Free at Last!!!

For the past 2 years, Jim has had some kind of appendage sticking out of his chest, belly or back.

December or 2012 he had his PD catheter placed in his belly. When that was removed March of 2014 he was then given a hemo dialysis port in the left side of his chest. When blood drawers became difficult he was given a Hohn catheter in the right side of his chest. When he came home from the transplant he had a drain coming out of his back.

As of last Thursday, he is officially free of any devices dangling from his body. Both the dialysis catheter and the Hohn catheter were removed.

What exactly does this mean....it means that he can now sleep on his belly, shower without taping plastic bags on the ports, no more dressing changes and no more bulges coming from his shirts.

Just another exciting step in the miracle of getting Joe. What else can we say but....Free at Last!!

 

A Day to Remember....

October 25, 2014 has come and gone so quickly.  It seemed it would never get here and yet it was over in a blink of an eye.  It was a great day for a wedding.....a wedding we were never sure how would end up. Would Jim feel up to walking Lindsay down the aisle?  Would Jim feel good enough to spend the entire day visiting with people?  Would Jim be in the hospital?  Would Jim feel like crap because of dialysis?  But it was the best day ever!!!

Jim felt good. Good enough to walk Lindsay down the aisle to a room full of people with not a dry eye in the house. Jim felt good enough to give a speech about the adventures of Lindsay throughout the years.  Jim felt good enough to thank everyone in the room for the many thoughts and prayers through his journey. Jim felt good enough to give a toast to Al, his donor, and had him stand up to a standing ovation of the crowd in the room. Jim felt good enough for his father/daughter dance. Jim felt great.