Since you've asked ...

So many of you have emailed asking why we decided to move ... right now ... with everything going on. So, here is the scoop!

To be on "the list", the transplant list - there are a ton of requirements from ability to pay, health requirements, but also locale. We need to be able to get to the center within "x" hours should I go on the cadaver list and get a donor from someone who has lost their life. Although we are trying for a living donor transplant, we are also going to get on the list for cadaver as well.

The country is divided into a bunch of UNOS areas (UNOS is the organization in charge of distributing available cadaver donor organs to hospitals). from what I understand, you can list at two hospitals as long as they are in different UNOS regions- as are Phoenix and Denver. This gives us double the chance as a donor organ- which is important in the tight availability of organs that are introduced through the system.

We have had concerns since listing with Denver that we would not be able to get there in "x" hours as needed if/when the time comes. Especially in the winter with the weather. Should I not get the last flight out, we would have to drive 12 hours in bad weather with no guarantee of arriving in time. The same with Phoenix- that is a 3 day drive, not quite "x" hours we needed.

So, we made a huge decision to move more central to both. Since I am on water restriction and inevitably don't handle heat well from a hydration standpoint, it made sense not to go too far south into the brutal heat. We landed about 4 hours north of the worst part of the heat. Still hot, but more manageable for me.

We have been researching this for a few months but I was too nervous about leaving my team of specialists for a new crowd. I'm very loyal and frankly, spoiled by them all. However, they understood our concerns and found me a great team here in our town. The Dr. just moved here to establish a practice, and there is a large population of PD Dialysis patients here in the state. Its a mecca, of sorts. Odd, but true.

I have to admit, adjusting to a larger town is hard on us right now. It's crowded, and more intense than anyplace we have lived in a very long time. We have been blessed to be able to live "out of town" for years now- at least to the point of having our space and quiet. I am happy that, other than gas prices (don't get me started), the cost of living is actually better here all around for us. And that helps in the saving-for-the-transplant-costs-part-o-things! God is good. God is faithful.

I miss my left-leaning trees already, but after having one last hoo-rah snow storm the day we were to leave, I'm ready for some sun!

This move has taken a ton out of me- emotionally and physically. I'm be catching up on all 389 posts in my bloglines over the next week or two and sharing all the hilarity that was our short 3 day almost 7 day road trip. Oh my word. It was not to be believe. I do believe Murphy rode right along with us. Every darn mile.

To all of you that have emailed or commented your concern, jokes, support, notes of Hello and How are ya-- thank you. Email will be caught up soon, I promise. But it may be a week or more. Ack, but you all have been busy!