My Love's Liver

Jay had his every-six-months appointment at Vanderbilt today. The good news is that he hasn't gotten worse. The bad--or maybe expected--news is that he hasn't miraculously recovered. He and his doctor talked about statistics and waiting times and survival rates--what fun! But other than that nothing was new. He's supposed to go back in another six months unless his lab results show something unexpected.

I don't know that either of us would have expected this Thanksgiving to be so normal. Last Thanksgiving we had a houseful of family and friends who came to celebrate with us because, as far as we knew, that Thanksgiving might have been his last. We were still waiting to get an appointment at Vanderbilt, and none of Jay's other doctors were willing to hazard a guess as to how long Jay would make it before needing a liver. So we all crammed in our little house and ate and played and stayed up too late and made the best of everything.

This year our crowd will not be so crowded, and that's OK. It means that, as of right now, we aren't preparing for the worst. And for that I am thankful.