An unexpected lung transplant

Fabulous Photos Friday: In the Blue

July 18, 2014 By Tam Warner 22 Comments

To celebrate my husband’s rapid recovery from A DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT (see the category An Unexpected Journey, Lung Transplant here on my blog!), his clearance to travel internationally, and to scuba dive (snorkel first, of course), I have decided to feature photos from our home in Cozumel, of our beloved ocean, above and below, and some of our wonderful friends! PS Our home, Villa Coronado, is on Vacation Rentals by Owners at www.vrbo.com/368692. I call Villa Coronado my Blue House, not because it is blue (it is not), but because of our view of the bluest water anywhere!!!!!!

The roof hammocks, one of my favorite places to hang!

cor 14 sunset from water — An amazing sunset in the making, taken while I was out snorkeling.

Gorgeous Octopus on Paradise Reef at night

Randy and I swimming with whale sharks!111111111111111111111111111111 — Randy and I swimming with whale sharks!

See the whale shark just behind us? — See the whale shark to the right?

Just a little fun on the sand — Wes loves to run in the sand underwater!

Hey, Randy's at Coconuts again!111111111111111111111111111111111 — Hey, Randy’s at Coconuts again!

On the Felipe! — That’s me, in the Felipe!

Wes running...Alexandra falling backwards. I don't know. — Wes running…Alexandra falling backwards. I don’t know how….

coz 08 jun dolph dolphin — A close, personal friend!

A beautiful sunset — A beautiful Cozumel sunset

Come and visit Villa Coronado in Cozumel! Villa Coronado, is on Vacation Rentals by Owners at www.vrbo.com/368692. Bienvenidos!

Randy’s been cleared!

July 15, 2014 By Tam Warner

Today Randy had “Clinic”, the once a month check up and testing follow up for his double lung transplant last September 10. He has been cleared to travel internationally…and to dive! Dive? I am beyond astonished….and I confess, it makes me a little nervous. When I think about it, it seems that Randy was probably more likely to get a lung injury BEFORE the transplant, but I still feel a little apprehensive. On our Socorro dive trip he burst his eardrum (again). I suppose the ear is more at risk than the lungs. It just seems so incredible….Randy is so happy he looks like he is going to levitate! So happy, he went off to meet with his golf buddy, Mark! Whether they will actually golf, I’m not sure. Randy has been practicing chipping, but as far as I know he hasn’t been to the driving range. It appears that confidence has returned and he is ready to get out there! Our Pacific Coast Highway Adventure and trip to Lake Tahoe helped him significantly, and now, Randy is ready for golf and diving (snorkeling first, I mean, why rush things???). Who knows what he’ll want to do tomorrow? Maybe we should schedule the Great White Sharks again!!!

Randy: 10 months post transplant!

July 8, 2014 By Tam Warner 25 Comments

Fellow dons and college roomies! — Fellow dons and college roomies, Balboa Island

10 months ago, my husband, Randy, went through the struggle of his life: a double lung transplant. It happened FAST. Life is precious. Want to know more? Transplant: An Unexpected Journey.

Randy and I just returned from an unbelievably wonderful and enjoyable trip…we flew into Orange County (John Wayne Airport) and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway, stopping in Santa Barbara, Carmel, Big Sur, Monterey, Moss Landing, San Francisco, and all the way to Shelter Cove, CA! Then we headed to Lake Tahoe to round out the 3 week trip. We saw old friends and beautiful new scenery along the way, and Randy, 10 months post double lung transplant, really advanced his recovery!

Randy and Charlie in Santa Barbara — Randy and Charlie (one of our “second sons”) in Santa Barbara

When the trip first started out, I believe he was a bit tentative, and he had every right to be. 10 months ago, when Randy woke up from his double lung transplant, he could barely lift his index finger, he could not speak, and certainly he could not walk. He has traveled a long road since then, and this trip helped him, not only with physical challenge, but with his confidence.

Randy ordered walking sticks before we left, to be delivered in Shelter Cove. They were never delivered, so Randy fashioned walking sticks out of redwood tree branches he found on the ground. We walked beaches, casinos, vista points, streets, hills, steeper hills, and a lot of stairs! Every day seemed to add to his abilities, and now that we are home, he finds that he is much stronger, and better able to navigate. It is amazing what a little physical challenge can do! And there were plenty of them! Here’s a recap of activities:

Santa Barbara has to be one of the most perfect spots on earth (in our humble opinion!)

San Luis Opisbo and the Madonna Inn!

Big Sur, big sounds and a big ocean! Big Elephant seals were a highlight along the way.

