Mick McKellar Update--Day 219

We made it! I drove the full 400 miles to Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester, MN today. My legs were screaming at me a bit at the end of the nine-hour car ride, but it was a nice day (after the thick fog burned off). We had patchy, dense fog from home until after we were well past Ashland, WI. Once the sun came out, the fog was history, and what started as a cool and damp morning ended as a sunny and warm afternoon.

I have a check up at Mayo Clinic tomorrow: blood tests, pulmonary function tests, and consultations with a pharmacy technician, my BMT coordinator, my doctor, and a surgeon (about the gall bladder episode). It will be a very full day...after which we hope to rest a few hours and head home early Friday morning.

Medically, I seem to be doing well. Despite an ongoing problem with pedal edema (involving my lower legs as well) and the ever-present fatigue thing, I feel I am doing very well indeed. My last set of blood tests (at Portage Health) were not reported to me by my local doctor or his staff, so I  hope to find out the results here tomorrow.

Marian and I walked down to Canadian Honker for dinner and found the senior portions, not only adequate, but more than enough. My only regret for the evening is that I must refrain from eating anything after 7:00 PM until after my blood tests tomorrow morning. I am allowed some water, coffee, tea, or diet soda tonight...but that's it. After midnight, I am allowed only sips of water (to take pills, etc.).

GOL North (in February)

Oh yes, this time, we are at the Gift of Life Transplant House North --705 Second St. SW -- right across the street from the South house (where we stayed the last two times). This is the original house and we have one of the original rooms (room B). It is older and a bit smaller than our room at the south house, but it is very comfortable and it has a charm only an older home can provide.

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know where we are. I hope to have more details and information about my condition and ongoing recovery tomorrow evening. God willing and the creek don't rise, I shall have time to post a bit more information and perhaps a photo or two from this trip. We didn't take photos of all the color this morning, as it was shrouded in dense, white fog. There were a few enticing, fog-shrouded shots along the way, but I was too focused on getting here to stop and record the images. We saw live deer on the road only once, a small group (about five of them) just past Twin Lakes.

I am hoping my doctor will prescribe something for my swollen and painful legs, ankles, and feet. I have not been walking as much as I need to -- and when I do walk, I must look like a drunken man, weaving down the sidewalk. One older fellow tonight (as we were walking back from dinner), said to me: "Looks like it's time for a cane!" I grimaced as pleasantly as I could and lumbered on at Marian's side...concentrating on putting one swollen, heavy leg in front of the other, propelling my carcass down the sidewalk. I feels like I'm walking on tingling water balloons instead of feet. What a concept!

Enough for now. Twilight arrives earlier than expected these days, especially in the central daylight time zone. Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts.

God bless and good evening,

Mick