1/2/08 update
=========================

Hi to all of you out there in the world...

It's Wednesday and the holidays are over and the hospital is jumping today. A much better feeling than when I walked all over yesterday and hardly saw a soul.

We are great. Howard walked with a PT this morning and SHE made HIM stop. He would have kept going. I was following along behind just to get a little exercise myself and heard her tell him that instead of the usual patient that they have to prod to get up and going, she could tell that they would have to keep him from doing too much. BIG SURPRISE! I could have told her that.

The results of his first biopsy came back as a 1R... 0 meaning that there is no sign of rejection and 3 being at where they would start treatment. Dr. Bogaev was very happy with the 1R... and everything else. As of this morning, he's had his pacing wires removed so he's really running on his own now. And, he's down to only one chest tube drain. I think it's a short matter of time until he will be bumped upstairs. Keep your fingers crossed that they will let us come home after spending some time in a regular room and not make us stay in Houston.

I have been generously given the use of a FREE apartment, provided by the Heart Exchange Group... a non-profit made up of transplant recipients. The apartment is a few miles from here and I will have to drive back and forth. I'll probably stay at the Marriott at least tonight and will then have to decide if the cost outweighs the convenience of the hotel. Walking sure beats dealing with parking garages around here. It's a quandary.

Will be in touch later... Chris and Howie