New Shoulder - As Good as New!

Jo had her one-year shoulder check-up earlier this week.  Can you believe it’s been a year since her last joint replacement?  Dr. Hatzidakis asked if he could get a little video of Jo dancing to show just how well her shoulder is doing.  If things go as planned, we’ll have a little video to share shortly.  It’s truly remarkable!

Earlier today, Anna and I went to a Celebration of Life for a little friend of ours from Anna’s triathlon team.  She was with her mom, shopping for running shoes, when a freak accident suddenly cut her life short.

How does one reconcile the seemingly unfair nature of life?

Jo is downtown this weekend at the Colorado Country Classic.  We have a friend that was supposed to be there, but is not.  Last year, I spoke to this friend and her husband about coming to Denver a few days early to go to Manitou with us to climb the Manitou Incline.  They were both very excited about it.  I didn’t follow up.  We didn’t go to Manitou. 

I don’t blame myself for the way things turned out.  Still, what if I had followed up?  What if I had reached out with just a little more rigor?  What if?

14 years ago, Jo and I participated in the Landmark Forum and we’ve been students ever since.  Since then, no less than 50 or 60 of our closest friends have done the Landmark Forum.  If you are one of those friends, this message is for you.  Who have you taken to an Introduction to the Landmark Forum lately?  Who are going to take in the next few months?

Back Home

Jo came home last night and is resting well.  The recovery process can now begin.  Her arm is in a big sling and she has an ice machine circulating cold water all around her shoulder.  We'll be doing exercises 3 times per day and she's been told she won't be able to drive for 6 to 8 weeks.  Good thing there is no driving necessary to teach a dance or two in Colorado Springs in just 5 weeks!

Two thumbs up for Rose Medical Center in Denver.  The food was absolutely outstanding! (At least that's what Jo told me.)  By the way...if you work at Rose, I'm sorry Jo ate so many of those delicious little ice cream cups you keep in the refrigerator.  I hope none of the other patients were looking for one.

"Almost Too Easy"

Jo and I arrived at Rose Medical Center at 5:30am.  She was checked in and ready to go by 7:30am and before 9:30am we were sitting in the recovery room.  That's right, I said, "we".  That's the first time I've ever been invited to the recovery room.  In fact, the entire surgery process seems to have changed quite a bit in the past 8 years. Everything seems a lot easier and much more streamlined.

Before noon, Jo was sitting in her room talking to Anna on the phone and I heard her say, "It seemed almost too easy."  She is scheduled to spend one night in the hospital and then head on home tomorrow.

In the famous words of one doctor at the NIH, "Don't worry, it'll get worse."  Of course, he was talking about the ATG treatment, but I'm guessing Jo's discomfort will increase a little as soon as her nerve block starts to wear off.  Right now, she still can't feel or move the fingers on her left hand.

The early morning caught up with us and we both just finished a pretty significant nap, but other than that, Jo looks ready for me to wheel her down to Starbucks!

Engine, Engine #9

Saturday morning I left my house at 4:55am headed to The Manitou Incline.  The sun was poking up over the eastern horizon and a low hanging fog engulfed much of Colorado Springs.  By the time I got to Manitou, the sun was shining on the mountain and the fog had lifted.  The best word to describe the entire drive is “majestic”.

I do this drive a fair amount, and every time my eyes get moist.  This particular Saturday, I wept.  Two weeks ago, my dear friends lost their 15 month old grandchild.  For 10 years I’ve written about navigating the circumstances of life, all the while hoping nobody would ever say to me, “yeah, but you’ve never lost a child.”  I should have known this day would come.  I have no answers.  I have no advice.  If you need another hug, I’m here for you.

………

I see it’s been over 4 years since my last post.  Jo’s health has been essentially perfect.  She really runs around in life just like you or me as if nothing ever happened.  Well, this week it’s time to turn back time.  Jo is at the airport right now picking up Meema, which Anna is very excited about!  Before we get to the details, let’s take a look at the game film…

If you look closely, the cadaver bone that Jo had put in her shoulder EIGHT years ago is coming loose and breaking apart.  You can see the screw has sunk down into the shoulder and isn’t even touching the cadaver bone anymore.  As our little niece said when she was about 5 years old, “I’ve got another broken arm.”

