Walter and Marie continue to be in our thoughts and prayers. Its - TopicsExpress

Walter and Marie continue to be in our thoughts and prayers. Its nice to know they can feel the love. Via: Marie Trout Walter still has a difficult time breathing. And he is extremely tired right now. He can barely stand to carry a conversation. In addition some words are not easy for him to find. It is a common side effect of this stage of liver disease. The doctors are working on finding some solutions. It will all go away when he gets that new liver! Today however, is one of those days, where the going is tough. Walter feels trapped by a body that will no longer adequately support him. We did have a few good hours earlier in the day. We sat together and reviewed the book that British Music Journalist Henry Yates has put together around the stories Walter told him about his life. It is an actual biography, and a very lively one at that! Pictures from throughout Walter’s life fill every page making it an even more engaging read. We are both pleased with how it turned out. It will come out in June along with the new album. This is exciting to us. Although Walter is on a temporary side track – his work continues in the world. Our youngest son, 12 year-old Dylan is flying out here to be with us over a long weekend. I will take him to the Zoo here in Omaha tomorrow. It will be awesome to have a bit of time with him. He is flying as an unaccompanied minor – and the airline will help him with his connection in Salt Lake City. I have written before about how much it pains me to be without our kids…. And so this is a bright moment for me. Although it saddens me to live separated from our kids right now, there are some positives in this situation. Of course first and foremost, Walter and I are beyond thankful that we have found a wonderful person to stay with our kids in our absence. Sarah rocks! This allows some peace of mind for Walter and I. But there are also possibilities for the kids to learn to be more self-reliant. To understand that life is not always going to be predictable and easy. That there are bumps in the road that we can navigate – we don’t need to let the hurdles stop us. And that mom and dad love them – even when they cannot be there in person. We can be connected to our kids even from afar. And that being a family unit sometimes requires sacrifices: It is not always going to be gratifying. There are needs greater than our own in the big picture of the family collective. I think kids learn from this. I know I learn from it…. I am taking nothing for granted. I live in a constant state of thankfulness. I am thankful to you in our community who make it possible for us to pursue the option of an out of state transplant for Walter – and to afford us the possibility of dual households, the option of paying for caregiver for the kids, for Walter when he is not in the hospital, for the rehabilitation now and after the transplant, the ubiquitous medical bills that pile up, medication costs, insurance co-pays and deductibles, etc. But I also feel a constant sense of gratitude to all the people who chip in – taking our kids to and from events, our amazing angels here in Omaha (J and V), doctors, nurses, social workers, people at home at our kid’s schools – our kid’s friends’ parents, darling neighbors, church communities, etc. The list goes on and on. In fact, Walter and I have never felt this held, supported and loved as we do right now. If that isn’t an amazing discovery here on the edge! As Walter sleeps, I sit here at his side taking life in. Life on the sidelines! We have hit the pause button on life as we knew it. But thanks to all of you in our lives, this pause is also filled with possibilities, love and hope.