I HAVE MY NEW HEART ! ! !
October 15, 2008

God is an awsome God and his timing is perfect. I had just talked with Him the night before and said "Lord, I just got to know something." Well about 4:10 Wednesday afternoon, I got the call. The team at St. Lukes said "Bessie, this is Monica, Jodie and Coleen and we have something to tell you." I was really stunned. We had a 4 hour time limit to get to KC.

We headed out and when we got on Hwy 70, oh, my. Scott was driving in the left lane doing about 85 and I was in the passenger seat "white-knuckeling" it. We made it in 3 l/2 hrs. They took me in and in 2 l/2 hours had my new heart lying inside me. The heart is a perfect match in every way. I had no problems at all. The surgery incisions have never hurt me. It has all been numb. I was in the hospital 10 days. Released to stay with a friend in KC until my first biopsy. It had 0% rejection. I came home that day to Dixon this pasts Wednesday. Wednesdays are my biopsy days and am going for my third one this week.

I want to thank you all for standing by me and praying with me. I am walking around the camground a little each day. My only hinderence is my strength. A little weak. But, other than that, I feel really good. Got color in my cheeks and bright eyes.

Thanks again. May God richly bless you for your dedication to prayer. He truly answers prayers because I can testify to that ! ! !

Love to all,
Bessie

FESTIVAL TIME

September 15, 2008

The 40th Annual Bluegrass Festival was a lot of fun for all who attended. There were a lot of new people and we are glad of that. Bring your friends and family next time for the Memorial Day Festival.

I felt so good every day, even though I had to make a trip first thing to Jefferson City for my antibiotic shot. I felt like playing and I did get to play with Wild Rose Band and then with the "Open Stage" group. I did sing a coule of songs, but I was so rusty. I felt it so strongly. I had not played my bass for a year and it had been almost that long since I sang publicly. I feel really blessed and I thank you for praying for me. God has truly answered prayers, because I feel good. Some heart recipients spend most of their time in the hospital waiting, but I have been able to be out....able to do for myself.....walk to regain my strength.....and enjoy my little babies.

Thanks to all of you who came to visit me at the ticket shack. I certainly enjoyed you and the special times we had together.

As of the 20th of August, I am back on the heart recipient list and my treatments for now are over. Now the waiting again. I pray for my miracle and I thank God for it every day.

Because He Lives
we have blessings,
Bessie

Tied Down Again

August 6, 2008
I have enjoyed a couple of weeks home but I was admitted into St. Lukes Hospital on July 25th with a "staff infection". I was so sick when I got to the hospital. The pic line I had in my arm for the IV had gotten the staff infection and they had to remove it. They used three powerful antibiotics to try to kill it. With that under control, they inserted a new pic line and it is doing great. I was sent home on August 4th.

I was to continue an IV antiobiotic and the only place to get that administered was at St. Mary's hospital in Jefferson City. That is a 100 mile round trip and I have to have five weeks every day of this medicine. So pray for me that it will come to an end without incident. I am looking forward to our 40th Annual Bluegrass Festival. Hope to see you there.

No Transplant BUT I'm Home

July 18, 2008
Was just settling down in KC serving in a little Baptist Church, singing and volunteering at the hospital. I really was beginning to belong there. UNTIL I went for my doctor's appointment the last of June and he said it would take 5-6 months for the last antibody-lowering procedure to totally work and that I could go home. I was certainly shocked, but we started making immediate arrangemnets to move out of the apartment before the first of the month. We came home that Friday. I am still on the waiting list, still on the 24-hr IV, and the antibodies lower a little every day. Went for an appointment yesterday the 17th and there had been one heart last week that I matched, but the heart had problems and they did not take it. They are so excellent in their procedures. I am at a good place. If they call, I will be out of there to KC. It could be any time.....please continue to pray for me.

We are now settled down back at home and boy is there a lot to do. I know Scott had a very heavy load trying to keep it all together. He is on the road now and I can take care of things at the park and help him in his trucking business.

