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The folks and I went to a fundraiser for Chuck yesterday. For those of you that don't remember, Chuck is the guy who called out of the blue to raise my spirits prior to the transplant and stayed with my family while I underwent the transplant. He also is one of the main individuals in this area who does all he can to promote organ donation and often organizes all of our transplant events.
Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma this year and has had many complications from it. It is not unusual for tranplant patients to get this, in fact, it is almost a guarantee at some point or another. He went septic shortly after starting chemo and was touch and go there for a while, but recently was allowed to leave the hospital and seems to be holding his own. However, his medical expenses (which are high as a transplant patient anyway) have been a heavy burden for his family and a group of people organized "ChuckFest" where a silent auction, music, food, and general fun was held to help gather money for the family and expenses.
There was Chuck....sitting in a wheelchair...no hair...about 60 pounds thinner...still smiling. He was happy to see me and my folks when we walked up to him. He said his heart was in great shape but the rest of him took a little vacation for a while, but he fights on. As LeAnne Taylor, a local media celebrity who is a friend of Chuck's put it, God isn't done with him yet. In fact, God is still doing great things in his life. He met a nurse at the hospital who turned out to be the one who talked his donor family into doing organ donation, which turned out to be the heart Chuck got. They've gotten to be great friends through all this.
I wish the small amount I was able to donate to Chuck could be 100X the amount it was, because Chuck was so much help to us. Even as he continues to battle, he also continues to laugh and smile about the challenges he's faced and is still facing. His family continues to support him, most especially his wife.
Yet, I also can't help but wonder if I'll have to face something similar. Our family history with cancer is not that great and transplant patients with no immune system...well, let's just say it is quite the fight. I've recently been thinking about what I want to do with the rest of my time here. I used to think I wanted to be an administrator but I'm pretty sure that I don't want to do discipline all day long...I get enough of dealing with that as a counselor as it is. I enjoy working with curriculum and helping people with new technology and teaching methods. I even get into evaluating test results! But asking me to deal with misbehaving kids all day long...as much as I want to get into administration I just don't think that is for me. And, knowing that the possibility that I may have to deal with cancer and all those ramification any time in the future...well, it just doesn't seem like it is in the cards for me.
Like Chuck, I hope God isn't done with me yet. I just wish He'd provide a little guidance into what direction I should start looking for my future. I've always loved the verse in Jeremiah..."I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil..." but there are times when I wish He'd clue me in a little bit. I should just take a clue from Chuck....and trust that God knows best. And try to keep smiling.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
One Step at a Time
We lost another transplant survivor this week, and Chuck continues to have issues and is back in ICU. Usually around this time of the year, the Kidney, Heart, and Lung transplant patients have a celebrity softball game against local TV/radio personalities and either the Fire or Police in the Tulsa area. One of the main organizers of this is Chuck, however, since he is in ICU he can't. The other was Dick Thomason, who passed away last fall.
I have been having feelings of inadequacy lately in a variety of areas of my life. I have wanted to be more involved with transplant survivors for quite a while, but have not been able to find that niche that would fit me and my situation. School issues, personal issues, the list goes on and on. It doesn't help that this is a very stressful period of time at school with state testing starting and all the state requirements that must be met or your site suffers serious penalites.
I wish I had the energy to undertake the role of helping to organize the softball game. Truth is, I've never been more mentally or physically tired since right before the transplant. In addition, my parents are having their own physical issues that may soon require decisions that they won't want to make, and that I really wish they didn't have to. Or, I'm going to have to get closer to them. I understand how they feel about those decisions...I had the same feelings when I was considering the transplant and the aftermath.
Don't do the transplant = die. Do the transplant = face a life of multiple medicines that do a variety of things to your body, constant tests at the hospital, costs involved with medications and surgeries, and the list goes on and on. Sell the home you've lived in for 30 years and move closer to your son and daughter....stay in the house and hope your daughter can find a job nearby to help when those instances of falling, rapidly dropping sugar, and small strokes occur.
My parents have done everything they could possibly do for me....the least I can do is the same for them. It is something that all of we children will be facing someday, and all of us who have children will join them in facing as we get older.
I just hope I can be around long enough, and have the energy and health, to be as helpful as I can be. And I hope I can find some way to help others out as well. At times when the mental and physical level is low, I just need to remember how fortunate I am....and keep taking one step at a time.
I have been having feelings of inadequacy lately in a variety of areas of my life. I have wanted to be more involved with transplant survivors for quite a while, but have not been able to find that niche that would fit me and my situation. School issues, personal issues, the list goes on and on. It doesn't help that this is a very stressful period of time at school with state testing starting and all the state requirements that must be met or your site suffers serious penalites.
