#2

My life has settled down quite a bit....it is a bit strange feeling in a awesome happy, glad sort of way! For a good couple years Mark and I lived from one moment to the next. The moments brought on so many emotions -- at times all we could do was hold each other in our arms and cry and others we saw saw the silver lining. I still remember when Mark was in the hospital and they thought he had a heart attack and had to do a dangerous test, which included using a dye, that could put Mark into renal failure. Once the test was completed, they could not find any damage!  It seems that now we are so busy with this whole going to work and coming home that our "crazy, emotional, scary, angry, frustrated, sad" moments have seemed to stop. We are blessed, and I feel these moments were brought to our lives for a reason and it would not have happened if we could not handle it.

A few moments that have happened recently:

1. This past weekend we had a Celebration of Life party. Tori was able to come as well as a lot of friends. Half way through the party Mark came into the house just emotional. After the signature move of Mark wiping away the tears, he had shown me a pin Tori had given him. Mark was overome with emotion--and then asked me to give a speech to everyone outside. So I came out and once again stated our forever gratefullness towards Tori -- and then explained to everyone that Mark now has an excuse for crying all the time, after all he does have a "girl's" kidney in him!

#2:

After meeting with another couple who is starting the process of finding a kidney for her husband, the Alonso Mourning book "Resilience" was brought up in conversation. I received the book and read through this. One moment that echoed so loudly for me was about poop. That is correct--I said it....poop! I remember so vividly the days following the transplant waiting and hoping and secretly listening behind the bathroom door to hear it! Just as Alonso explained in his book, he was so elated to finally do the #2 in the hospital that it came with many hoorays when it finally happened. I mean, how many people can say that his mother in law and wife were cheering him on to take a #2! And when it finally happened we clapped our hands as if Mark as a two year old learning to be potty trained!