OH, and Little Austin is now 1 year old. He has been with me since he was 1 month old. AND he is expecting another sibling in February. We are hoping and praying for a girl. Anyway, he is growing so fast. Not quite walking, but standing and taking a step or two. Won't be long. They are settling down in my home in Vienna. Tyler is going to Vacation Bible School this week. This weekend they are going to Arkansas to visit with their other Grandma and have Austin's birthday party with them.

I am able to do whatever I want to and I AM. My doctor told me that my body would tell me when I was overdoing it. I want to plan a show at the Labor Day Festival. Am getting together my band members and we will have a great time. I am looking forward to the festival very much. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.....

Hello, again, Everyone

Hi, sorry for the d elay in getting to my blog but we have been busy with the grandkids. They are growing so fast. Little Austin will be one year old the 2nd of July. He was one month when he came here to live with me. Doesn't seem like it has been that long.

We are enjoying our condo here in KC and we are enjoying going to church at a Baptist Church close by. They meet in an older beautiful church building built in 1902. The congregation is small but they are really spirit-filled. Here is a picture of Tyler combing my hair for church. He wants to be such a big help and he is. Just yesterday, we made dog bisquits to take to Allen's big dog, Capon.

We have bought plants so we can have something fresh this summer, a couple of bell peppers, a patio tomato, strawberries, squash, and we planted a watermelon from one of our seeds and Tyler planted an apple tree from seed. So, we have them to tend to. We do hope to get something very soon. The little tomatoes are about marble size now.

I have been going for outpatient treatments of rituxen, which is used in chemo patients, but this is to lower my antibodies, BECAUSE, the first and second plasmaphresis that I did to lower them, my body made them back plus some. SO, we are starting over again. I have done the four treatments they wanted me to do. I have not matched several hearts yet, but they are trying really hard. It has been a slow process as far as that is concerned. I have been feeling really good; and can do most anything, but I still have the IV hooked up 24-7. I am getting tired of wagging that around.

We just had our 27th Annual Memorial Day festival. It was not as good as before, but the rain and clouds kept some away, but the most hinderance was Graduation. And if I had one to graduate, I would be there. We might have to change our dates. Anyway, keep checkin to see what is happening with the park activities. Thanks for checking up on me, too.

Blessings,
Bessie

After leaving the Embassy Suites, Scott brought our motor home here to Platte City where we stayed a month. That was in October, we went for walks, Tyler rode his new bicycle. We sure wanted to go fishing, but couldn't just yet. Danny came up for a visit for Tyler's 4th birthday and we got ready for Halloween. See our jack-o-lanterns? These are my boys. And then, the dress-up for trick-or-treat. By that day, the kids went back home to Vienna and the boys got to go around the neighborhood in their little costumes. We left Basswood Resort the 2nd of November and were in Dixon until December 26th (my birthday). Our best news in 2007 was that on December 28th.....I was placed on the transplant list! ! ! ! But, we are still waiting.

We came back to Kansas City, but were in a motel for two weeks.....w a i t i n g.....until the morning we had a doctor's appointment and we were late. We got up early enough, but there was 6" of snow on the ground. We were 25 miles out. Crystal had never driven on snow before and the interstate was slowed to 25mph. Anyway, we were a nervous wreck so we decided that if we got our "transplant call" we better be a little closer. So, after looking a short time, we found a condo about 5 blocks from the hospital. That is where we are now. We love it, two bedrooms, two baths, fireplace, plenty of room for the kids to play. So, we are.....w a i t i n g......

It is now February 12th. I just got home from the hospital yesterday. Had to do a plasma freesis procedure, which is like a dialysis. It was every day for 5 days plus an IV flush to neutralize the rest of the antibodies that were left, which has prohibited me from getting three hearts already. So.....w a i t i n g.....again. The boys have come and gone (Scott and Danny) and we are here to face another week. Going to the doctor on Friday to, hopefully, find out our status again.

