Life...

Life has been interesting around here so far this year.

As many of you know, my husband, Jerry, received a new, experimental treatment using his own stem cells. He has PAD (peripheral artery disease) or what we always called arterial sclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The treatment is part of a clinical trial hoping to promote the use of stem cells to treat more and more diseases.

My mother-in-law passed away because of this...my father-in-law could barely walk before he passed. I did not want my husband to pass away when medical science could help!

But, there were a few very negative emails that I received after I posted about his treatment. I want to clear up a few thing...

The stem cells that were used were his own. The doctor extracted bone marrow from his hip and then removed the 50 or so stem cells that were there. The stem cells were "multiplied" to create around 4 million...the wonders of modern science! He received 40 injections in the calf muscles of each leg...one leg got the stem cells, the other leg got saline (it's the control).

I wish to assure everyone that there were absolutely NO controversial processes.

To our family, a traditional Catholic family, there were absolutely NO religious conflicts.

Whatever your views of stem cell research, I completely honor them. Our family did not feel that there were any reasons to object to using what was already his. And I am trying to keep Jerry's quality of life as high as possible.

We've been through so much as a family with him...the quadruple bypass of his heart, the kidney cancer, the other attempts to provide his legs with better blood flow, and that horrible brain injury from his nosedive off a ladder. The probable amputation of a limb was, and is, something we're trying to prevent.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...we need them!

And now that we are waiting to see the long term results of his treatment, I'm hoping to get back to my crafting and stamping!!!

Happy 2009!

Another day, a new year!!!

I think I've cooked more food in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last two months, lol. Take that back, maybe in the last 6 months!

Following our family traditions, and the traditions of New Orleans (and probably the south), we've had our black eyed peas and rice, smothered cabbage, baked ham, potato salad, and other assorted food and sweets to ring in the new year. I hope it works, lol!

The next big day around here is the "Twelth Night"...or the twelth day of Christmas, or Epiphany, or what we call around here "King's Day", the countdown to Lent. King cakes officially start that day, and I'll post more about that later.

I hope everyone, and I do mean everyone, has a fantastic new year!