Kidney Update

Saw my Nephrologist today and everything is still looking great! My Kidney function has even gotten a little bit better from last time, and last time's look great so I was thrilled to hear that! I have to admit though...I do still get a bit nervous when I enter the doctors office, hoping and praying for good news but yet knowing there is still a possibility for something to go extremely wrong and my kidneys to be getting worse. There is always a pit in my stomach that sits there until the doctor pulls up my lab reports. Hopefully that anxiety will go away over time. Other than that..not much to report. Starting to really get excited for our trip in almost 3 weeks already!

Healed

I can now start to visibly see my body getting better. My nails are hard and long. My hair is thicker and shiny. My face is full of color. My joints, not painful. My energy, very high. My face swelling, gone. My body feels completely, absolutely, 100% healed. I feel like I've never been sick, never gone through chemo, never taken hundreds of pills. It's crazy how your body heals. How it gets over things like this and though I hope I am in remission forever, I am confident if it happens again, my body is strong enough to fight it off yet again.


Here are some updated pictures of my little bug.....
Not liking his new lifejacket......

Loving his new rocking chair. (This rocking chair was actually given to me by my Grandma and Grandpa Reed when I was born and now I am giving it to my son!) Nolan being his silly self at dinner....

My new housekeeper!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG:

I got this as a forward in my email the other day and thought this was a very important message to remember.....(#8 is important to me!)


1. Try everything twice. On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph: Tried everything twice...loved it both times!

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. ( Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches)

3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle.' An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimers!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, and hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, or a trip to the next county or a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. I love you, my special friend.

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance.

Nolan has something to tell you all....

Just in case you forgot:) Ha! I saw this shirt and had to get it!!!

Success: Lupus Benefit of MN

The benefit last night was a complete success. We had 60+ people for dinner and them a handful more came after dinner. I do not have an exact number yet of what we made but I believe it is pretty close to $5,000. All the money raised will go to the Lupus Foundation of MN and will go towards finding a cure and support groups. http://www.lupusmn.org/

The event consisted of a wonderful fish and chicken sit down dinner, guest speaker Timberly Williams, (Director of Client Services of Lupus Foundation of MN). There was also a great DJ from PM Enterprises, silent auction, and a very tasty candy bar that was greatly enjoyed by everyone!!

Thank you again for anyone that has donated money, gifts, and/or attended the benefit last night. Together, we can find a cure!

I'll leave you with some pictures from the event. Note I don't have blonde hair anymore!!!