Caught a break!
That pesky shower valve that I had to tackle was simply set up incorrectly. A quick readjustment and the hot water flowed as it should. If the valve was faulty, I was in big trouble because it abuts a concrete wall and the only way to fix it would have to have been to remove the entire shower assembly - not exactly a 10 minute job.
We went to see some of my granddaughters play soccer this morning which is always fun although both of their teams lost. And later in the day we had an artist friend of my wife's over for dinner. Not very exciting by any stretch of the imagination - but let's keep it that way.
As each day goes by, more and more people are committing to the party on the 21st - the response is overwhelming. I know that I'm looking forward to it - my first real BIG outing!
Also, as part of getting on with life, I'm signing up to take the training course to be a docent at the Zimmerman house. It's a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home here in nearby Manchester that is owned by the Currier Art Museum. I'm going to have to find things to do to occupy my time and though I don't think that this is my calling per se, I expect that it will be fun and will benefit both myself and the museum. I'm looking forward to that, too!
Lot's to look forward to. What a far cry from October, 2008 when this whole journey was just beginning and we had no idea what lie before us.
I've really been blessed...
Bob
January 22, 2010 11:55 PM 30 days to go
Some success!
With my plumbing that is. I made my desired changes without a hitch which for me is somewhat of a miracle. Cutting pipe, putting on fittings, cutting and fitting tubing are all prone to provide sources of leaks when it involves me. But modern technology has made the task a lot easier and no soldering was necessary to achieve my goal.
However, having finally swapped the hot and cold water feeds, the shower does not get super hot and it looks like the mixer valve may have problems so I'll have to take a look at that tomorrow. But, after over three years here, our downstairs bathroom toilet finally flushes cold water!
I was talking with an artist friend of my wife's today who basically follows this blog everyday and she said that even though there may not be a lot to say at times it still allows her to keep tabs on how I am doing without having to make phone calls to get a status update. It's a very good point. But there is a downside to the extent that it's a one way street. You know what I'm doing, I/we don't know what you are doing.
But that's OK, with me. I didn't start this blog with the idea that there would be a constant interchange between me and everyone else. It was to serve the purpose as mentioned above.
As you might expect, healthwise I'm feeling fine. I'll leave it up to my blood counts which will be taken next Wednesday to confirm or deny that. I don't expect any problems and I'm obviously advancing forward as I'm looking to get back to choir rehearsal in a few weeks and church itself in that 30 days as noted above.
So, tomorrow it will be back at plumbing again. Ugh!!!!
Bob
With my plumbing that is. I made my desired changes without a hitch which for me is somewhat of a miracle. Cutting pipe, putting on fittings, cutting and fitting tubing are all prone to provide sources of leaks when it involves me. But modern technology has made the task a lot easier and no soldering was necessary to achieve my goal.
However, having finally swapped the hot and cold water feeds, the shower does not get super hot and it looks like the mixer valve may have problems so I'll have to take a look at that tomorrow. But, after over three years here, our downstairs bathroom toilet finally flushes cold water!
I was talking with an artist friend of my wife's today who basically follows this blog everyday and she said that even though there may not be a lot to say at times it still allows her to keep tabs on how I am doing without having to make phone calls to get a status update. It's a very good point. But there is a downside to the extent that it's a one way street. You know what I'm doing, I/we don't know what you are doing.
But that's OK, with me. I didn't start this blog with the idea that there would be a constant interchange between me and everyone else. It was to serve the purpose as mentioned above.
As you might expect, healthwise I'm feeling fine. I'll leave it up to my blood counts which will be taken next Wednesday to confirm or deny that. I don't expect any problems and I'm obviously advancing forward as I'm looking to get back to choir rehearsal in a few weeks and church itself in that 30 days as noted above.
So, tomorrow it will be back at plumbing again. Ugh!!!!
Bob
January 21, 2010 11:40 PM 31 days to go
We went out!
Out to the Medicare seminar this morning and to the movies tonight. I know that we're spoiled - but having company health insurance has been a blessing. The cost is relatively cheap and the coverage has been superb. For example, all of my hospital stays and all of my Dana-Farber clinic visits have been completely covered. We don't own either one a penny! Considering the hundreds of thousands of dollars that all of this has cost - that's another miracle in and of itself.
Otherwise, a quiet day as they all are supposed to be.
And, tomorrow is my plumbing job...
Bob
Out to the Medicare seminar this morning and to the movies tonight. I know that we're spoiled - but having company health insurance has been a blessing. The cost is relatively cheap and the coverage has been superb. For example, all of my hospital stays and all of my Dana-Farber clinic visits have been completely covered. We don't own either one a penny! Considering the hundreds of thousands of dollars that all of this has cost - that's another miracle in and of itself.
