July 4th in New York

Tony didn't have to work the 4th of July so I headed up to New York for the long weekend.  Friday night, we went to watch the Binghamton Mets and then fireworks with some of his co-workers. They are the Mets double A farm team and they were pretty good.  The ended up winning and the fireworks came pretty close to Skyblast at PNC Park.

On Saturday, we headed to the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park.  The animals were pretty lazy when we first got there but as we were leaving the started to move.  We even got to see the wolves howl.

Penguins waiting to go inside

Roadrunner

Tiger 

Wolves

Leopard

Cougar

Meerkat

Reindeer

On Sunday, we headed up to the Finger Lakes.  We first stopped at Taughannock Falls State Park.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  We had lunch then walked to the falls.  

From an overlook

At the base of the falls

Afterwards, we started the Cayuga Lake wine trail.  We started at Thirsty Owl Wine Company.  It was absolutely gorgeous!  I wouldn't mind waking up every morning to this view.

Thirsty Owl Wine Company

We then headed to Emerson Park in Auburn to listen to the Syracuse Brass Ensemble and watch fireworks.  It was such a nice night and it had a small town feeling.  I really did miss celebrating the 4th in Michigan though.

Listening to Syracuse Brass Ensemble

The next day we continued the Cayuga Wine Trail.  It was another beautiful day.

View from lunch

View from one of the wineries

Our collection from the weekend

Goodbye Montefiore

Mom finally moved to the next step.  Mom was at Montefiore for almost 6 months.  There is nothing but gratitude to the doctors and nurses that have cared for her all this time.   

Mom's home since December 21, 2010

Since the very beginning, there are many people who have fought for my mom and fought to give her a second chance.  Thank you to all the amazing people who have made this bearable.  Her liver doctor, Dr. Malik, fought to get the transplant team to consider her case.  Dr. Kavitha Thudi covered for Dr. Malik when he was gone and every time we saw her in the hospital she always asked how mom was doing.  Dr. Ali Al-Khafaji, in the TICU, took care of my mom from day one and allowed us to get some sleep at night knowing he was taking care of her.  Mary Grace Fitzgerald, the transplant psychologist, met with us and recommended that she be a candidate for a liver transplant along with the help of Dr. Nick Carosella, who has been treating my mom for years and oversaw her rehab.  Dr. Abhinav Humar and the transplant team agreed to put her on the transplant list and give her another shot.  Dr. Mark Sturdevant and Dr. Pete Abrams completed her surgery and have followed her care ever since.  All of the nurses and nursing assistants in the TICU made going to see her a welcoming experience.  We would walk up to the door and they knew who we were without saying anything.  They were patient with us as we asked millions of questions about her care.  They answered every question perfectly and if they weren't sure, they found out.  They asked how we were doing and made sure that we were sleeping and eating.  UMPC made every effort to make sure my mom was comfortable and that she was being taken care of to the best of their ability.


UPMC was amazing and my mom wouldn't have gotten through this without them.  She wouldn't have gotten through this without all of our amazing friends and family as well.  I believe that everyone's prayers, which spanned the globe, got her through this.  Miracles do happen.

People praying for my mom

Even though my mom isn't home yet, we are very close!  We wouldn't have gotten this far without our family and all of our amazing friends.    Thank you to all of you, near and far, that sent prayers and well wishes.  Thank you to those of you who came down to the hospital to pray on my mom or to just visit with us to break up some of the monotony of sitting in the waiting room.  Thank you to those of you that made us or my dad dinner.  Thank you for visiting her, singing to her, sending her balloons, bringing her gifts, remembering her birthday (and my dad's), and for just being her, and our, friend.


I am going to thank some people personally and if I forgot you, I am sorry.  Thank you for everything that you have done.  Please know that what you have done is appreciated more than you will ever know. 


