you very much. Unfortunately it did not turn out that way. What should have been 3 days turned into almost 14. 1 blood clot, 6 days in ICU and a failed graft pancreas later he got to come home, only to be readmitted 1 day later. 3 days, $200 in meals from the hospital cafe, and more insulin changes he came back home. Life changed. He is now a diabetic again.

You would think that I had NOT lived with the disease for 17 years before the transplant. This has been really difficult for me to accept. Now, I have to say, I did know this was a possibility when he received the transplant. I fully understood the risks. But oh the freedom of being free of living life around diabetes! The spontaneaity of it all! For the last 19 years of our lives, one of us has been ill. his diabetes, my cancer. After his transplant two years ago, it was the first time in so long I don't remember what it was like before, we were just able to BE. No checking blood sugars. No dialysis. Ok, so there were pills, but we can do pills!! I guess the point is that we felt normal.

So here we are, back to what we know. Checking blood sugars, planning meals. Being careful. I am trying to adjust to being a 'diabetic' wife again. One bright spot is the fact that my husband is a trooper. He is like the energizer bunny, takes a licking and keeps on ticking. That makes it so much easier to deal with because I am not taking on having to care for him like he's incapacitated. He's my hero, and he prooves that he's Superman everyday.