New meaning of Thanksgiving

Hello everyone, as I sit here I was thinking what an amazing Thanksgiving this year is to me. I sit here in my living room with the tree blinking ( I know it is early but why not this year our living room tree is white and it is very beautiful) My mind gets to thinking that I am the luckiest person in the world to be here to day.

1. I am very thankful for the donors family, I can't imagine how they feel this year at Thanksgiving, my heart goes out to them each and every moment I am alive. I know they have got to be so proud of their child for saving 9 peoples lives and mine included. Sometimes this is so overwhelming to me all I can do is cry, because I know how it feels to loose someone you love so dearly. I just wish somehow they will find a way to have a good Thanksgiving.

2. I am thankful for my husband every since my surgery he has been there for all of my needs and sometimes I know I have ran him all day long and he never complained. Over and over he would say "I am so thankful you have this new liver so you can finally feel better." Just having him by my side the whole time has been a blessing in itself because I really needed him mentally and physically. Billy is the sweetest husband, and I am so thankful that he was brought up in the church. Billy is my counselor, my support when I am having an outburst of tears, he is my best friend someone who will always laugh with me and cry with me. He is able to pick me up when I am feeling down. Thank you Billy.

3. I am so thankful for my wonderful children. God has blessed me with wonderful christian children. I watch them grow up and date christian people and it makes me so happy that we as parents have done something correct in raising our children. I can imagine how scared for the whole year and fifteen days that I was sick because the unknown was the worst feeling and that is a lot for teenagers to cope with. I am so proud of them while I was in the hospital. Here's an example Jasmine came by one afternoon and I was crying because the nurse had come in with all my medicine to show me how to administer it all by myself and I was scared to death that I wasn't going to get it right so Jasmine crawled up in the bed with me for about one hour and a half and she went over and over it with me and it wasn't as bad as I had thought. There wasn't a day go by that Alex didn't give me a hug and ask me "How are you doing today mom?" and give me a kiss on the cheek. The day I had my surgery started a whole new life for me, my family and I held onto each other and bonded so thick I didn't think we could get any closer. I am Thankful for two.

4. I am thankful Kim and her family. Kim and her family have done so much for me. Kim is a wonderful wife and mother and best friend to me. If it wasn't for Kim I don't know if I would've gotten my IV meds at home lol. I love you so much for just coming over when I needed a friend to talk to and just hanging out with me. The children did wonders for me they always put a smile on my face and that is what I needed the most. Also thank you Paul for being there for Kim when I had my surgery the things you do are not unnoticed. I am so glad that Kim has you and you are a great guy. Thank you

5. Susan and David I don't know where to begin. I want to say yall mean the world to me and I am so thankful to be a part of your family yall have always accepted me from the start and that has always meant a lot to me. Susan thank you for saying on the day of my surgery "Mary is going to get her surgery today" and when I got the call I called you and you were as beside yourself as I was that is what family is all about. Thank you for all the prayers you sent out for me, thank you for the smile you gave me the day you and David came to the hospital when I was in that meeting about my medicine I remember looking down the hall and you were sitting in the chair down there with the biggest smile on your face ever. David you mean the world to me also. I am so thankful to have such a strong christian man that I can depend on if there ever is a problem. Oh I also heard that you cleaned the bathrooms wow David that is love for a family member there thank you so much. Thank you for all the other you did for us I want say what but I think you know what it is. Susan thanks again for putting all of the time and effort into cleaning my house this goes to everyone who helped I don't want to leave anyone out. I want to thank you Susan and David.

6. This goes out to Katie and Josh and Hannah. Thank you so much for everything you do for me all the prayers, smiles, and help during my time of healing. I know that times have been hard for you all but I know how strong christian people you all are and that God is definitly going to help you through all of these hard times. Hannah is so sweet and I love hearing her say Mary her smile is so bright that wherever she is she lights up a room. Josh I love you so much you mean the world to me. I am thankful for you and your family.

7. Daniel and Mandi thanks for coming and visiting me. I got so many cards from your congregation and getting them made me feel so thought of and thankful. Your christian work has been so powerful in my life that I know you have so much to share to christians your talent is endless. I am thankful for the two of you.

