ON DAY 49 AFTER TRANSPLANT THE MAILS FLOW AGAIN.........

Seven weeks today since my Mayo Clinic Arizona kidney transplant, and T minus 4 Days until my return with caregiver Jeremy Lipp, to Sacramento - I am doing my most to savor these last days of convalescence in Phoenix, by thoroughly enjoying our rented Trapanotto Estates house. Today's communicators with me have included by e-mail, Teres Mugnaini, Michelle Camina, and Mary Carson. Phone calls came yesterday from my seminary classmate and mutual ordinand, Father Paul Schloeder and my more than forty year plus Irish American South Sacramento friends, Frank and Sally McNamara, who have called me regularly in recent months. Cards arrived in the US Mail from parishioners, Dorothy Pawleski and Sid Curry & Family, my sister Alice, and four, count them four, greeting cards from my daily correspondents, Karin & Roger Geach; not only what I refer to as their weekly Geach-a-gram, but three others commemorating the feast days of October 7, 8, 9.
The Mayo Clinic Urology Department has scheduled an appointment with me tomorrow morning at 11 a.m., to discuss the effective and hopefully, permanently eradicating, treatment of my urinary tract infections. The 6 week, 4 times daily, Ampicillin antibiotic regimen I am undergoing seems to be working as my voiding stream is longer and even more frequent, than it was ten days ago. Please God, the Urology doctor will not require me to self catherize any further. Today, October 13, I am also thinking and praying for my brother Sacramento priests who are gathered at Christ the King Retreat House in Citrus Heights, for the annual Priests' Study Days. This is also the traditional October day that the Portuguese Catholic community celebrates Our Lady of Fatima. This year in Sacramento, it also coincides with the 100th Anniversary of the founding of St. Elizabeth's Parish at 12th & 'S' Streets, the Portuguese national parish. Being of fifty percent Portuguese ancestry it is a place of pride and memories for me and my family. My maternal grandparents, Manuel & Claudia Corey, (Correia) were wed there by founding Pastor, Msgr. Azevedo in 1915; and my mother Josephine, was baptized at St. Elizabeth's in 1922. My other Sacramento diocesan seminary classmate, Father Eduino Silveira, who is Azorean, was the Pastor of St. Elizabeth's Parish from 1991-2005. Tonight's dinner , baked ham steaks are in the oven cooking in pineapple chunks, orange juice, and ginger ale. That is all for now, so until tomorrow I remain, Very Truly Yours in Jesus the Lord, Fr. Troy.........