Nostalgia

Many, many years ago I bought my first Volkswagen. It was very similar to the one pictured below. I saw the car below on a car lot this past weekend and made an immediate U-turn and went back and looked it over. If I was younger and in need of a car, I would buy it in a heart beat. (Well, if I lived in a warmer climate I would buy it, I’m too old to be that cold in the winter, LOL)

I was thinking about this car over the past few days. I was recalling the many VW’s that we’ve owned over the years. Beyond the “Squareback” below, we owned 6 original Beetles (one was a convertible). We had one Microbus, which I wrecked a few hundred miles from home. There was a Dasher station wagon, and 4 Jetta’s. (We still have a Jetta)

I could fix most things on the older VW’s with a few tools, some tape and wire. 

Simple cars, for a simple person.

 

 

Oink, Oink

It was about 7 weeks ago that I lasted visited my transplant center for my routine heart biopsy, EKG, blood and urine labs. At that time I was give some instructions ……. various tests I needed and GET the H1N1 vaccine.

Almost every day for the past 7 weeks I’ve been seeking the vaccine. I’ve my doc’s to the point where I think my picture pops up on their “caller ID” and they don’t answer any longer. I’ve called city & county health departments. I’ve scanned the internet. I’ve even called family members that are in the medical profession and in each and EVERY case, it’s been a fruitless search.

Yesterday, that changed. My city decided to have an additional clinic. I didn’t hear about it until about 45 minutes after it started. It was in a section of town where I rarely venture, but I told my wife it is day light, so let’s at least drive past and see how busy it was. (Other clinics for kids and their parents have had lines 2 to 3 hours long)

We arrived and there was a parking spot near the door. We sort of tip toed inside and we were met by a larger woman, complete with a “I don’t want to be here scowl” and she appeared to be some sort of guard. She eyes us over and asked if we were “eligible”. I said “excuse me?” She observed that I was NOT pregnant, not a child under 18 years old and exactly what made me think I was eligible?. I looked her right in the eye and smiled, “I had a heart transplant 921 days ago. I think that qualifies me. She smiled and said, “Yep, sure does” A quick form and signature later, and off to stand in line …… maybe only 50 people ahead of me. But with 6 nursing stations it moved right along ……… all together we were there 30 minutes.

My wife keeps hearing these oinking noises ……. oink, oink.

(PS: This whole H1N1 system needs to be investigated.)

 

Infomercials

Immediately after my heart transplant, for some unexplained reason, I got hung up on INFOMERCIALS. I was also hung up on HGTV, but that will be another post.

You’ve seen them on TV. Those almost annoying 30 minute, non-stop commercials for a product that “you just have to have”. It was a good thing my family took all my valuables, credit and debit cards or I would have spent a fortune.

This obsession started after I got out of ICU and was on the nursing floor. I had some issues sleeping at night and would find myself totally engrossed in these “must have” products in the middle of the night. Number one on my list was the “Tobi Ironing System” (see pic) for my wife, who happens to love to iron clothes. I was sure she would love this gadget, as it would save her untold hours. When I showed her the item online after I was back home and recuperating, she just laughed and said, “Dear, I’ll just keep my old steam iron”

This fascination with these commercials lasted probably a month or so after I returned home. I took notes, I investigated, I comparison shopped.

Now, almost 2-1/2 years later, I can still remember the top ones that I just had to have.

#1 ~ The Tobi Ironing System 

#2 ~ Nuwave Infrared Cooking System

#3 ~ A “Guaranteed” Stocks & Bonds Picking System

#4 ~ An Outdoor grass & weed trimmer.

#5 ~ Geaorge Foreman Grilling Machine

A side note is that as hooked as I was, I never made the call and ordered ANYTHING. I think it was just another part of my recovery.

 

Donor Sabbath

What is tomorrow? For many, it might mean a day of football, or shopping. For me, tomorrow is the “Donor Sabbath”.

What is the “Donor Sabbath”? Instead of me trying to explain it, this is short and to the point ~

The purpose of National Donor Sabbath, a program which is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is to raise public awareness about transplantation and the critical need for donated organs, eyes and tissues. Most important, this is the perfect time of the year–as the holiday season approaches–to organize donor registry drives that will restore life and hope in the months and years that lie ahead.

For me, beyond the above definition, is it’s another opportunity to give thanks to all of those unknown, anonymous donors that have saved countless lives by their acts of unselfish heroism. My life was saved by such a person. A true hero, to which I try to dedicate my life.

I pray for my donor and my donor’s family every day …….. tomorrow there will be extra thanks involved.

 

 

Hope

I’ve written previously about volunteering at my transplant center. I speak with both pre & post transplant patients, as well as a few on LVAD and a couple on the full artificial heart (Cardiowest).

Volunteers came & visited me after my transplant and instilled a LOT of hope in me. I wanted to be able to give this back. Not the type of “faux” hope that politicians would like you to buy, but true hope that can be seen, can be felt, can almost be touched.