8. I am thankful for my sister. She has been there through thick and thin. We have shared so many tears and even more laughter. I am thankful for my nephew he is the sweetest baby even though I don't see him as much as I want to. I can call Pam anytime and she would be there, there are no limits when it comes to me and vice versa. Thanks Pam

9. I am so thankful for the small things in life which are a.That there are doctors out there that God gave the knowledge to do the surgery I had. b.I am thankful to be alive. c. I am thankful to have a warm bed to sleep in at night. d. I am thankful to be able to look outside and see the trees, leaves which have been beautiful this year, the leaves on the ground, the sky and think of heaven and how I hope to one day be up there with my mother to just put my arms around her and say 10000 times how much I love her and miss her. e.I am thankful to have been brought up in the church.

10. I am thankful for my brother, nephews, sister, and last but not least my dad. I saved the best for last. I miss my dad so much he is always on my mind and I pray he will wake up one day before it is to late. I will never give up on him because I know what kind of man he can be because he was that man for 41 years. Dad has put us through so much and I know that there is nothing God cannot do so whenever he is ready to intervene he will. My dad is a very sad man and just doesn't know how to cope with life so he goes about it in all the wrong directions. He is going to have to figure it out all on his own because there is some things we can't do for him. I am so thankful for all of my family I just pray that they will all one day wise up and see how important it is to have God in there life. It is very hard being the only one in our family that is a christian I just want so bad for them to be in Heaven with me and mom one day.

Well, I hope that I didn't leave anyone out I tried to include everyone. I Love you all and to all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING. MARY

update on Jaterkeria

I called her mom this evening and Jakteria is still in Childrens Hospital and she has a infection called cvr her mom told me that is would be like a cold to normal adults but she has to stay in the hospital to keep her blood work checked and her levels have still been high. Talking to her really made me nervous this evening, she also said the nurse said that it is a possibility that the donor could have had this when he passed away and I was even nervous after hearing that but I am trying to keep my spirits up but today has been a challenge for me I think I have cried for about four hours today, I am assuming that it is the steriods that i just finished today and on a fun note Kim assembled my med. and after it she took out my IV and I called the nurse and told her she didn't need to come out today today that if she would just call Tammy and tell her she left her bag here and she can come pick it up tomorrow and she said just fine because she lived in Springville and that is a long way to have to travel just to get my IV out and Kim did as good as job as any of the other nurses.

Rachel I got the book you suggested and it is a very good book I am enjoying it so much it is so interesting, this is going to be fun and I am looking forward to doing this project with the group. I am already on page 100 and it gets so much better each page.

Guess I will go and please everyone pray for the little girl Jakeria she and her family needs it very much. Love everyone Mary

UPDATE IF YOU NEED A GREAT NURSE CALL 1-800-KIM

THE CRITICAL CARE NURSE CAME TO MY HOUSE FRIDAY AND I WAS I NEEDED SOMEONE ELSE TO BE HERE BECAUSE I COULDN'T DO IT ONE HANDED SO KIM SO GRACIOUSLY VOLUNTEERED TO BE THE ONE. WELL, KIM HAS ADMINISTERED MY SOYMEDRAWL NOW 2 TIMES AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD'VE DONE WITHOUT HER. SHE HAS TAKEN ALL DAY ON FRIDAY AND ALL DAY TODAY TO ADMINISTER IT, IT TAKES AT LEAST 1HR AND 20 MINUTES TO ADMINISTER IT AND THEN TO DO ALL OF THE UNHOOKING TAKES A FEW MINUTES AND KIM IS WONDERFUL AT IT. I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME SHE HAS TAKEN OUT OF HER OWN TIME TO COME HERE TO HELP ME. I HAVE GOTTEN TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH LILA AND A LOT OF TIME WITH LEVI AND HE HAS REALLY CRACKED ME UP, HE IS THE FUNNIEST PERSON TO LISTEN TO TALK HE SAID SOME REALLY FUNNY THINGS TO SAY TODAY I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO QUIT LAUGHING. NOW I WILL SAY ONE THING LILA AND LEVI ARE VERY ACTIVE AND I DON'T SEE HOW KIM CAN STAND UP FROM BEING WALLOWED ALL OVER HER YESTERDAY AND TODAY I TRIED TO HELP AND I DID SOME WHATEVER HELP I COULD WHICH WASN'T MUCH. BUT OVER ALL SHE WAS GREAT.

