peggysue2
peggysue2's JournalWe Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For
I've said this a number of times but with all the brouhaha over the last few days thought it worth repeating. This is personal follow-up to Applegrove's post from the New Republic:
Joe Biden was never my guy until 2020. My choice was simple then: I believed Biden was The One to beat Donald Trump, the man who was the Worst, Most Destructive President in American History.
Those factors are still in play. But then, there's this:
Joe Biden has exceeded all my expectations.
Turns out Joe was not merely a place holder but the most consequential president of my living memory. President Biden's list of accomplishments in 3 years is massive, important and are far more expansive than most presidents rack up in two full terms.
To ignore these accomplishments or to run with a Republican/media-driven narrative is political malpractice. We have an enormous responsibility to fulfill this coming November. We're tasked with making sure Donald Trump and his odious enablers, both domestic and foreign, never get their hands on the levers of power again.
It's positively existential in nature for the country, for the world, for the future.
It's on us now. The courts are not going to save us. The electorate will have the final say.
I'm reminded of something President Obama once said:
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
Believe it!
Tune out the noise machine and let's get this done.
Senate just advanced a $95.3 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel
First steps but progress!
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/08/politics/senate-vote-foreign-aid-bill/index.html
How do I contact the Administrators over a billing problem?
Not sure what the etiquette is.
The Picture of Dorian Gray ala Donald Trump
Picked this up on Threads this morning: a depiction of Trump without the makeup.
Positively ghoulish. Fitting, one might say. Pass it along.
https://www.threads.net/@texaspaulschroder/post/C2KxajIOZO0
Husband coming home tomorrow
Finally, after many tests and scans and opinions, my husband had his liver cancer surgery and is due for discharge tomorrow. After nearly 5 hours in the OR, his surgeon was pleased that 'they got the job done.' Clean though tight margins because of an already diseased liver, he can hopefully put this chapter behind him. We were lucky that this malignant tumor was picked up very early thanks to a portfolio of imaging and tests.
So now, he's joining our 3-year old grand-daughter Cassandra in beating the odds (she had a successful transplant due to a very aggressive liver cancer that totally wasted the organ).
Liver Cancer is Us but it hasn't beaten us yet.
Hallelujah! 
Hope is the Thing with Feathers
I wanted to wait this time, not preempt a a Good News story before it was fully hatched.
Cassandra's received her liver transplant Thursday evening. Surgery finished up before the sun rose Friday.
No sooner had her parents returned to Philly, exhausted, thoroughly bummed out, that they got the phone call.
Another liver was available, a five-year old donor.
There's tragedy mixed with this miracle, of course, because another child died, a little boy, in order to provide this spectacular gift. For Cassandra, a pediatric transplant is the next best thing to a living donor.
The surgeons were very happy. Not only did the surgery proceed without a hitch but Cassandra had clean margins (no evidence of cancer) around the liver or lungs. Not anywhere.
The journey isn't done. Cassandra is in a medically-induced coma until Monday to give her body a chance to rest and heal. Weirdly enough, physicians did the same thing to her father after his traumatic brain injury 20+ years ago. She'll be closely monitored for infection and rejection or any other mishap.
I am completely humbled by the donor family. I raised little boys, can easily remember them at age five. I'm not sure I would have had the strength or grace to offer my child's organs while steeped in profound grief.
But this family did.
My daughter-in-law is committed to remembering this little boy as if he were one of our own. He'll be part of Cassandra and the rest of us, another child to cherish and remember.
Turns Out I Jumped the Gun on Cassandra
The 'perfect match' liver was rejected by the surgeons. Ms.Toad reminded me of the possibility last night. I knew this, too, after my brother-in-law's transplant experience--a perfect match (tissue match) does not equate to the quality or 'perfect match' aspects of the individual organ. The final determination was made by the baby girl's lead surgeon. We were all caught up in the elation of the moment but failed to ask the pertinent question.
Live and learn.
Disappointing? Yes. My son and his wife texted around 3 am thoroughly bummed out.
This surgery will happen; we just need to wait a bit longer.
Thanks for all the kind words and support.
I'll keep the DU family updated. 
Some good news for the Liver Are Us family
I was just informed the Pittsburgh Hospital has found a donor for my three-year old granddaughter Cassandra. Her liver transplant surgery is scheduled for 2 am and will take 12-18 hours. Her mom and dad are on their way racing from Philly to Pittsburgh to see, hug and love on this tiny warrior before she's wheeled into the OR. Double the good news in that the transplant team and surgeons said this is a perfect match.
Any blessings, prayers you can spare please send them in the direction of Pittsburgh.
For the Warrior Princess.
A Win for Cassandra!
I was just informed that Pittsburgh Hospital has found a liver for my grand daughter Cassandra. The transplant will begin at 2 am, a surgery that will last 12-18 hours. According to the surgeons, the donor is a perfect match. My son and daughter-in-law are racing to Pittsburgh as I write this.
Thanks in advance for the prayers, good wishes and those of you who donated to Cassandra's GoFundMe appeal. The DU family is part of this. 
Liver Cancer is Us
Earlier in the year, I wrote about my grand-daughter Cassandra, who at the age of three had developed liver cancer, a very aggressive cancer that immediately threatened her life. Chemo has pushed the cancer back but her liver has been trashed. She is now on a liver donor list awaiting a transplant.
Friday afternoon, my husband received news that he, too, has liver cancer. The cancer was found early, two relatively small tumors. His case is complicated by diabetes and pre-existing liver disease (fatty liver/ non-alcoholic cirrhosis).
Anyone here have experience with liver cancer--what to expect, questions to ask? We have an appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday morning and another appointment Wednesday with an oncologist.
Any words of advice would be appreciated.
Profile Information
Name: PegGender: Female
Hometown: New Jersey
Home country: USA
Current location: Wilmington, DE
Member since: Sat Feb 6, 2016, 08:31 PM
Number of posts: 10,828