I wish I had the energy to undertake the role of helping to organize the softball game. Truth is, I've never been more mentally or physically tired since right before the transplant. In addition, my parents are having their own physical issues that may soon require decisions that they won't want to make, and that I really wish they didn't have to. Or, I'm going to have to get closer to them. I understand how they feel about those decisions...I had the same feelings when I was considering the transplant and the aftermath.
Don't do the transplant = die. Do the transplant = face a life of multiple medicines that do a variety of things to your body, constant tests at the hospital, costs involved with medications and surgeries, and the list goes on and on. Sell the home you've lived in for 30 years and move closer to your son and daughter....stay in the house and hope your daughter can find a job nearby to help when those instances of falling, rapidly dropping sugar, and small strokes occur.
My parents have done everything they could possibly do for me....the least I can do is the same for them. It is something that all of we children will be facing someday, and all of us who have children will join them in facing as we get older.
I just hope I can be around long enough, and have the energy and health, to be as helpful as I can be. And I hope I can find some way to help others out as well. At times when the mental and physical level is low, I just need to remember how fortunate I am....and keep taking one step at a time.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pray for Chuck
If you've been reading my blog you might remember the guy who called out of the blue prior to my transplant and helped me understand what I was facing, then followed up by coming to the hospital and staying with my friends and family as the transplant happened. Chuck is a very positive man, full of faith and energized to do all he can to help transplant families.
I had not see Chuck at clinic in about a year, and only saw him for a few minutes at Dick Thomason's funeral in the fall. At that time I thought he looked a little thinner and tired, but funerals of transplant patients is often hard on we transplant people so I didn't think much of it.
About two weeks ago I received an email from the transplant support group that informed us that Chuck was in ICU with a bacterial infection from his chemo for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He is 16 years out this month. See, if you survive the first 5-7 years without major complications from the transplant the next hurdle you will face will be the side effects of the medications we have to take to keep from rejecting.
It is not unusual for transplant patients to have another organ fail (usually liver or kidney if you've had a heart transplant) or develop cancer related issues. Thus why we continue to go in and have blood work done every couple of months. Not that they can detect cancer that way, but they can monitor liver and kidney failure.
In my family, we have a big history of cancer. Half of my mother's siblings have died from a very aggressive cancer....and two of her cousins as well. On my father's side, he just lost a sister who battled leukemia for many years as well as losing an eye to cancer. My father has survived prostrate cancer and my brother has survived the same non-Hodgkin's cancer that Chuck is dealing with. So, I know my odds are not good in this area. The medication has already made me a slight diabetic so I can tell the effects are starting.
But, I've decided to just take the attitude of living each day the best I can. I can't control if I develop cancer and there really isn't much I can do about it except get all the yearly tests that I have to do. I could be in constant worry and run scared, or I can just go out and enjoy the extra time that I have been granted.
I vote to enjoy the extra time. I think Chuck would agree. He is the father of two boys, married to a wonderful lady, a dedicated Christian, and a good friend. Please remember him in your prayers.....I do.
I had not see Chuck at clinic in about a year, and only saw him for a few minutes at Dick Thomason's funeral in the fall. At that time I thought he looked a little thinner and tired, but funerals of transplant patients is often hard on we transplant people so I didn't think much of it.
About two weeks ago I received an email from the transplant support group that informed us that Chuck was in ICU with a bacterial infection from his chemo for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He is 16 years out this month. See, if you survive the first 5-7 years without major complications from the transplant the next hurdle you will face will be the side effects of the medications we have to take to keep from rejecting.
It is not unusual for transplant patients to have another organ fail (usually liver or kidney if you've had a heart transplant) or develop cancer related issues. Thus why we continue to go in and have blood work done every couple of months. Not that they can detect cancer that way, but they can monitor liver and kidney failure.
In my family, we have a big history of cancer. Half of my mother's siblings have died from a very aggressive cancer....and two of her cousins as well. On my father's side, he just lost a sister who battled leukemia for many years as well as losing an eye to cancer. My father has survived prostrate cancer and my brother has survived the same non-Hodgkin's cancer that Chuck is dealing with. So, I know my odds are not good in this area. The medication has already made me a slight diabetic so I can tell the effects are starting.
But, I've decided to just take the attitude of living each day the best I can. I can't control if I develop cancer and there really isn't much I can do about it except get all the yearly tests that I have to do. I could be in constant worry and run scared, or I can just go out and enjoy the extra time that I have been granted.
I vote to enjoy the extra time. I think Chuck would agree. He is the father of two boys, married to a wonderful lady, a dedicated Christian, and a good friend. Please remember him in your prayers.....I do.
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