Otherwise, a quiet day as they all are supposed to be.
And, tomorrow is my plumbing job...
Bob
January 20, 2010 11:10 PM 32 days to go
Another win! Another pin!
For my grandson that is. He pinned his opponent today running his record to 5-3 all pins on both sides of the fence. Obviously, that was our outing for the day.
As for my home project, I ripped out the ceiling to our downstairs bathroom. Not as bad a job as I thought it would be. And, truthfully, no ceiling there looks better than the monstrosity that was removed. Looks weren't the only reason for removing it. Since we moved in, the hot and cold water have always been reversed. Not so bad for the vanity sink(you can switch the lines and readjust), a little worse for the shower as it operates backwards, and really bad for the toilet as it flushes with hot water! If the handle should catch(and you don't notice it) you literally flush all your hot water down the toilet! As luck would have it, the original handle would catch rather often. It's since been replaced.
By removing the ceiling, I ran into some luck and found the two shutoffs. Now I have to cross the lines or I can get a plumber to do it. I'll try it first and, if any problems arise, I'll opt for the plumber a splan B.
Other than that, I feel fine as we start the week leading up to my next appointment next Wednesday.
With the likelihood that my job will no longer be there whenever I get clearance to return, tomorrow we head off to a seminar on Medicare insurance. I've heard that it can be daunting as to its complexity.
We'll find out...
Bob
For my grandson that is. He pinned his opponent today running his record to 5-3 all pins on both sides of the fence. Obviously, that was our outing for the day.
As for my home project, I ripped out the ceiling to our downstairs bathroom. Not as bad a job as I thought it would be. And, truthfully, no ceiling there looks better than the monstrosity that was removed. Looks weren't the only reason for removing it. Since we moved in, the hot and cold water have always been reversed. Not so bad for the vanity sink(you can switch the lines and readjust), a little worse for the shower as it operates backwards, and really bad for the toilet as it flushes with hot water! If the handle should catch(and you don't notice it) you literally flush all your hot water down the toilet! As luck would have it, the original handle would catch rather often. It's since been replaced.
By removing the ceiling, I ran into some luck and found the two shutoffs. Now I have to cross the lines or I can get a plumber to do it. I'll try it first and, if any problems arise, I'll opt for the plumber a splan B.
Other than that, I feel fine as we start the week leading up to my next appointment next Wednesday.
With the likelihood that my job will no longer be there whenever I get clearance to return, tomorrow we head off to a seminar on Medicare insurance. I've heard that it can be daunting as to its complexity.
We'll find out...
Bob
January 19, 2010 11:45 PM 33 days to go
More of the same!
Snow that is! All day it just kept on snowing - not much - maybe another 4 inches but just enough to remind me why I hate winter. We went to friends tonight for dinner. A little snow is not going to prevent me from making it to a preplanned outing. It's always nice to connect with people and spend an enjoyable evening.
I guess that they must like us enough since they invited us back for a superbowl party. It's never as much fun when your team isn't in it but it is the last meaningful football game of the year so I guess that(for us guys at least) you have to watch it. Next game is preseason in August - a long ways off.
I keep massaging my talk for the 21st. Trying to keep it short enough and yet trying to get the crux of what has transpired over the past 16 months into it. It's a challenge! And, I have to admit that I strive to make sure that I use the right word at the right spot in order to convey my message as definitively as I can.
I'm sitting here and looking at the brochure for that bone marrow survivor conference in March that we've registered for. It's entitled "Celebrating a Second Chance at Life" and displays a number of pictures of happy people ranging from children to grandparents who(I assume) have all had bone marrow transplants.
The miracles of modern medicine have all given us all a great gift.
What are we going to do with it?
Bob
Snow that is! All day it just kept on snowing - not much - maybe another 4 inches but just enough to remind me why I hate winter. We went to friends tonight for dinner. A little snow is not going to prevent me from making it to a preplanned outing. It's always nice to connect with people and spend an enjoyable evening.
I guess that they must like us enough since they invited us back for a superbowl party. It's never as much fun when your team isn't in it but it is the last meaningful football game of the year so I guess that(for us guys at least) you have to watch it. Next game is preseason in August - a long ways off.
I keep massaging my talk for the 21st. Trying to keep it short enough and yet trying to get the crux of what has transpired over the past 16 months into it. It's a challenge! And, I have to admit that I strive to make sure that I use the right word at the right spot in order to convey my message as definitively as I can.
