Journal Entry 23: Loving Every Day

Feb. 1–30, 2010

Today, Tuesday, February 2nd I had another biopsy. Everything seemed to go well. Received a call on Wednesday that I had another "zero rejection"! My prednisones are now down to 2 1/2 milligrams a day! YEAH!! Maybe I'll be off prednisones real soon. =0)

Larry, Debbie and their friends enjoy the snow.

Thursday, February 4th we left in the evening for our trip to Mammoth! Yes, I've got the "itch" and I'm going to ski! We met our friends, John and Bobbi, in La Quinta and rode together to Mammoth. It took us about 6 hours to get there. It was snowing when we arrived (about 2:30 am). Woke up Friday morning and it was still snowing! It snowed every day continuously. I've never seen so much snow! Friday, I wasn't feeling good (I had to get used to the altitude). Larry and John went snowboarding and Bobbi and I hung out at the condo. By Saturday I felt so much better. All of us spent the day together and checked out the town. That night we had dinner at Gomez's — it was definitely the "happening place"! Sunday we all hit the slopes! Larry and John went snowboarding and Bobbi and I skied. While we were skiing, the snow continued to fall — it was so beautiful! It was a dream come true. Larry and I both cried at the top of the mountain...we couldn't believe we were actually doing this! At lunch time we took the gondola down to the Village and had lunch at the Laka Nuki Restaurant. After a full day of snowboarding and skiing, we went back to the condo, turned on the TV and watched the Super Bowl! Monday came too quick and we were packing to come home. It was a fantastic trip and we all had a wonderful time. What a very special gift...THANK YOU Tina and Lance for the great memories! Your place is beautiful!

Tuesday, February 9th I had an appointment with Dr. Fisher. She said my white blood count was normal and that all my other lab tests came out okay!

Wednesday, February 10th I had lunch at Panera's with my friend Ed Bia. Ed has his own DJ business and also DJ's for the Corvette Diner! He

Debbie skis down Mammoth Mountain.

took me to the Corvette Diner for lunch when it first opened at it's new location at Liberty Station.

I finally convinced Larry to repaint our bedroom. Our bedroom walls desperately needed to be painted. The paint colors on the walls made your anxiety level jump! The walls are now a more subtle color...so much better and easier on the eyes! Thanks Larry for all your hard work (especially on your holiday weekend)!

Friday morning I had an appointment with my primary care physician, Dr. Sharna Shachar. My teeth hurt, my cheeks hurt, my head ached...you got it...a sinus infection. She prescribed antibiotics and a nasal spray. Dr. Shachar is such a wonderful doctor. She really takes time with you and shows genuine concern. She's been a wonderful primary care doctor. I feel very fortunate to have her.

Friday, February 19th I found out that Joey and Alex Tritchler were jumping rope at Halecrest Elementary for the American Heart Association Jump Rope for Heart (fundraiser) in my honor! Thanks Joey and Alex for thinking of me and helping such a great cause!

Tonight, Larry and I went to the Southwestern College Basketball game and the Jaguars are still undefeated! The playoffs begin next week! Good luck, Jaguars!

Saturday we left to visit our cousins Theresa and Bob who live in Idyllwild. We arrived that night and Theresa and Bob had made a delicious dinner for us...absolutely GOURMET!! Shrimp, lobster, clams, mussels in a delicious sauce over spaghetti. I think it's called Cioppino. On Sunday we just relaxed and enjoyed the rain and woodburning fire. Came back home on Monday morning.

Friday, February 26th. We left Southwestern College around 1pm on the "Fan Bus". Our friend, John Cosentino, and his basketball team had a playoff game against Bakersfield College. The game started at 7 pm and we arrived a little late because of all the traffic. The game was so exciting. It went back and forth with the score. The night ended up with Southwestern on top 88-93!! We'll find out soon who they'll be playing in the playoffs next Saturday.

The month of February sure was fun! I guess you could say Valentine's Day was special all month long! My new heart was loving every day! Follow more of Debbie's heart transplant journey.

For More Information
To learn more about the heart transplant program at Sharp Memorial Hospital, please contact the program directly by calling 858-939-3831, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 3:30 pm.

To learn more or to find a cardiologist affiliated with Sharp, please call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-824-4277) or go to Find a Doctor.