Our PKD Surprise Journey: Undaunted and Steady

As I write this post, I'm smiling. Michael is doing so much better! He is actually SLEEPING! Can I hear a roar of "Bravo's"! He has consistently been getting anywhere from 4-6 hours each night and taking a nap or two during the day. The beneficial sleep has unquestionably been evident during Michael's waking hours. He has been walking about 3/4 of a mile most days, sleeping less during the day and in general appears more rested. Along with the additional rest his body is receiving from a more normal sleep pattern, Michael's Neuropathy seems to be working itself out. He is no longer freezing most of the time and has actually brought down the temperature in the house to 78. His body is no longer aching the way it had previously been and he is able to rest without severe pain. He still experiences muscle pain but massages and warm baths give him relief. His appetite is still not what it use to be and he has not gained any weight back, I'm positive that will come along with time. My dear friend Suzanne once told me "Time is the healer of all things", I have gone back to that saying many times in my life, it does bear some truth, right? Dr. Leventhal has now decreased the frequency in which Michael has to visit the lab for blood work from 3 times a week to twice a week. Eventually the lab visits will decrease to once per month, and that will be for the rest of his life. Michael had his second Chimerism test on Monday, we should be getting those results this coming week. A successfully chimerized immune system recognizes both the donor organ as well as the recipient's native tissues as self. Therefore there is no need for antirejection therapy and also no danger of graft-versus-host disease. Michael will get ongoing Chimerism tests to make sure that his body hasn't "lost" Chimerism. On Saturday we had our longest excursion yet! We visited a town just East of us called Dade city. Its a fabulous little town where time stopped in the 1900's and immediately forgot about it. The red brick streets are lined with antique shops, Tea Rooms, quaint shops and fabulous family owned restaurants. Michael and I had lunch at a wonderful restaurant with an old Florida ambience that was uniquely decorated called Kafe Kokopelli. My friend Angie had told me about it and I immediately thought it would be a great place to visit when Michael was better. That same day there was an antique car show and craft fair going on, lots of things to do with that nostalgic home town feel. A perfect and relaxing Saturday afternoon. Things are improving, daily and steadily. Now, that's something to really smile about.

Lunch at Kafe Kokopelli in Dade City, FL