Will it or won't it...

What will 2015 bring? Will it bring new lungs, better health? Or will it bring more of the same? Sometimes it would sure be nice to know. After living through two of the hardest months of my life recently, I hope to be prepared mentally and physically for whatever comes.

I started IV's the first of December and was excited to stop them the first week of January. My thrill was short lived as my newly acquired 31% lung function dropped to below 26% only a week and a half later. Back on the meds I went and I'm still on them. Having to be on nearly continuous/continuous IV's can put someone within their transplant window. I am returning to Duke this weekend for my standing appointment with Dr. Palmer. I will probably find out on Tuesday the 17th what the team recommends. Will I be looking out that window once again?

Amazingly it has been 3 years since I first traveled to Duke for my transplant evaluation--it was in February of 2012. I've managed to go longer than they predicted I would before needing to come back for transplant. It's been a long time to worry about process the whole thing.

Although I felt miserable with nausea, weakness, dizziness, and anxiety through the holidays, I still had some great moments with my family.

Christina was able to fly home for
Christmas this year. She just moved up
a rank to Petty Officer Third Class!

Maggie waiting for her turn to play the candy
bar game on Christmas Eve.

Wrapped in tons of saran wrap, candy bars were freed
with glove-covered hands until the next person
rolled doubles on the dice then they got a chance
to unwrap as much candy as possible. It was
wild and crazy fun.

Max demonstrates the next game--
candy cane pick up. It was harder than it looks.

Christmas morning present opening. Santa brought Christina
a pair of Uggs.

We didn't take too many pictures Christmas morning because
we got distracted by gifts. Rheid gave me a massage certificate.

The night after Christmas we took the kids to Candlelight Dinner
Theater to see Miracle on 34th Street-The Musical. Rheid and I
were excited to share the experience with them since we've been
there several times. How were we to know that not every wonderful
movie should be turned into a musical...yeah, not as impressive
as we would have hoped.

Had I been feeling better and the weather more
cooperative, we would have taken a trip to
Utah to see this beautiful couple, my niece, Krista, and
her husband, Logan sealed in the Draper Temple.
Our hearts were there; I was so sad to miss it.

And just cuz it was so cool that I captured this picture, I am
sharing the 1:00 a.m. photo I caught of two marauding raccoons
who had pulled our bird feeder down and were snacking on
our premium birdfood--blast them--until I surprised them and
the more timid one ran over to the flower bed (blob near
top right of photo.) We had caught one raccoon a couple of
times but didn't know we were being tag-teamed.