I'm sitting here and looking at the brochure for that bone marrow survivor conference in March that we've registered for. It's entitled "Celebrating a Second Chance at Life" and displays a number of pictures of happy people ranging from children to grandparents who(I assume) have all had bone marrow transplants.
The miracles of modern medicine have all given us all a great gift.
What are we going to do with it?
Bob
January 18, 2010 11:10 PM 34 days to go
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
You guessed it! That's basically wha tit did all day - maybe 8 or 9 inches. Of course, they clean us out which is a HUGE benefit! And, of course, we did not have to go anywhere today so it makes it easy on days like this. In prior lifetimes, there was always a requirement to be somewhere else and we always had to trek out on days like today. So, being in recovery does provide some small blessings.
Otherwise, a quiet day doing a few things around the house that we needed to do. I haven't started anything new yet - but I'm chomping at the bit! When you finish a job and see the improvement - you just want to keep on going!
I'm still feeling great ans we're off to the clinic on the 27th...
Bob
You guessed it! That's basically wha tit did all day - maybe 8 or 9 inches. Of course, they clean us out which is a HUGE benefit! And, of course, we did not have to go anywhere today so it makes it easy on days like this. In prior lifetimes, there was always a requirement to be somewhere else and we always had to trek out on days like today. So, being in recovery does provide some small blessings.
Otherwise, a quiet day doing a few things around the house that we needed to do. I haven't started anything new yet - but I'm chomping at the bit! When you finish a job and see the improvement - you just want to keep on going!
I'm still feeling great ans we're off to the clinic on the 27th...
Bob
January 17, 2010 11:55 PM 35 days to go
Beating the weather!
We visited friends of ours in Massachusetts and made sure that we made for home before the snowy weather set in. As I've said many times, it's always nice to get out and have a change of scenery and to get together and take with friends. Everything I read and see on television really confirm what I have to come know firsthand - that making and having friends are the key to happiness.
How isolated my life would have been if people did not take the time out of their otherwise busy lives to visit my wife and me. I cannot thank you all enough for helping to make this time go as pleasantly as it has.
Today marks another milestone in a way. It's the 11th month anniversary of my transplant! Hard to believe that all that time has passed. Yet, it's still hard to believe that there is a fair distance to go. We've been taking it nice and easy and will continue to do so once the year expires. I think that it would be folly to immediately jump into the hectic routine that my wife and I were leading almost a year and a half ago.
I guess as my one year anniversary approaches, I have to think about how I am going to handle this blog. Do entries everyday? Every other day? Once or twice a week? And, then, for how long? I don't have any answers right now.
It's funny, when I sat down for today's entry, I really did not think that I had much to offer - but the words just seemed to flow. Other times, I admit, it seems to be more of a struggle. And, maybe that will be the determining factor about how I approach this. Does generating the day's entry just seem to flow from my fingertips? We'll see.
But I am torn, because I don't know how many people read this blog and I don't know if there is any benefit being realized thereby. At present, I feel somewhat compelled to continue on.
If some of you could take the time to get back to me and share your thoughts, I appreciate it...
Bob
We visited friends of ours in Massachusetts and made sure that we made for home before the snowy weather set in. As I've said many times, it's always nice to get out and have a change of scenery and to get together and take with friends. Everything I read and see on television really confirm what I have to come know firsthand - that making and having friends are the key to happiness.
How isolated my life would have been if people did not take the time out of their otherwise busy lives to visit my wife and me. I cannot thank you all enough for helping to make this time go as pleasantly as it has.
Today marks another milestone in a way. It's the 11th month anniversary of my transplant! Hard to believe that all that time has passed. Yet, it's still hard to believe that there is a fair distance to go. We've been taking it nice and easy and will continue to do so once the year expires. I think that it would be folly to immediately jump into the hectic routine that my wife and I were leading almost a year and a half ago.
I guess as my one year anniversary approaches, I have to think about how I am going to handle this blog. Do entries everyday? Every other day? Once or twice a week? And, then, for how long? I don't have any answers right now.
It's funny, when I sat down for today's entry, I really did not think that I had much to offer - but the words just seemed to flow. Other times, I admit, it seems to be more of a struggle. And, maybe that will be the determining factor about how I approach this. Does generating the day's entry just seem to flow from my fingertips? We'll see.
But I am torn, because I don't know how many people read this blog and I don't know if there is any benefit being realized thereby. At present, I feel somewhat compelled to continue on.
If some of you could take the time to get back to me and share your thoughts, I appreciate it...
Bob
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