Tony - Thank you for being there not only for me but for my mom, dad, and Amy through all of this.  You stayed with me as much as possible to make sure I was as okay as I could be.  You got up early and made my dad breakfast and made sure that the rest of us ate too.  You skipped Christmas in Michigan to stay with me.  I know that was hard not to see your family.  You were there through the night of the transplant.  You came home with us every weekend that you could.  I know it wasn't easy to give up your last semester at Penn State.  Thank you for everything that you have done.  I love you!

Carolyn - Thank you for coming down to the hospital just to visit.  Thank you for cooking us and my dad dinner.  Thank you for coming down to visit my mom.  Thank you for arranging visitors for and coming to see my mom when my dad had to go to Canada.  It was really comforting to know that if we needed anything at all, we could have simply called you.  Thank you.

Miss Anita - Thank you for coming down to the hospital just to visit.  Thank you for bringing your dad to visit.  Please thank him for me for singing to her.  Thank you for visiting her when my dad was out of town.  Thank you for cooking for us and my dad.  It was really nice to know that if we needed anything at all, we could have simply called you. Thank you.

Judy - Thank you for coming down to pray on my mom at the beginning.  Thank you for leaving your cloth with her.  Thank you for giving me the rosary and the prayer book.  I found solace in praying when I didn't know what else to do.  I figured out how to talk to God.  Thank you.

Joyce Ann - Thank you for taking care of our house through all of this.  We knew that the house and the animals were always cared for.  Thank you for making my dad dinners each week.  Thank you for watching over the house when no one was home.  Thank you.

Laura - Thank you for making the trips across the state every other weekend.  I know that that drive is not particularly enjoyable or exciting.  Even though my mom doesn't remember every trip you made, we do.  Thank you for spending some nights with her when she got out of the TICU the first time.  Thank you.

Jill - Thank you for postponing your trip home in December to spend more time in Pittsburgh.  You were here with us through probably the toughest time.  Thank you for making the long drives to come visit my mom and let us get a little distraction with the boys.  Thank you.


Paul - Thank you for always being on the other end of the phone to answer our questions, talk to the doctors, and translate for us why the doctors were doing what they were.  You told us when to worry and when not to worry.  When you trusted and agreed with what the doctors were doing, so did we.  Thank you.

Mache - Thank you for coming in on weekends and doing some energy work on her both when you were here and at home.  Thank you for also spending some nights with her when she got out of the TICU the first time. Thank you.

Mr. and Mrs. Palazzolo - Thank you for being so understanding through this experience.  I know it was hard not having Tony go to Michigan and not getting to spend as much time with him as you wanted.  Thank you for coming down to the hospital just to spend time with us to help break up the monotony.  I know that you were there for us through all of this and I thank you!   

Terri- Thank you for coming down at the beginning to pray with Judy on my mom.  Thank you for going down to visit her while my dad was in Canada. Thank you.

Helen - Thank you for baking for us and making my dad dinners while we were at school.  Thank you for going to visit her while my dad was in Canada.  Thank you.

Thank you to the family who unfortunately lost a loved one.  I think of you and your lost loved one every time I think of my mom.  Your loved one gave my mom a second chance on January 8, 2011.  Thank you.

Pleasant Hills Stables

Tony and I went horseback riding at Pleasant Hills Stable in Port Crane, NY.  I hadn't been riding since the last time we went to Pocono Manor and Tony had never been horseback riding before.  There were only 4 of us going out and Tony and I were bringing up the rear.  I was riding Judy and Tony was on Mister.  It looked like it was going to storm but we went anyways.  Right after we headed out, it started to pour!  How upsetting.  I thought it was going to be miserable but it really wasn't that bad.  Yes we were soaked.  Yes we couldn't feel our hands.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  We got to go through the woods and even trot a little.  It's really beautiful up in NY.  Judy was awesome to ride because she wasn't like most trail horses where they just follow the one in front of them.  She needed direction so I wasn't bored at all.  All in all, it was a great experience.  They do overnight trips which I would love to do sometime!  I forgot how much I love being around horses and riding.  Maybe it will turn into my grown-up hobby?

Tony and Mister

Judy