If I have any readers left at all...

then maybe this post won't be for nothing. :)

Facebook is my go-to place now for info on my friends and to keep everyone updated on me. I'll try to catch up my blogger readers now.

Since my last post, Casey has started a new school, and she really loves it. It is A LOT of work and very challenging, but the environment is more of an academic environment instead of a regular public school environment, so it's just what she needed. Her goal is still to go to Duke University and go to med school. She still has her sites set on becoming a surgeon, so we will see how that goes.

She has also been running cross country this year. She is doing so well with it. I was worried at first, because Casey is and probably always will be a toe-walker, so I was concerned about her running, but her doctor gave her approval, so that's all I needed to hear. I wouldn't say Casey is enjoying it, but she's dedicated. I really hope that she continues to run after the season is over next week.

Jason is doing well. He is still working 3rd shift, which is pretty tough, but we are just so thankful he has a job in this economy. He does sleep well during the day, so that's a big plus. As long as I can keep the pups quiet, Jason will sleep a good 8 hours during the day. I never did that when I worked 3rd. LOL.

As for me, I had a birthday since my last post. I'm now 39 and so thankful to have made it beyond the age my doctors ever thought I would. Every year is a blessing! Well, minus the wrinkles and saggy stuff. :)

I am currently experiencing some mild acute rejection of my lungs. Well, since my lobes are from 2 different donors, I'm really only experiencing rejection of one of them, but they didn't tell me which one, so I am not sure whether to blame my mom or my uncle. haha. I am finishing up my 3rd day of IV Medrol (a steroid), and will start on a taper of prednisone tomorrow and decrease each day until I reach my baseline of 5 mg/day. I will then have another bronchoscopy (where they take a biopsy of both of my lobes) in November to make sure the rejection is gone.

I am also dealing with the same hair loss that I had after my first transplant. I finally got an answer at my last lung transplant appointment as to why I am losing it. All of the proteins I take in have been going to my kidney transplant site to heal it. Therefore, my hair hasn't been getting the proteins it needs. I was told that typically if a transplant recipient is affected by this, the hair will start to fall out about 3 to 6 months post-transplant and continue for about 9 months. So, as soon as your hair starts falling out, new hair is replacing it. I have strands about 2 to 3 inches long from where it started falling out and coming back in about 6 months ago, and I still have long strands that are falling out. I will have to end up cutting a lot of my hair off again, but I don't think I'll have to cut it as short as I did after my first transplant. I'm also back to (or close to) my natural color again, which is brown. I'm mostly wearing hats or wearing my hair up now, since it's crazy with fly away pieces and very thin long pieces. Thankfully, my hair does grow pretty fast. :)

I am very happy that fall is finally here! I love fall and winter! We are planning on heading to the mountains in a couple of weeks to see the beautiful leaves before they all fall away.

I am still loving photography and got a new lens from my hubby for my birthday. I'm having fun with it, but of course have at least 3 other lenses I want to add to my camera bag. It certainly isn't the camera that costs so much in photography. But the lenses DO make all the difference. Casey is enjoying photography too, even though she has very little time for it right now with her schedule.

The pups are doing good. Balin has had some stomach problems, but they have now attributed that to stress. He still hasn't adjusted to Mia, and I don't know that he ever will. I keep them apart the best I can. I am loving Mia so much though. She is the cuddliest little dog I've ever had. She's now a whopping 3.5 lbs. She looks huge to me.. haha.

The rest of my family is doing great. Dad is still antiquing and Mom is still babysitting my nephew, who is now 4. He will go to kindergarten next year, which is amazing to me. Time flies. My niece Caroline is going to the same school as Casey and loves it as well. My sis and her family are all settled in their new home and are loving it.

As for our house, it's still not up for sale. I guess it will be one day. Now, I'm saying to Jason.. let's just wait until spring, but he says put a for sale sign in the front yard now. We are going to try to sell it ourselves first, and will then go to a realtor if it doesn't sell. The last house I sold on my own was bought by the first couple who looked at it, so I really hope we are that lucky again. With this economy though, I'm not so sure.

My friend Trenda recently had her 4th child, a little boy named Levi. I am so happy for them. She lives in my hometown in Virginia. I really need to get up to Virginia soon and visit my grandparents and other family members, and my many, many friends, some of whom I haven't seen in years. Now that I've gotten in touch with a lot of them again on facebook, I want to see them!!!! There was a reunion of sorts this past August, but I wasn't able to go, because of the side effects I was having from some IV meds I was on, so I'm hoping to at least make the next one... whenever that may be.

Here are a few pictures taken this fall. If you are a facebook friend, you've most likely seen them. If not, enjoy...