A rough day

Hi everyone:

Patty is definitely not having a high-energy day. Of course, she has the standard headache and nausea. In addition, she has bouts of dizziness, seems to be retaining fluids (as is evidenced by swollen fingers), and her breathing continues to be somewhat compromised. It would seem that even air conditioning cannot fully take away the effects of this brutal heat and humidity.

The rash on Patty's forehead, chest and back is still itchy and sore, and it stands out against her skin because she's pale. We're not taking many pictures these days that pass the test for posting on the blog ("Honey, can I post this?" "No, you're NOT posting THAT!") In spite of all of this, Patty smiles through much of the malaise. She even let me drag her outside for a moment just so I could get a more favorable photo for today's blog entry.

I took a brief break from working today to play with the kids in the neighbors' pool. They're getting bigger, and I'm getting older and weaker, so only Connor and Kelly get to be thrown around anymore. Other than for pool time, though, it's just been too warm to expect the kids to keep active outside.

Patty was not able to visit friends yesterday because our friends' daughter had a runny nose. One of the unfortunate realities is that exposure to a sick child could compromise Patty's ability to get a donor heart, so we cannot take chances. We've had to take a pass on social activities on more than one occasion for this very reason. I think this aspect of Patty's condition bothers her more than much of the rest of it. Colin and I did visit, though, and had as good a time as we could without Patty.

My brother Dave is planning to drive down for a very brief visit this weekend. We have not yet hosted Dave in all the time we've lived together, so this is a bit of a special event. Please keep your fingers crossed that the weather gods smile upon him starting Friday afternoon.

Love,
Brian