#GBE2: First Steps

It's not a first step for me, or for anyone I know, but it is for a stranger with Myelodysplastic Disorder. This means the cells in her bone marrow are damaged and cannot produce new blood cells. Some of the cells that are produced are not normal, so the body destroys these. This disease often leads to leukemia and can be fatal; however, with a matching donor, stem cells may be added to her blood stream thus allowing her doctors and God to repair her body, so she may produce new blood cells on her own.

The first steps started with my husband who underwent an extensive physical and then took two shots a day, every day for five days. The shots filtered stem cells from his bone marrow to his blood stream. He could actually feel the stem cells moving and developed aches in his back which led to trouble sleeping. 

Today was the big day. Mitchell spent four hours hooked up to a machine that removed stem cells from his blood and then placed the blood back into his body with an added saline solution. 

The procedure was a success with the collection removing double the stem cells needed. This means that they might be able to freeze the stem cells for later use.

Mitchell is already feeling a little better and will be home tomorrow. Thank goodness my husband was willing to take the first steps to help a stranger fight cancer.

Wordless Wednesday: The Little Monster Under The Bed

Musical Monday: Hero

As mentioned last week, Thursday is the day of my husband's stem cell donation, where he will be saving a stranger's life. Here's a song dedicated to him.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.






PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

A Night at the Ballpark

Last night, we took in a Red Birds game. There's nothing like sitting in the comfortable night air, listening to the crack of bat against ball. At one point, I ducked a rogue ball that slammed

the awning above me instead of striking my head. This one was not as close as the bullet (fast ball) that tore in between a friend and me while having a conversation in a party room years ago. Baseball games are dangerous.

The highlight of the evening took place at the food court. A stranger chased after a man, grabbed his arm, and said, "They'll let anyone in here."

After receiving a mortified look, the man said, "Oops. I thought you were Steve." Steve, I didn't know your reputation follows you all the way to the states.

#WW: The Gift of Life

A sixty-five year old stranger awaits stem cells to save her from cancer. Luckily, she's a match to my husband who will be undergoing a procedure next week to remove cells from his bone marrow. Leading up to the donation, he has undergone an extensive physical and will receive daily shots. Due to his courageous gift, she should recover.

http://www.giftoflife.org/default.aspx

Musical Monday: The Allman Brothers

Last week, we took a road trip to move our daughter to Michigan. When I think of car trips, Jessica by the Allan Brothers comes to mind, and we even heard it on the radio.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava’s Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.






PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Writer's Post: The Kitchen Table

In the 1960s, six of us crowded around our kitchen table for our nightly family dinner. As the youngest, I sat plastered against the wall but have come to like those wall seats. Mom cooked well done meat and soft vegetables, which were good until I tasted a rarer version of meat and greens that crunch.

Surrounded by bigger people, I learned to interrupt and speak loudly, two habits I've spent my lifetime trying to break. Talk usually focused around what the older kids were doing or something that didn't concern me, yet I liked being with my family.

I hated the milk Mom forced me to drink and am, no doubt, guilty of not pushing it on my kids. It never occurred to us to complain about the small table, our tiny shared room, or sitting shoulder to shoulder in the Chevrolet. Nor did I notice that my mother used half the required amount of sugar in her chocolate chip cookies. This made the chips especially good when we chewed them while sitting at the kitchen table. 

Wordless Wednesday: Fine Print

This sign hangs in Ikea.

Note message in lower right corner.

Dang! I was looking forward to a room-sized hot dog for 50¢.

Theme Thursday: Heat

After moving to Memphis, several flocks of birds settled on the lawns around me. Why are all these birds here? I thought. Birds are supposed to fly south for the winter. Then it dawned on me, this is the south, and we're stuck with birds pooping on cars all year long. So much for mild winters. They wouldn't be bad except I love snow, and we don't see much.

Summer is another issue. Come July in Memphis, it's hot! Not upper seventies or eighties but hot. Luckily we've only hit the triple digits a few weeks this summer, so it's been a cool year; however, come August, we'll probably be there. Last school year, the kids suffered through indoor recess throughout August because it was too hot to play outside.

None-the-less, I still go for runs but leave the fur faces behind. One can get used to heat, which will be good for me in the after life. ;)

Wordless Wednesday: Huey's

No it's not raining inside. Those are toothpicks stuck in the ceiling.

Musical Monday: Cheeseburger in Paradise

Many spend their days dieting to fit into that skimpy bikini. It would be great to be thin, but I just gotta have that cheeseburger. I love Jimmy Buffett!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.



PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!