Recently, I met a new patient and the patient’s spouse. They were both sitting in chairs in the their hospital room when I came and introduced myself and told them a little about me. I saw them move to the edge of their chairs and they told me they were happy I was there. They had questions, lots of them. I answered them as openly and honestly as possible. We talked for a long time. As I sensed the patient was getting tired, I told them I would let them get some rest, but I would be back the next week.

The patient, shook my hand, looked me in the eyes and said this to me, “Thank you for coming, God sent you here today. You are the face of hope.”

I’ve been thinking about this person’s words. And I also know that there seems to be a stereotype of what the general public “thinks” or preceieves how heart transplant patients should look, at least in their minds, and I think this patient had those same thoughts. I am not the type of peson that likes to post their picture all over the place. But, here’ s my face ….. whether it’s the “face of hope”, or just another ugly mug, it is my face.

Hope doesn’t come from  the face ….. I think it comes from the heart.

And, yes, that is a DonateLife pin on my collar.

 

Exercise

For all of you couch potatoes out there, please listen up!!

If you can walk, take some extra steps every day. If you can run, run a bit further today, and even further tomorrow. If you can afford to belong to a gym, go and do some cardio, lift some weights, do some Pilates …….. get active, stay active!!

If not, you are wasting a golden opportunity and the little extra effort you put forth today could help you in the future.

A very humbling experience is to have 2 guys come into your hospital room and tell you they are here to “help” you walk. In your mind you truly question this …….. until you try to stand up using rubber bands, that have replaced what used to be your legs.  (As a side note ~ fact : you can land in that hospital bed faster than you can blink an eye)

So, don’t park yourself on the couch, get busy and get moving.

 

Outside

It was a beautiful fall day here yesterday. I got outside to do a few things. In complete uniform that includes mask and gloves. Whatever it takes.

A few pic’s ………

 

H1N1

I had my last clinic visit at the end of September. At that time, my Dr told me I had to get a seasonal flu AND the H1N1 vaccine. No problem. Or so I thought.

I received my seasonal flu vaccine at my PCP’s office 2 days after the clinic visit and inquired about the H1N1. (they didn’t have a clue if they even would receive the vaccine)

I have called my PCP and my transplant clinic weekly since, to no avail. I have watched the daily newspapers, done searches on-line and I’m still out of luck.

I have contacted my county & city health departments. As of right now, in my county (and city), even though I am, with a heart transplant, in the 1st tier, I cannot receive the vaccine because (insert this weeks NEW “rule) I’m not of school age, nor am I in school or have a child in school.

The hell with pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems (like transplant recipients), etc. It’s a story of ….. ”sorry for your bad luck”.

Even the #1 transplant center in the country does not have enough vaccine to cover its staff.

What’s the story with that and who is truly deciding who will or won’t get vaccinated?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Posters / Flyers

I blog, I volunteer, I speak about the benefits of organ transplants almost daily, since I had my heart transplant. I ran a series of posts in April (DonateLife Month) on an old blog, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and my old web site to get the message out. But, I wish I had this type of creativity. The visual message can be so POWERFUL!!

A friend  (Kelli, aka EccoBlue) of mine who is a heart/liver recipient from the site www. TransplantBuddies.org (forums about organ transplantation) has created the below posters/flyers. I like all of them, but my personal favorites are the first two. Which one is your favorite? Do you have that you’d like to share?

I wish I had this type of creativity.

Good work, Kelli!!!!!!

 

Petri Dishes

Virtually every person that has had a solid organ transplant practices safe health practices by washing our hands frequently and avoiding hazardous places as much as possible. Some organ recipients are staunch ”germ-o-phobes” and take cleanliness to an extremely high level.

I’m kind of in the middle. I wash my hands a lot, I even wear a mask on airplanes, even though I don’t really have to. I try to be observant and avoid people who appear to be under the weather, large crowds during flu & cold season, and areas that are known to be potentially full of germs (public restrooms and pre-schools).

I have met lots of people with heart transplants and they fit into all of these cleanliness spectrums.

With my grand-kids, I draw the line. Mommy & daddy are both health care professionals and keep a close eye on their 2 little people and whisk them off to the pediatrician if they start coming down with something and we are scheduled to make a visit. Personally, I miss both grand-kids so much by the time I get there, that I don’t care if they are walking, talking petri dishes.

Right before our latest visit, the youngest came down with a little head cold and she was whisked off immediately to see the her doctor. She recovered quickly, even before we arrived. Regardless, head cold or not, that was not going to change my plans. However, when it was time to take them to or extract them from pre-school, I stayed outside on the curb, like a bum. Same when we took the two of them for their flu shots, I stayed in the building’s lobby, not the doctor’s waiting area as it was full of small petri dishes.

Call me silly, but call me safe. ( I try)