So much to be Thankful for!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We sure did, it was so nice and relaxing. Alec's family came down and my family came up. All 9 of us fit comfortably around the table while the 3 dogs sat underneath it waiting for someone to drop some turkey. Alec said Grace and it was beautiful. He thanked God for getting us through the last few weeks, for each other, for our friends, family, the team at MGH, Bam, our home and the food we were about to eat. When you add it all up, we truly do have so much to be thankful for.
Thanks to the Lombardos for the beautiful centerpiece, it made the table!
I made the turkey and it was delish, I think the hardest part of cooking the turkey is pulling out its neck and gizzards...YUCK! Then we all pitched in with the fixins. My favorites...Jill's sweet potato pie, Mom's cornbread stufffin and Auntie K's cranberry bread. Doesn't get any better than that!


Friday my Mom, Jill and I headed out to shop, not black Friday style, but to our favorite store...Mardens! We each spent about $75, on what, we still aren't sure yet! But we had fun and lets just say not too many people shop at Mardens on black Friday. I swear some of the stuff has been there since 1982. Jill found a true gem, a sewing book circa 1975 with lots of funny photos, we had a good laugh.

Friday afternoon we headed to the Christmas tree farm and under 5 minutes picked our tree and cut it down. Since my Dad had gone home, we were lucky to have Alec's friend Tom visiting and he chopped down the tree and carried it into the house and put it up for us. Although Alec is feeling good, carrying a tree would be on his list of things not to do over the next few months!


I decorated the tree last night and it looks so pretty. I think people with colored lights on the tree are a dying breed, but I love it and want it the way it was when we were growing up. Alec refuses to let me put up any tinsel...I think I will crack him someday, or maybe I will put our kids up to it.

Today, Alec, Millie and I went for a little walk on the beach! It was such a beautiful day and the first time he has been to GRB in a few weeks. We walked slowly but he felt good and wants to go again tomorrow morning.



John and Jaime sent us these photos of their children wearing the "Believe" bracelets that the Lombardos had made for us, I thought they were SO CUTE!

Alex and Ellie, checking out their new bling.

Cool, they like them.

Alec is Alex's Godfather!

Alex, Ellie and big brother Jack. Jack, John and Alec had gone fishing a few months ago. Jack loves to fish and hunt...a true Maine Man in the making!

We are so Thankful for all of you and for everything we do have. Thank you for the everlasting love and support. We are so blessed and not a day goes by that we do not thank God for that.

Love,

Heather, Alec &
Millie

On the Mend

Alec is feeling a little better every day. He is moving around easily now, but still gets really tired and winded. He even takes little walks up and down the driveway every few hours. I can not believe how far he has come in such a short amount of time. I asked him last night how he was doing, mentally, with everything he just went through (it has to take a toll on a person). His response was "Heath, I am fine, I am a fighter". And that was that.

I even had trouble getting off the couch this weekend. I think I was just emotionally spent and physically exhausted. I took 3 naps (I NEVER take naps!) and it felt good. I did take Millie for two long walks to the beach, its amazing how a little salt air can clear your head and rejuvenate the soul. Millie certainly was happy to be back at Goose Rocks Beach! She ran up and down the beach and even went for a swim. Alec's best friends, John and Jaime stopped in for a few hours on Sunday and it was really great to see them, I think Alec enjoyed the company. Jack, their 5 year old went to school today with his blue "Believe" bracelet on and told his teacher he was wearing a "special bracelet and he cant take it off"...How cute!

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving with our families this week. I am making the turkey and the rest will be a team effort. I can not wait! We have so much to be thankful for!

Thank you for the prayers and support. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and time with family. Every day is a blessing :)

Love,

Heather, Alec & Millie

Home Sweet Home

Finally! We are home and it.feels.so.good.

I actually walked into the house and kissed it.

