What a week!

I writing from Hunter's hospital room here in Abilene.  Thankfully, he is feeling much better this Monday!  It's been a rough weekend for Hunter after a really fun family week in South Carolina.  We flew home from our incredible trip meeting Nate, Hunter's bone marrow donor on Wednesday.  Thursday at work, Hunter started running fever and vomiting.  He figured he had caught a stomach bug on the plane, and the fever was from exhaustion.  But, neither got better.  We talked to the transplant team on Friday, and they wanted to make sure he didn't have the flu.  Our doctor's office was closed here, so we had to pay a visit to the walk in clinic, where he tested negative.  He continued to feel worse and was running 103.9 fever, so Saturday he told me he needed to go to the ER.  

By this time he was dehydrated, weak, and worn out from alternating from chills and sweating from his fever for 3 days.  On top of that he was still vomiting and nauseous.  After four bags of fluid, a steroid shot, iv pain and nausea meds, and antibiotics started, his color started to come back in the ER.  His labs showed infection, and X-ray showed a spot of pneumonia in his lower right lobe.  That's where his clot and previous pneumonia infection on the ventilator started, so that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear.  We were admitted for IV antibiotics, and he's steadily been improving ever since.  Last night he ate for the first time since Thursday, and today he's much less nauseous, asked for his laptop to check email, and has been talking business on his phone.  Now he's ready to go home because you don't get much rest in a hospital.  Hopefully we will be out of here before too long.

Now for the good stuff....getting to meet Nate and his family last week!

After one year post transplant if both parties consent, information is exchanged.  At the time, Nate was stationed overseas.  Then Hunter got sick with his AIDP.  When we heard their next tour of duty was back in the states, we jumped at the chance to meet.  We have emailed, texted, and talked on the phone, but were so very excited to thank him in person.  Our initial meeting was on the dock of a Pirate cruise.  The boys acted very shy for a few minutes, then quickly got over that!  Pirates of Hilton Head were so kind to video our reunion, then kept the kids busy while we visited.  

It's hard to even describe the emotions that run through your body when you get an opportunity to meet someone who has selflessly given the gift of life of your husband.  It was overwhelming but so so good.  I'm going to get a little sappy and say that Nate is exactly the kind of person you'd want to have marrow from.  He has served our country in the Army since before he graduated High School, loves his family, to be outdoors and hunt, to ride his Harley, and to work on his truck.  Nate and Hunter already shared such a cool bond, but to have so much in common was icing on the cake.  He totally downplayed his role in our journey and says that anyone would give bone marrow, but we know that he is a hero to us!    

       

His son and daughter are the same age as our boys, and they were instant friends.  His wife Nadine is so kind and interesting, and we had the best time getting to know her.  She was born and raised in Germany, and we loved hearing about their unique moves all over with the military.  We had THE BEST WEEKEND EVER and are looking forward to meeting up with them again!  Nate was joking that Hunter needed to get with his therapy so they could go elk hunting in the mountains together:)

Outside our hotel getting ready to meet

cute bunch of kiddos

spraying "Stinky Pete"

just two dudes with the exact same blood

After our Pirate cruise and grabbing lunch, we headed to the beach.  We had gorgeous weather with highs in the 80.  That water was too cold for me, but it didn't stop the kids!

 It was a pretty day to fly a kite!

These two found several jellyfish in the tide pools and dead on the beach

We cleaned up for pictures and dinner beachside

killing time

New buddies building a fort

After dinner we did a little nighttime crab hunting.  We found several and we all slept well that night!

Our view at the hotel wasn't too shabby.  The week before there was a PGA tournament at this golf course.  Twist my arm, I'll drink coffee out here.

We went on a dolphin tour Sunday and saw so many!  

 The kids were ready for more beach time that afternoon!

And ice cream of course!

 Here is a sneak peak from our photo session with Tommy Hilton Head Photography.  I can't wait to see the rest!

Hospital sitting has given me some down time that I didn't plan on, but I've tried to take full advantage.  I read the book that I didn't finish on vacation, and worked on recording memories of our trip on my blog.  We have much to be thankful for.  Not only for the new friendships, but also for Hunter's new immune system.  Yes, he got community acquired pneumonia, but his body did what it was supposed to.  When we walked into the ER, the nurse that greeted us had followed our journey on the blog.  The physician knew about us before he walked into the room.  Hunter is feeling much better and ready to come home.  I was able to drop the boys at school, come to his hospital room, and pick them up after school.  I count those things as blessings.  Most of all, I'm thankful that the Lord goes before us!  While I only can see a tiny piece of this puzzle, he is working for His good.  I could never dream or imagine when we started down this road where it would take us, but I've been made stronger by the journey.  To all of our prayer warriors, thank you for lifting up our family for the last three years.  I hope you have been blessed to see some images of the results of thousands of prayers answered!  We can't wait to get to spend time with the Grundys again!  Our family is grateful beyond words to have a husband and daddy that can live a healthy life.