Big Sur's Elephant Seals — Big Sur’s Elephant Seals

Carmel never fails to charm! The downtown area is just perfectly quaint and full of art!

At the Hog's Breath — At the Hog’s Breath

Beautiful Monterey and its incomparable aquarium!

Monterey Bay is full of Humpbacks, seals and dolphins!

Where there are whales.... — Where there are whales….

Chinatown, always a San Francisco Treat!

Shelter Cove is as remote as it gets, and the Avenue of the Giants is nearby!

Lake Tahoe was full of fun: rafting, beaching, renting a boat, going on a helicopter tour, and enjoying fireworks on the water on the 3rd, and over the water on the 4th!

2 lakes, Cascade and Fallen Leaf from the helicopter

t 14 jill don tam ran — Happy 4th with friends!

It was 1500 ft down to the beach, and back up again! Randy is rocking!

And I must leave you with the most beautiful image of all: Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe!

Adventuring on Lake Tahoe less than a year after Randy’s Double Lung Transplant

July 2, 2014 By Tam Warner 8 Comments

Adventuring on Lake Tahoe, lake tahoe, emerald bay — Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is wonderful. I usually get altitude sickness, but this time, I didn’t . A little short of breath, yes. After all, it is 7,000 feet up from sea level, and I live mostly at sea level. Randy’s been a little breathless, too, but he checked his spirometer numbers (a lung capacity exercise) and those numbers are even better than they were in Dallas a few weeks ago. I think the fresh air and walking for the last couple of weeks have really exercised both him and his lungs. He is still a little weak, but that’s to be expected. Eleven months ago he couldn’t even walk, and now he’s walking some steep hills and a lot of stairs. Good for us both!

California, here we are!

June 24, 2014 By Tam Warner 9 Comments

Beautiful Santa Barbara view from the hills.

Who doesn’t want to drive the California coast? Randy and I have always talked about it, but we never did it. Now, we are doing it. At 9 1/2 months post double lung transplant, Randy is out and about and doing very well.

The Duke greeted us at John Wayne Airport.

Our trip started in Orange County, as we landed at John Wayne/Santa Ana Airport. The Duke was waiting for us. And so was Michael Hurst, aka “Don”. We had lunch and then “Don” took us for a little tour of Balboa, including the car ferry. The car ferry takes a whopping 3 cars across a canal small enough to easily swim. It is so fun and cute, though! The whole area is just gorgeous. “Don” Hurst thinks Randy looks much better than he did in January…yes, that is true. He is much stronger, and his attitude has really turned around. We have been thoroughly enjoying our trip.

Our next stop was Santa Barbara, one of the most beautiful towns you could ever find. Beach, ocean, hills, mountains, and the flora! Trees and flowers and plants of all different shapes and sizes! Parks and hiking paths every other street, it seems like. We were very fortunate to have one of our “sons from another mother (and father, too)” come to visit us in Santa Barbara. Charlie grew up with Wes, and has spent a lot of time with us, not only in Dallas, but in Cozumel. He graduated from Harvey Mudd College a year ago, and is working in Los Angeles. We had a great dinner, and laughed the entire time. My little Charlie! What a sweetheart to drive all the way to Santa Barbara to see us.

We stayed at the Hyatt Santa Barbara, and I can highly recommend the hotel. It sits across the street from the beautiful beach. My “niece” (my friend/family relationships tend to be complicated and confusing, sorry) lives near Valencia, and she brought her two children for a beach day with me. Randy is wisely not spending much time on the beach, he is 50 times more likely now to get skin cancer, so he needs to stay out of the sun! Or wear sunscreen, which is so difficult to get him to do.

We enjoyed dinner one night at Brophy Brothers, on the pier. Dee-licious and excellent views. I walked the pier, and there is a statue of a seahorse with a boy riding on it, a gift from Santa Barbara’s sister city, Puerto Vallarta. Unusual, but hey, certainly an interesting statue.

Santa Barbara's seahorse. — Santa Barbara’s seahorse.

If you have not visited Santa Barbara, make your reservations right now! It really is stunning, with perfect weather, and gorgeous scenery. As Randy’s illness has reminded us, you only have NOW. Make your NOW count.

The Glorious California Coast!

June 22, 2014 By Tam Warner 3 Comments

I have been on the go and traveling, traveling, traveling for a week, but now I am tucked away in Shelter Cove, California, with a view of the rugged coast from right to left. Glorious! I will settle down now to write some posts, but in the meantime, enjoy some fabulous California photos!

Transplant. An Unexpected Journey

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