Alec felt well enough today and all his tubes were out and vitals were perfect so finally he was discharged. 9 DAYS he was at MGH. Looking back it is kind of a blur, or a fog and each day ran into another. I, along with many others are so glad that he did the lung surgery this week. We ran into Dr. Ferrone and she was very happy he made that decision. She said after the first surgery, to have him come back in three weeks is just not good for a patient, causing anxiety, fear and dread. All that is behind us now and we can focus on the Holidays and spending time with family and friends.

My Mom asked Dr. Ferrone how long it takes for the liver to regenerate. This absolutely blows my mind...3 weeks! 3 weeks for 60% of his liver to grow back! No wonder why he is so tired, one week has already gone by which means the liver is already over 30% regenerated! The human body is so amazing.

Millie was SO HAPPY to see Alec, I actually became all teary eyed when they were reunited. She did not jump or go crazy, she snuggled up to him and licked him, I said if dogs could cry she would have right then. Dogs are so smart, I feel like she knows everything that has gone on and she is always there for us. The other night when we were sleeping at Jill's, I shot out of bed after I felt what I thought was a spider on my cheek. It was actually Millie's whiskers tickling my face as I slept. She was just checking on me.

To have a home cooked meal tonight was priceless, it has been 9 days! I am not one to enjoy eating out all the time, and couldn't wait to eat in my own kitchen and not the MGH cafeteria (although it is pretty good, its still not home cooking). I even had to make some toll house cookies, just to get our home smelling good, like we lived here again. Although Alec doesnt have much an appetite, he was happy to not eat hospital food and enjoyed dinner as much as he could.

Alec is moving very slowly, up the stairs was tough and he was exhausted after. I can tell breathing is labored and he is feeling the pain from his incisions. I just wrote a medications chart for him, I counted and there are 14 meds he has to take each day. It can certainly be confusing, especially when your the patient taking them. He looks pretty damn good after all he just went through, (although his upper body looks like a war zone) but with his shirt on he looks 100% healthy. I will be his on call nurse for the next few days, he has got his little bell next to the bed and I am sure I am going to start resenting that noise soon, but for now I am the obeidient little wifey that I am supposed to be.

Well again, thank you all for the prayers and support. I am so, so glad this week is behind us. This was one of those weeks that..."what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger". Alec is so tough and so strong and continues to amaze me, the doctors, his family, his friends and everyone he meets. He keeps pushing through and gets it done without a moment of doubt, self pity or anger. I am so proud of him.

I am so excited to go to bed and sleep in the bob-o-pedic next to my hubby!

I can only pray that Alec heals quickly and that we have the cancer under control. I also pray for a miracle in that it is gone forever and we can live happy, healthy and until we are 90 years old. I believe in Miracles :)

Love to all and thank you!

Heather, Alec & Millie

PS...
On our way home we heard this song, I had to do all I could to keep from crying. I dont know why, but the lyrics were just perfect for a return home from a long hospital stay and after all we just went through, it felt like we were supposed to hear this song. Its by Lady Antenellum and I had never heard it before, but when I got home I downloaded it and looked up the words. I think it was a "God Wink!"

"Hello World"

Traffic crawls, cell phone calls
Talk video screams at me
Through my tinted window I see
A little girl, rust red minivan
She's got chocolate on her face
Got little hands, and she waves at me
Ya, she smiles at me

Hello world
How've you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel cold as steel
Broken like I'm never gonna heal
I see a light, a little hope
In a little girl
Hello world

Every day I drive by
A little white church
It's got these little white crosses
Like angels in the yard
Maybe I should stop on in
Say a prayer
Maybe talk to God
Like he is here
Oh I know he is there
Ya, I know he's there

Hello world
How've you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel as cold as steel
And broken like I'm never going to heal
I see a light
A little grace, a little faith unfurled
Hello world

Sometimes I forget what living's for
And I hear my life through my front door
And I'll be there
Oh I'm home again
I see my wife, little boy, little girl
Hello world
Hello world

All the empty disappears
I remember why I'm here
Just surrender and believe
I fall down on my knees
Oh hello world
Hello world
Hello world

This is the video link.
http://video.aol.com/aolvideo/aol-music/hello-world-sessions/79275062001