(Michigan Hunter) Cindy :-)

[Guest guest]

, I think there are times when we

make each other laugh! But you sure do bless me, too. It sure is

good to hear from YOU about YOU, too… you having been listed, and that you

have a Mike, & Donna plan in place. Good girl! Glad to

hear about your reconciliation with your sister, sorry to hear about your

freakish itching… Jim never experienced itching to that degree (and he

doesn’t understand how blessed he is by that), and my only experience of that

kind of itching is from you and others in this group (and from Jillian, when

she has an e-x-t-r-e-m-e eczema outbreak). I can’t possibly

understand such an intense pruritis on a personal level, but I sure can keep

you in my prayers. And you know what? If you’re keeping a

positive thought that you’ll get your transplant, be discharged in 7 days

and back to work in 4 weeks, then I’m looking forward to posts after that

about your “huntress” adventures, too. You’re the best!

You’ve been in this group a long

time, so I know you can appreciate places I’ve been (e.g., with Jim’s

more difficult out-laws pushing themselves into Jim’s and my private

territory, after he and I have circled our wagons. You more briefly call

this “pulling rank,” haha). I’m soooo glad to hear you

say this won’t be happening to you, when it’s your time. Crud

like that always makes things infinitely more hard than things have to be, or

should be. Have you considered setting up your own CaringBridge

website? This could make things easy for Mike//Donna, when it comes

down to that time, and in the meantime, you can journal your own updates.

I wish I’d known about their existence prior to Jim & ’s

transplant.

From personal experience, I know this has

got to be a very dark time for my sister, strong a person as she is. I am

convinced that the best thing for Trish is for this to happen “her”

way… not for me to force myself up there & onto her, hovering over

the crisis, but wait for her call saying “come.” But while

she insists yes, she will need me, & that she will call, that call hasn’t

come yet. To you, I will admit I’d like to be here for Jim’s

colonoscopy late Monday afternoon, but in the event she calls, I’ve

worked out a plan B – & /or his wife Mindy, or both of them…

are putting themselves in limbo for us, & have assured me that if I am

called up to be with Trish & Joe, right at the time of Jim’s

colonoscopy, they can take Dad to and/or from the procedure (and work through

all of Jim’s memory impairment afterwards!).

Jim went to work yesterday & of course

shared with his brothers (who then shared with their wives) alllllllllllllllllll

about Maureen’s sister and brother-in-law’s crisis. I wish he

hadn’t!!! And of course, it didn’t take very long for them to

pepper him with “make sure you tell Maureen this, make sure she understands

that.” From the outset, anyone would take this as a caring attempt

to be helpful. Hardly anyone would understand there’s an

undercurrent belief that Maureen can’t be completely competent, they know

better in matters such as this, Maureen doesn’t have the wherewithal to go

and do her sister’s bidding, and help her sister handle things. Whatever

– I have nothing to prove to them; Jim up to now has been able to dodge

any and all bullets. His remaining compliant with all his many doctors is

my primary focus (and his present state of well-being should speak for itself

with his family, don’t you think?). So, it doesn’t

matter. From my experience with Jim’s family, you KNOW I am going

to make all my direction from my sister.

Mostly, though, what Jim’s family instructs

Jim to tell me is… moot. Honest to goodness, virtually everything

they ever tell Jim to tell me is either something that’s altogether

inaccurate, or something I’ve already learned (on a better level) from Jim’s

doctors, or from this group, or from my own reading & research. But

as it would be dumb to actively alienate myself from them (Catbert, especially,

as she can be instrumental with things like insurance), I grit my teeth, bite

the inside of my cheek, and say thank you. In my head, though, its’

“been there, done that, got the t-shirt, dagnabbit.” Ack!!!

(LOL)

There, , did you read all the way to

the end and laught? Hahahaha.

Love you so much ((( & gentle hugs to

you))),

Maureen