I know it’s not baseball season, but there’s been much provocative conversation in the news, hasn’t there?

Various baseball PITCHES are intended to break up a batter’s rhythm and timing with the intent to make an “out” …. in other words, disqualifying the batter from getting on base and ultimately scoring a run.

According to Wikipedia there are many types of pitches:

Fastballs
Four-seam · Two-seam · Cutter · Splitter · Sinker

Breaking balls
Curveball · Knuckle curve · Slurve · Slider · Screwball

Changeups
Changeup · Palmball · Circle changeup · Forkball

Others
Knuckleball · Eephus pitch · Spitball · Gyroball · Shuuto

From a human perspective, the Amyloid “pitch” has broken our life rhythm and timing and has taken us “out”. Out of what, you ask? Potentially, out of “purpose”, I answer.

What do I mean by that?

For years, prior to Irene’s diagnosis, we were living “on purpose”. In other words, as popular book author Rick Warren writes, we were living the “purpose driven” life. So, humanly speaking, at times we feel as if we’re not as “effective” as we were before …. we’re not as available, we’re not as mobile, we’re not as focused, we’re not as ….?

Why not, you ask? Simply, because the amyloid journey has taken us into foul territory and “out of play”.

Irene insisted on driving herself back and forth to dialysis today and afterward ventured to the “French store” called “Target”. When she arrived home, the gardeners and tree crew had arrived earlier than scheduled and blocked our entire roadway/driveway to the house …. so what did she do? She parked on the street below and climbed up the hill to our house. Even for a healthy person it’s a nice hike, but for someone with bronchitis? You can’t keep her down!!! Irene ultimately accomplished several small projects around the house and rested as well, enjoying a very sunny day on the bay. Irene also prepared a wonderful eggplant dinner for me to enjoy this evening!!! However, here is a qualifying statement …. Shirley Churchill has recommended that Irene only uses 50% of her energy each day when she feels good …. Irene has assured

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The road between our home on the Monterey Bay and UCSF is one that has become quite familiar.  At least driving on Highways 17 and 280 are an extremely scenic drive!!

Highway 280 Northbound up the peninsula

Irene had a rough night with nausea “manifesting” itself around 1.30 a.m.  We were up throughout the night …. Irene’s fever was north of 101 and she woke up this morning with breathing difficulty and discomfort in her right lung area ….

Needless to say, we called UCSF and scheduled a separate appointment with the primary medical team before the vascular surgery testing scheduled for 1 p.m.  A blood test and X-Ray were done immediately upon arrival.  The good news: the fever broke and she doesn’t have pneumonia as suspected by the medical team; the bad news: Irene does have bronchitis and will be on antibiotics.

The vein mapping was completed as scheduled.

We return on Monday, December 17, to review the amyloid blood test results with Dr. Damon.

Highway 17 winding through the Santa Cruz Mountains

Our drive to UCSF is one of familiarity but certainly not one that we look forward to.  What we look forward to is the day that UCSF road trips are not part of the journey at all …. hoping, instead, that Irene is on the “road to recovery”.  Now, that is what I would call a scenic drive!

Caminando con Fé

Dave

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If our lives are a metaphorical drama, we would have never written the script like the one we’re “staging” ….

Irene drove herself to and from dialysis treatment and spent most of the afternoon recovering from a particularly debilitating day.  Her nausea persists, she’s got a lingering cough and was informed at dialysis of a small amount of fluid discovered in her lung; however, the team was hopeful that the dialysis process removed most of the fluid from her system.

We travel to UCSF tomorrow and meet with the vascular surgical team for the vein mapping of the arteriovenous fistula.

From Wikipedia:

An arteriovenous fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between an artery and a vein. Patients with end stage renal failure are treated with hemodialysis. In dialysis, blood is withdrawn from an artery or vein, purified, and returned to a vein. The volume of blood is too great for veins to handle, so a vein must be enlarged. An artery and vein, usually in the arm above or below the elbow, are sewn together, to create a fistula, and arterial pressure eventually enlarges the vein. The enlarged vein can accommodate a cannula or large needle.

We are told that once the arteriovenous fistula is surgically placed that it takes up to three months before it can actually be used.  The current “tesio” port in Irene’s chest is now operating at less than 100%; therefore, the necessity of taking this next step.

We are comforted by the following truth ….

A man’s (or woman’s) steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?
Proverbs 20:24

This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.”
Isaiah 48:17

As the sun sets on today we are reminded once again that we don’t write the script for our lives but we know the One who does.  He directs our paths, knows what is best and determines the roles each of us play on this “stage” of life.

Caminando con Fé

Dave

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