 | Meet one of my heroes - Annie. She passed away in August of 2003...the day before she saved my life. She was not only signed up to be an organ donor, but she was someone who had talked about how important organ donation was. We need more heroes like Annie. I was out of energy every day. My kids barely asked to play anymore. As your kidney function gets less and less, the medications you take get more and more expensive. I was on the waiting list at the University of Wisconsin Transplant Clinic...waiting...and waiting. Every phone call could be the one that saves my life, or just some guy wondering if I was satisfied with my long distance service. I still remember the wrong number at 2:00 am that woke my wife and I up like a fire alarm. Too much adrenalin to sleep again that night. But let's get you signed up as an Organ Donor before I finish my story... |
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You didn't sign up, did you? Come on - be a Hero! What are you afraid of? Please don't tell me you think the doctors are more likely to give up on you if you're an organ donor. I was shocked to find out just how many people believe it's "dangerous" to be an organ donor. I can tell you from experience - it's not true. I first received a transplant call in July 2003 prompting us to drive the speed of light to Wisconsin (based on what we read from Einstein this should have slowed time - and we only had 6 hours). They began prepping me for surgery, and after a gallon of GoLytely, a physician's assistant solemnly entered the room, "I'm sorry, it didn't work out. The gentleman didn't pass away after removing the respirator." We just stared at each other ...and I just kept using the bathroom every 3 minutes. I later discovered that they're not supposed to tell me those details. The story changed the next time I asked...yes, very awkward. To the point, however, don't worry - becoming an organ donor does not make you a target...it makes you a Hero. Another thing that I found out that day was not to believe you're too sick or too old to register to be an organ donor. I was asked to be an organ donor on the hospital bed as I chugged the evil GoLytely. I didn't think a diabetic for 30 years had any organs worthwhile. I was wrong - even I had some good stuff, and I registered. Of course, if you have a serious condition, ask your doctor if you can be an organ donor. So by now, just about everyone should have signed up. Seriously, just click on your state and get it done. The reason over 105,000 people are now waiting for life saving organ transplants is because we're not all signed up. As my family takes this year-long trip to promote donation, I want that number to go down because more people are registered as organ donors. Every day people die waiting for that call...it's very sad, and let me be frank. You'll be dead and won't need the organs - won't you decide to be a hero to someone? If I had my way, every living donor or a family member of a donor that passed away, would receive a hero's medal. People don't realize that the 10 (or less) minutes they take to register as an organ donor literally changes the world. Ask my kids who, because of Annie, still have a dad who now actively plays with them. Ask my wife who still has a husband (now with a sexy 12 inch scar). Ask the people that work at my company who still have a job. You will never realize the enormous impact your simple act of registering as an organ donor has. Heroic. Perhaps I'll look into starting that medal thing when the trip is over if the idea catches on. So back to my story. The second call came on August 19, 2003, and we got to the hospital in the evening. The transplant was scheduled for the morning. More GoLytely...if ever a substance was misnamed... I was waiting for that Hollywood moment in the morning when my wife and I would kiss, the music would crescendo, and they would roll me away. Unfortunately, they grabbed me so quickly, I barely got a "See you soon" out before I was rolling down the hallway. Eight hours later I awoke with a tube through my nose and staples down my stomach. I had been warned that the nose tube might be a bit annoying as it crowded my throat. I said a brief thank you prayer so excited the tube didn't bother me. It was over. I never felt any pain the nine days in the hospital, and they set up a cot for my wife to sleep next to me. They made me walk constantly and eventually I enjoyed walking so much that my wife and I would walk more often than they even needed. We would get out of the room before the early nurse came for my blood just to mess up her rounds. We'd head up to the chief cancer doctor's office - it was all glass, and we could watch the sun rise over a gorgeous lake. The week in the hospital was one of the best in my life. My life has been so incredibly blessed. After 30 years of diabetes and failing kidneys, I'm "normal." Yes, the transplant medications are expensive, and I need to take blood tests once a month. But I have never felt so free. There have been hard times. For example, mono took me down for eight months in 2009...even putting off our trip. When you've had to face death, though, life is much sweeter and your family means more than anything. Priorities change, and you figure out if God is real. Well, that's some of my story. Perhaps it explains why I'm so passionate about helping the other 105,000 plus folks that are waiting for their transplants. They all need a hero, some very quickly. Sign up as a donor - be the hero they need. |