Tell the Bees

Mom & Mo Home Alone

Last Wednesday, April 16, an exhausted father Craig, and an almost sick daughter Chloe boarded a plane, beginning their 8 day adventure in the deep South making last minute visits to the two schools Chloe had targeted: Savannah College of Art & Design (GA) SCAD, and Ringling College of Art & Design (Sarasota, FL). Craig worried about leaving me alone with Moriah, and organized a league of friends to drive me to appointments, visit on a regular basis to make sure I was doing OK, and to help with some errands like grocery shopping. I did sleep 24/7 for at least the first week we were home after the transplant, so I can understand his concern about me. The title of this post is a little misleading because the response to his request for help was so good.

This past weekend we had overnight guests. Saturday night our friend Becky arrived prepared to cook us a wonderful dinner, and to stay overnight with her daughter Kisa, one of Moriah’s best friends. After our delicious meal all four girls settled in to watch a movie together. Sunday night Lina was joined by friend Hannah for dinner and another overnight stay (complete with movie.) Both of our daughters were spending the night with friends.

Other friends have grocery shopped for me. Others have driven me to doctor’s appointments. The last two appointments proved to be endurance tests… how long can you sit in a hospital waiting room? At both visits it was determined that I needed platelets. They had to be ordered from another hospital in town, and then they needed to be irradiated. About a 2 hour process. Both times my friends serving as chauffeurs opted to go home for a while and pick me up when it was over. Our friends are very generous with their time, and also smart. (What are platelets? irregularly shaped bodies that live in our blood. They provide the necessary proteins, along with other substances, to cause coagulation when bleeding occurs.)

Meanwhile Craig and Chloe are recuperating in the warm sun of Georgia and Florida. Their first destination after flying into Jacksonville, FL was Savannah, GA.-SCAD. They were able to see the school though the eyes of a SCAD student tour guide, but found that it was impossible to just wander around on your own without a student ID. So they went to the SCAD book store, walked around town and went to the beach. You drive 18 miles through marshlands to a long white sand beach, with a lively surf. At this early date in the season, the beach was basically theirs. After two days of this rough life, they drove 7 hours to Sarasota, FL. They walked around town, visited the Ringling Art Museum, as well as the Circus Museum, and scoped out the beach (of course). Today they toured the school. They spent some time at the beach, and lounged around the hotel pool. Tonight they’re going to a Sarasota Reds minor league baseball game. Did I say this was a college tour trip? Chloe has to decide between these two before May 1. But right now, her tan is more important. After all, she’ll have a full week to decide after she gets home.

I can’t wait for them to get back here.

4 comments

4 Comments so far

  1. Jana Magnuson April 22nd, 2008 9:10 am

    Lina,
    The next best thing to being with C&C on those beaches is being able to imagine it…even I had a mini-vacation here at work just reading about their trip!
    Won’t it be wonderful to hear all about it when they get back.
    I am thinking of you every day. I can’t believe this state-of-the-art procedure. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have my brother’s DNA in me. (I guess I’d become a lover of Japanese film and a better lacrosse player.)
    Seriously, Chris and I are thinking of you….You are so STRONG, Lina, and you are loved by so many people! xo xo Jana

  2. madeleine adamson April 22nd, 2008 10:20 am

    It’s so good to have this update and know you are doing well. Seth and Gwen are visiting us in Chincoteague, asked after you and send their best. They are out at the beach but it is not so warm here. Glad Chloe and Craig could enjoy their trip and looking forward to hearing what she decides. Still hard to believe she’s off to college so soon. Keep up your wonderful spirit. Wish we were closer so we could join the legions of helpers.
    love, Madeleine

  3. Susan Baker April 23rd, 2008 5:23 am

    When Craig wrote that you were sleeping so much that first week I had visions of Rip Van Winkle! I’m sure its a lot like early pregnancy when women are so tired….. you don’t see your body “working” so hard to make a baby, but it is, in your case, repair, but the body seems to react by needing sleep to conserve energy for the necessary. Speaking of babies, its very neat to see “my babies” grow up and become creative wonderful people. Give Chloe a big hug for me when she returns. Also big hugs for all the supporting friends and their love and kindness during this ordeal. That’s what makes life worth living for sure.

  4. JeffTiton April 24th, 2008 10:11 am

    Keep those updates coming! It’s great that you have such a wonderful group of friends to take care of you and Moriah when Chloe and Craig have to be “on the road.” At Brown at this time of year many groups of prospective students are being toured around the campus and told of our university’s advantages. Of course, there’s no way to get a real understanding of what it’d be like to be a student at Brown, or Savannah, until you’ve done it; but an intuitive, artistic person like Chloe can get a sense of it a lot better than most.

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