Passions:
"If you asked me what my passions are, I would easily say my family and tennis...
Ed and I have been married for 41 years and he and out 2 children are the loves of my life. Like most families, we celebrate holidays, birthdays, and as many other occasions together as we can. We almost always spend at least 1 week together at the lake house on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. What wonderful memories we have made there over the years - swimming, boating, rafting, playing cards, relaxing, reading, working, and always laughing. Oh, and i cant forget....finding 4 leaf clovers! (I have found 11 over the past two days, a good sign i am sure!)
As for tennis, I played with my very best friend, Hallie, when we were young, even winning a trophy from a city park competition. I picked it up again when we moved to PA and introduced Ashley to it. Upon moving back to Atlanta, the whole family played with tennis friends becoming best friends - In Neely Farm and then at Deaton Creek, as well as Ashley's neighborhood tennis team. How lucky can I be to play tennis with our daughter even though she is much better then I am. BUT, she never gets mad at me....well, at least she doesn't verbalize it! LOL! Her friends are my friends, and I feel lucky to know them. I hope my passion for tennis will help pull me through the recovery. That will be awesome to play again, I am certain of that! and I look forward to it in the future. Will Ashley's liver portion make me a better tennis player?? Time will tell. "
Stress:
"I can not even begin to realize the stress Ed will be going through having a daughter and a wife in long surgeries at the same time. I do not feel stressed as we sit here 3 days away. Ashley says she is not stressed about the surgery, and i don't believe she is. But maybe any stress that may be weighing on her about the surgery is small compared to the other things that have occurred during the year. Through out everything, she has remained steadfast in wanting to continue with "The Plan", though i have repeatedly said she could back out at any time and things would be fine. We would just take a different path. As we move forward to June 3rd, I feel like we are prepared.
Friday Dinner:
Friday, May 28th, Ed and I had dinner with Bill Varner, his lovely wife Catherine, Alison Baker, and her delightfully funny husband Kurt. I first met Bill - a liver transplant recipient - through his journal [ http://www.billsjournal.com/ ]. I was intrigued because he had the same disease that i have (PSC). I became fascinated with every aspect of his story - How Alison became his donor; his live before surgery, and now after. Even more interesting is that he lives in Lynchburg, VA just an hour from the lake house! What a golden opportunity for us to meet he and his wife (who incidentally grew up in Atlanta) and his beautiful donor and her husband! Bill was transplanted in late February 2010 and both he and Alison are doing wonderfully. They shared with us their experiences and were so positive about how well Ashley and I would do. Both Ed and I appreciate and cherish out time with them, sharing experiences both before and after surgeries. We will always consider them very special friends and I know we can call upon them at any time and they will be there for us, just as i hope we can do for others down the road. Many thanks Bill, Catherine, Alison, and Kurt!
Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers in the coming days and weeks. We can all feel so loved! "
"If you asked me what my passions are, I would easily say my family and tennis...
Ed and I have been married for 41 years and he and out 2 children are the loves of my life. Like most families, we celebrate holidays, birthdays, and as many other occasions together as we can. We almost always spend at least 1 week together at the lake house on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. What wonderful memories we have made there over the years - swimming, boating, rafting, playing cards, relaxing, reading, working, and always laughing. Oh, and i cant forget....finding 4 leaf clovers! (I have found 11 over the past two days, a good sign i am sure!)
As for tennis, I played with my very best friend, Hallie, when we were young, even winning a trophy from a city park competition. I picked it up again when we moved to PA and introduced Ashley to it. Upon moving back to Atlanta, the whole family played with tennis friends becoming best friends - In Neely Farm and then at Deaton Creek, as well as Ashley's neighborhood tennis team. How lucky can I be to play tennis with our daughter even though she is much better then I am. BUT, she never gets mad at me....well, at least she doesn't verbalize it! LOL! Her friends are my friends, and I feel lucky to know them. I hope my passion for tennis will help pull me through the recovery. That will be awesome to play again, I am certain of that! and I look forward to it in the future. Will Ashley's liver portion make me a better tennis player?? Time will tell. "
Stress:
"I can not even begin to realize the stress Ed will be going through having a daughter and a wife in long surgeries at the same time. I do not feel stressed as we sit here 3 days away. Ashley says she is not stressed about the surgery, and i don't believe she is. But maybe any stress that may be weighing on her about the surgery is small compared to the other things that have occurred during the year. Through out everything, she has remained steadfast in wanting to continue with "The Plan", though i have repeatedly said she could back out at any time and things would be fine. We would just take a different path. As we move forward to June 3rd, I feel like we are prepared.
Friday Dinner:
Friday, May 28th, Ed and I had dinner with Bill Varner, his lovely wife Catherine, Alison Baker, and her delightfully funny husband Kurt. I first met Bill - a liver transplant recipient - through his journal [ http://www.billsjournal.com/ ]. I was intrigued because he had the same disease that i have (PSC). I became fascinated with every aspect of his story - How Alison became his donor; his live before surgery, and now after. Even more interesting is that he lives in Lynchburg, VA just an hour from the lake house! What a golden opportunity for us to meet he and his wife (who incidentally grew up in Atlanta) and his beautiful donor and her husband! Bill was transplanted in late February 2010 and both he and Alison are doing wonderfully. They shared with us their experiences and were so positive about how well Ashley and I would do. Both Ed and I appreciate and cherish out time with them, sharing experiences both before and after surgeries. We will always consider them very special friends and I know we can call upon them at any time and they will be there for us, just as i hope we can do for others down the road. Many thanks Bill, Catherine, Alison, and Kurt!
Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers in the coming days and weeks. We can all feel so loved! "
Martha and Ashley - you will be back on the courts in no time! Our family is praying for you daily, and Julia has been asking for her "Ashee" a lot lately :) You are in excellent hands up there, we are praying for the doctors as well. We will be praying hard on the 3rd and looking forward to an excellent outcome.
ReplyDeleteStacy and Chris (and the girls, too!)
I am so happy that you found Bill. No matter how we try, none of us can truly understand what you and Ashley are going through. It must be wonderful for you to have someone to talk to "who has been there". Much love to all of you, we're playing Thursday with you in our thoughts and prayers. We'll see you back on the courts in no time.
ReplyDeleteYou are two brave girls. My prayers are with you two and the boys. I know this has been a long process and you are anxious for the surgeries to be over. I was reading about all your fun at the lake. You never mentioned the fun things we do: Pressure washing docks and decks, eating weeds and cleaning boats.
ReplyDeleteYou are in my prayers. May God be with you both and give you peace. May He be with your surgeons and team of doctors and nurses. Much love, Gayle Williams
Martha, you and Ashley will be in everyone's prayers here in Deaton Creek. We miss you guys already, and we will be looking for speedy recoveries for the two of you.
ReplyDeleteBob & Judy
I have been praying for you since you first informed us of your transplant surgery. We will be interceding for you and Ashley on surgery day. I will be praying that God will direct the hands of the surgical team and guide those who will be caring for you before, during and after surgery. We serve a mighty God. He is able.
ReplyDeleteLove
Bill and Carolynn