I WILL BE TAKING MY LAST IV TOMORROW AFTER CHURCH. TODAY I GOT UP PRETTY EARLY AND I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE THE PAGAENT AND I DID. I WOKE UP FEELING PRETTY WEAK MAINLY WITH A HEADACHE (WHICH IS CAUSED FROM THE STERIODS)AND I WAS VERY EMOTIONAL AND CRYING BUT I DECIDED THAT I WASN'T STAYING HOME ALL DAY BY MYSELF, SO I PUFFED IT UP AND GOT UP AND WASHED MY HAIR AND BILLY FIXED IT AFTER HE DID ADDI'S HAIR AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, AFTER HE FINISHED WITH HER HAIR I DID HER MAKEUP AND SHE WAS PRETTY GOOD WITH THE MAKEUP AND SHE GOT A LITTLE RESTLESS WITH THE HAIR. SHE LOOKED VERY PRETTY ON STAGE BUT I THINK THAT SHE THOUGHT HER DRESS ITCHED HER A LOT. SHE DID GREAT AND WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER SHE DIDN'T CRY AND KIM TOLD HER THAT IF SHE WAS GOING TO CRY WE JUST WON'T DO IT NEXT YEAR AND SHE REPLIED THAT SHE NEEDED TO BECAUSE SHE NEEDED ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN. I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO FUNNY. MIA, TINA, AND SYDNEY AND BILLY AND I WENT AND KEPT UP WITH LILA AND OVERALL SHE DID FINE AND AFTERWARDS WE WENT TO HABERNOS AND ATE AND THEN OFF TO HOME SO MY VERY OWN SPECIAL NURSE TO GET MY MEDICINE STARTED.

GUESS I WILL GO FOR NOW BELIEVE ME IF YOU NEED NURSING ASSISTANCE PLEASE CALL KIM KELSEY SHE IS THE BESTEST. LOVE YOU ALL MARY COURINGTON

ANOTHER UPDATE FROM DOCTOR

HELLO EVERYONE, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE ALL OF YOU THE WEDNESDAY DOCTOR UPDATE. ONE OF MY COORDINATOR'S CALLED ABOUT 6:30 and proceeded TO ME THAT MY PROGRAF LEVEL HAD WENT UP FROM 19 TO 20 AND WHAT THIS MEANS IS THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RUN 3 DOSES IN 3 DAYS AND WHAT THIS REQUIRES IS THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PUT ME IN THE HOSPITAL LIKE THEY USUALLY DO WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO IS SEND A NURSE OUT TO MY HOUSE AND HOOK UP A IV IN MY ARE AND IT. THEY WILL DO ONE DOSE FOR THREE DAYS IT TAKES ABOUT 40 TO 55 MINUTES TO DO. JAKTERIA IS NOW IN CHILDRENS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT SHE WILL HAVE HER LAST STERIOD TONIGHT AND HOPEFULLY GO BACK TO THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE. THE MOM CALLED ME TODAY AND TOLD ME THAT HER BOYFRIEND GOT FIRED BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN OFF SO MUCH BEING WITH HIS FAMILY. SHE ASKED THE SOCIAL WORKER IF SHE COULD HAVE TWO MORE MEAL TICKETS AND THE SOCIAL WORKER TOLD HER THAT HE SHOULD LEAVE BECAUSE THE TWO OF THEM DON'T NEED TO BE THERE AND HE SAID YOU MUST NOT UNDERSTAND THIS IS MY FAMILY AND I AM NOT LEAVING THEM.
I FELT REALLY WEAK AND BAD LAST NIGHT BUT I WAS SO PROUD OF ME BECAUSE I MADE MYSELF GO VOTE JAZZ AND BILLY AND I ALL WENT TOGETHER AND I WAS EXCITED AND MY DARLING JASMINE WAS VOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I WILL SAY I GOT A LITTLE TEARY EYED ABOUT IT. I AM VERY PROUD OF MY JAZZ SHE IS THE SWEETEST YOUNG LADY AND WILL DO ANYTHING FOR YOU.
I AM SO THANKFUL FOR ALL OF MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FOOD AND THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. GOING THROUGH THIS TRANSPLANT HASN'T BEEN EASY BUT FRIENDS HAVE MADE IS EASY FOR US BY ALL YOU HAVE DONE FOR US. THE FOOD HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO IF I DIDN'T HAVE YALL IN MY LIFE. COMING HOME TO A CLEAN HOUSE MEANT THE WORLD TO ME. I KNOW HOW YALL SURVIVED THAT IT WAS A BIG CHALLENGE, BUT YALL SURVIVED AND I AM THANKFUL BECAUSE NONE OF YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT ME I DON'T THINK.
I LOVE YOU ALL AND HOPEFULLY SOON I WILL BE UP AND GOING SO I CAN HELP SOMEONE MYSELF.
I LOVE YOU ALL MARY C.