WAITING has been a fun-time with my grandbabies, Tyler 4 and Austin born July 2. Tyler shows interest in music. He does have rhythm, listen to us sing and play. After the guitar lessons, we used the mandolin and he handles that much better. This is during our first 6 weeks in Kansas City staying at the Embassy Suites. We were comfortable and had a good time. I had room to walk each day and build my strength. He has been my little home nurse.

Bessie in hospital

Bessie is in the hospital today, thru next monday. She's in to take out antibodies in her blood so she can have a higher range of getting a heart sooner. She is doing well, had a ruff day, but all is better now. She is in the St. Luke's Hospital on Wornall Rd, KC MO, room 6410 at the moment. The two boys and me stayed up there all day today. We will be going every day she's there. Say some prayers that her new heart will come while she's in there. Thanks to all and God Bless You.

Crystal

What's happening with me?

Since my last report to the bluegrassers and music fans, lots have happened. As you know, I have been preparing for a heart transplant and the workup on my body has turned out to be very good. All my organs are in great condition. The enlarged heart has possibly come from a virus in past years.

At first, we had a hard time finding an insurance company to cover the expenses involved in a transplant procedure, but we found one. It was recommended by the St. Lukes Heart Institute and it is a great plan. It is a Medicare replacement. It only works with 5 of the most horriffic diseases, heart disease being one of them. It is geared for taking care of all our needs and I have found it to be the one for me. It is Care Improvement Plus. They also offer preventative care for the whole body. Anyway, after that was placed in force, I was able to get on the heart transplant list on the 28th of December.

I am praying and I know that lots of you are too, I want my miracle, whether it be a transplanted heart or my own renewed, I am ready for whatever God has for me. I thank Him every day that I feel good and have my strength to undergo the procedures. Just today, January 30, I had another doctor's appointment and one more delay.....I was told on January 18th that my antibodies are at 71% and that that could be a factor in getting a match. Yes, it has been. They have rejected 3 hearts already. So, when they reject two, I have to be hospitalized in order for the transplant team to take the antibodies out of my blood in order to find a more perfect match. The antibodies are not really important as they are the ones a woman's body makes during pregnancy. And if there is anything foreign in our bodies, these antibodies are out to destroy it. So.....in order for my body not to reject the transplanted heart.....I need them gone and that is with medications. I will be in the hospital for 7 days. I am to go in this next Monday, February 4th. I am OK with this. My prayers are for the outcome to be beneficial and that a new heart is soon to be in place.

I have been here in Kansas City since August 2nd and I am so ready to go home all well. I did get to go home for Christmas and it was very joyous with the kids. My daughter-in-law, Crystal has been a great help for me. She and my two grandbabies have been with me all this time. I really enjoy the kids. Tyler is 4 years old and Austin is 6 months. We are having a lot of fun. Of course, Scott comes for a visit often and we are able to go out to eat. I am getting around great. I can shop, get my hair done, go to the park, and other things. Praise God.

The picture above is the kids in the grocery cart last week. We have leased a two bedroom, two bath condo really close to the hospital and we will not have far to go when it is needed. We are enjoying the extra room.

Just wanted to let you know as several have asked, that the Bank of Freeburg has a medical expense account set up for me for anyone wanting to donate to the excessive medical fees that are involved. Scott and I really appreciate the benefit that was held in October at the park. It has been a great help. The savings account number is 26229. Just make out your check or whatever to Bessie Reeder and mark for "medical fund". Mail to Bank of Freeburg, P. O. Box 38, Freeburg, MO 65035. Our sincere thanks and May God bless you abundantly. He is an awsome God!

Scott and I are really looking forward to the festsivals we have scheduled for this year. The work is slow because I am here and he is there, but we are doing our best to get the information out there to the bands and fans. Please bare with us. Please visit our website for all updates and schedulels at www.bluegrasspickintime.com The website is being updated weekly. Just want you to know that you are very special to us and we will look forward to seeing you at the festivals.