Tomorrow, Jo will have a partial shoulder replacement.  Or as the medical folk like to say…”LEFT shoulder open debridgement, biopsies/cultures with pyrocarbon humeral head hemiarthroplasty.  Possible long head biceps tenodesis, labral repair, total shoulder replacement, biceps tenodesis, cadaver tissue use, bone grafting, and/or distal clavicle excision if required.”

This is Jo’s 9^th joint surgery.  Bonus points go out to anybody that can identify the most likely place an adult today could hear the phrase “Engine, Engine #9”.  (The answer has nothing to do with children.)

The Final "Home Stretch"

Over the last couple of months, we've had the chance to get updates from several of the friends we made at MD Anderson. Two of our friends who had unsuccessful transplants are now 6 months or more past their SECOND transplants and doing very well! Several of our other friends who had successful first transplants are almost completely off their various medications.

All of our friends had Leukemia and Jo did not, so it's not completely fair to compare their progress to Jo's progress. Still, I would be lying if I said we weren't a little disappointed that Jo's weaning process isn't as far along as some of our friends. Well, that's all about to change!

Jo saw Dr. Anderlini in Houston yesterday and he told Jo to stop her Tachro completely and "see what happens". Although I try to remain humble, I do have to admit that I told Jo to let Dr. Anderlini know that I thought it was time to quit the Tachro. I can only assume that Jo has been passing my medical advice on to Dr. Anderlini these past 15 months.

Doctors do love to poke and prod and MD Anderson would never want to miss an opportunity. Jo got 5 more vaccinations before she left her appointment. Jo won't be back in Colorado until Sunday. Anna and I are hoping that any weird withdrawal symptoms are finished by then since we have a very busy Sunday.

I guess we have to wait and see what happens, but I can't imagine the "home stretch" getting any more final than this.

What's Your "Calling"?

Last Sunday at Church, our Pastor’s message was titled “Happy People Have a Calling”, and it was brilliant! Here are the key points as I saw them:

First: Your vocation has NOTHING to do with the happiness you feel in regard to work.

Second: The way you view your vocation has EVERYTHING to do with the happiness you feel in regard to work. You can view your vocation as a job, as a career or as your calling. It’s up to you.

Do you realize what this means? It means you have 100% control over how much happiness you feel when it comes to your work. Our Pastor even suggested that if you are doing temporary work, you can still view it as your temporary calling!

Jo and I had an extraordinary conversation on the way out of the sanctuary. For much of Jo’s life, her calling has been to be an international dance instructor. I asked Jo, “What has your calling been the last couple of years?" She said, “My calling has been to be a mom and to be a bone marrow transplant patient.” Consider this: When you are doing exactly what God is calling you to do, how can you have anything less than happiness?

It’s been suggested that Jo did not choose to have a bone marrow transplant. We actually believe she did. God puts options in front of us – sometimes those options are limited to a single option. From the options God put in front of Jo, she chose to have a bone marrow transplant and for the last 18 months she has chosen to relate to that experience as her temporary calling and to take it on with the same level of passion she brings to dance or being a mom.

So the question I have to ask myself is this: Where in my life do I have situations that I view as unfortunate circumstances that I have to muddle through...as compared to my temporary calling straight from the hand of God?

Turning Over the Reins

News from the trenches is very slow these days and I fear my days as a blogger are coming to an end.  Without paint, a painter cannot paint.  Without stone, a sculptor cannot sculpt.  Without flour, a baker cannot make delicious carrot cake muffins loaded with creamcheese frosting.

