Waiting...

Nick kept me company on a lo-fi Saturday nite.
Thanks Nick.

Hurry up and wait...

Ok... all checked in here with some fine accommodations. They are putting me through loads of bloodwork, EKG's, x-rays and now the wait begins. Talked with the surgeon, it may be tomorrow morning if anything happens.

One more time around might do it....

It's a beautiful day here in south-central Pennsylvania. I just got a call from the transplant center telling me that I am number one on the list and they have potential organs. So I'm on my way there to be admitted.
I'll keep you all posted.
Please keep me in your prayers.

From bad things good things sometimes come...

I received a follow-up call from the tx center to explain exactly what happened on the 22nd.

It seems the surgeon who was recovering the organs was completely aghast at the failure of the equipment at the hospital where the recovery was done (the actual malfunction was explained to me in great detail.) so much so that he has petitioned UNOS for a referendum to require all participating hospitals to have the same standard set of tools in each operating room for organ recovery.
I am told that until this measure is passed, Pinnacle doctors will now travel with their own set of surgical instruments to do the recoveries.

So for the silver lining in this cloud of misfortune it is the thought that new standards will be set to ensure this won't happen again. Also, the donor pancreas did not go to waste but rather the islet cells were taken to use in islet cell transplantation and research.

This young donor's organs saved at least six people and gave sight back to two.
How awesome is that?!?!
May God bless their family for this altruism in light of their tragedy.

Small Faces

More breaking news info from Kara... FB Donation.

I don't even do Facebook but if it helps with organ donation awareness.....

So what's going on?

And so a lot of people have been asking me just how the events of this past week could have happened and all I can tell them is what I've said here from the beginning -

"There's a lot to this transplant stuff."

The whole procedure is very intricate from the beginning (recovery of the organs) to the end (finished transplant).

Kara recently gave me a link that details the procedure:

Simultaneous Kidney / Pancreas Surgery

It helps to put the whole operation into perspective.

There are others on the Additional Reading page.

Thanks Kara!



Perhaps the dream is dreaming us......

Dreamlike. That's what yesterday seemed like. I remember looking at the hallway ceiling as I was being wheeled to the operating room, after saying byes to my kids, and I was thinking "So this is it. I never thought this would actually come to pass".
Now lo and behold ...it hasn't. Not just yet anyways.
Today I felt really, really, rundown and just couldn't get it out of second gear.
Just mentally and physically exhausted which is kinda weird 'cos I sure wasn't doing anything "physical" yesterday.

I really, really, want to thank everyone for all the calls, texts, thoughts, and prayers.
I have the best bunch of friends that anyone could ever hope for.