in Seattle a little longer...

The kid and I are still in Seattle with my Mother. We had high expectations of returning to Alaska by the middle of April but that may change. Last Thursday she had her routine labs done and her White Blood Cell count was very low. They told us that we may have to stay another two weeks. We are hoping that the labs that were done on Monday will be alright. Mother has been looking forward to going home after her appointment April 11th, and so have we.

She has been able to do so much since her transplant and is determined to be able to go home on the expected return date. We are beside ourselves as to why her cell count was down. We haven't spent too much time in the public eye. If so, she wears her mask, regardless of all the stares. Mom once told me of a lady who flat out asked her, "Are you wearing that to protect us from YOU or to protect you from US?"

Upon explaining herself, the lady turned away without showing any interest in what Mother had to say. It makes me laugh really, the behavior of someone who just doesn't know the situation. Mother has to wear the mask to protect herself against any infections. Since the transplant, she has to take a lot of medication. Most of which lower her WBC's to keep her body from rejecting the new heart. If she gets any infection, this could be a harmful thing for her and the new organ.

It seems that Mother has a lot more energy nowadays. We go for walks with Abigail and she keeps up. Sometimes I have to keep up with them. Of course, Abigail always wants to hold Grandma's hand. She is doing this little thing where she hides behind Grandma when she gets a scolding. This drives me a little crazy, she can be so rambunctious. I tell her when she gets into trouble, she cannot hide behind her. I doubt she'll grow out of this anytime soon. She has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to show it.

I am missing my son terribly, but I know he is in good hands. My brother is taking good care of him now and when he goes back to work, he will be with my friend Carla. So good of them to care for my child. I know he is missing me, it shows in his studies. I am feeling guilty about having to leave him but he needs to be in school. He will be entering the 7th grade next year and cannot miss any school.

I am just hoping all the snow is melted when we return home. That is the part I hate most about Spring time. I am sure my home is missing me. The last time I came to Seattle, when I returned home, I found that my water heater had leaked. It was easy to fix, but I wasn't home when it happened and soaked into the carpet. I feel that I have neglected my home, I've only been home intermittently within the past 6 months. The first time I left my home alone, I had my brother checking on it. He was gracious enough to unplug my toaster. Which led to the disagreement of electricity thus causing it to trip. Yes, it tripped the safety switch discontinuing any electrical paths to the refrigerator. By the time I returned home (a month later), my fridge had thawed and molded up pretty good. I cleaned it up right away but I haven't gotten a new fridge since because of all the medical issues with Mother and the time and financial constraints. I'm hoping and praying that my home didn't have any hiccups while I've been gone. Time didn't allow for proper planning so I don't have anyone checking on my house. My brother drives by once in awhile. I guess it's good to have a nosey neighbor.