Please check back now and then.  You have not yet heard the last from me, but for now, I must say goodbye.  Thank you all for your faithful support and your kind words of encouragement.  Until the events of life once again inspire me to put pen to paper, I leave you in the wonderful and very capable hands of my extraordinary wife:

www.timjoandanna.blogspot.com

The last 7 years have been absolutely amazing and I truly hope you have learned as much as we have about playing the game of life - about swinging for the fences no matter what kind of pitches are thrown your way.  There is no hurdle that life can put in front of you that you cannot cross.  Take full responsibility for your entire life, even the things that are seemingly not your fault and you will live an extraordinary life.

In case life throws you a pitch that appears less than perfect, I leave you with the Szymanski Prayer.  We say it every day as a family.  It is and has been a tremendous rudder for our family and if it someday helps you navigate the waters of your life, we feel privileged to have had the opportunity to share.

May God give you the STRENGTH to always accept the present

exactly the way it is and exactly the way it is not,

and the COURAGE to never give up on the future!

9 Month Checkup

Wait a minute. I thought we had Jo's 9 month checkup almost 4 years ago. Oh yeah, that was before we started over! Actually, most of the last 7 years seems like ancient history. Combine that with the worst two long-term memories you may have ever run across and you have the perfect formula for living an extraordinary life independent of circumstances - now that sounds like a book title if I don't say so myself. Hmmm?

Jo went to Texas last week to see the good Dr. Anderlini. We had been hoping to start weening off the Tacro, but that is not the case. Jo's body and Uncle Eddie's stem cells are still learning to get along. Some days that process goes well and other days it looks like the Democrats and Republicans trying to agree on what to do about the budget deficit - kind of ugly.

Jo hasn't had any horrible signs of graft vs. host disease, but there are some little indicators. Dr. Anderlini says that even though her platelet counts are good, they have been slightly on the decline for several months. He thinks this fact combined with some other minor stuff warrants an INCREASE in Jo's Tacro. Doh!

Not all was lost on Jo's latest trip to the humidity capital of the world. Dr. Anderlini said she can start eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. She had been pretty much limited to Watermelon, Avocados and other thick-skinned items. I bought her a delicious Colorado Cantaloupe, but she doesn't seem interested.

Jo did give a bone marrow sample while she was at MD Anderson. After 15 or 20 times, it gets a little routine. To try to make things interesting, she tried everything she could to stay awake and watch the procedure. She remembers going in. She remembers coming out. The rest is a mystery.

Rocky Mountain High

Jo, Anna and I all made our way back to Colorado in July and began the process of getting settled into our routines. Jo has seen Dr. Alvarez a couple of times. He, of course, remains very cautious. It's more fun to visit him now that the parting remark is "See you next month!"

Anna and I were sick last week for about 6 days and Jo was able to stay healthy the entire time, which is extremely encouraging. That just shows how hand washing and being careful can help you stay healthy. On the other hand, Anna and I using the same spoon to share ice cream is probably not the best idea.

Jo will go back to see Dr. Anderlini in September and again in December. The next big step we're waiting for is the process of weaning off the Tacro - hopefully this fall or winter at the latest!

A Short Tangent

Over the last 12 months I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to do a small bit of work with the NASA community in Houston. Especially in light of having to be in Houston for Jo's transplant, being able to do some work has been a tremendous experience.

This morning at 4:00am I was able to go on site at NASA and join the NASA community at an early AM gathering as they celebrated the landing of the very last Space Shuttle flight for the United States of America. In my 43 years of walking this Earth, I have never met a group of people that so universally loved their jobs as much as the people I've met here.

When I was young I dreamed of being an astronaut or at least working for NASA. Somewhere along the line I lost track of that dream, but isn't it interesting that by chance I end up with a handful of new friends that work for NASA who give me an opportunity to feel like, in a small way, I was a part of the last couple of missions?

Consider that once you create a possibility for the future, that possibility never goes away. Over time you may lose track of your goals, but my bet is that your sub-conscious mind will be working on those goals day after day, week after week, year after year.

To the NASA community, I salute your efforts and I congratulate you on your tremendous success. Thank you for making the hair on my arms stand on end year after year with every launch. Thank you for being an incredible example of how to dream big!