Note from Stacey

Denise, thanks for your cute picture of Mia and the funny stories! Felix, great to hear from you again. I am glad to hear that you are rock-climbing again. Unfortunately, I have some bad news. On Thursday, Mar. 2, I went in for a hospital clinic visit and I was diagnosed with “chronic rejection.” I am changing medications and hoping for the best. The outlook is unpredictable. My lung function, which dropped 13 percentage points in two weeks, could go back up, stabilize at this level, or get worse. During the week, time is being taken up by medical matters again. More runs to the pharmacy, and frequent visits to the hospital for tests and procedures are interfering with classes and daily life. Tomorrow, I have an octreotide shot at 11 a.m., and Thursday I will be at the hospital all day with labs, clinic visits, and a “tap” of the fluid in my lungs. With a lung function of 45%, I can still do daily tasks and even play badminton and climb. And all I can do is hope for the best, and have the courage to live life against the odds. The weekend was pleasant. Friday, I celebrated Carrie’s birthday with her family, and I attended Joshua’s red-black belt Tae Kwon Do test. It was very interesting! On Saturday, I attended a youth climbing competition at Twisters Climbing Gym. The director, Allison, held a silent auction benefit in my honor. I was really grateful! Sunday, I gave a climbing lesson, then in the afternoon, Dave took me to see the Calder exhibit at the SF Museum of Modern Art. Later, I had Cindy over for dinner and we had a really enjoyable evening., Stacey, from Belmont