I just returned from my 20 year high school reunion this morning. I can say with enthusiasm that it was the highlight of the year. Possibly the best week(end) in the past 5 years.
I had so much fun it was pretty difficult to return to reality. But alas, I am back here in the Pitt and dealing with dirty floors, a backed up sewer, boxes and boxes of stuff and of course the humidity.
“Yeah but it’s a dry heat” was never so right. The arid southeast corner of the Great State of WA was hitting highs of 90-100+ degrees and it felt so damn good. Hot, yes it’s hot. But at under 30% humidity (purely speculatory, I really don’t know), who cares. In western PA, we have more like 40, 60 and 80%. IT SUCKS. I took a shower last night and had to lay on a towel in bed because I couldn’t dry off.
While I was gone It appears that someone got very upset about a sentence or paragraph in one of my blog posts.
Well, the story I got was that PERSON_A read my blog. Then PERSON_A (or their spouse) called the recipients spouse. The recipients spouse got all upset and freaked out on my wife. My wife then called me.
I was reading all my posts to see what was so inflammatory. Of course the areas I thought would have put someone on the ropes were not even close to what was being referenced. I am still not 100% sure about the specific posts that caused such a ruckus.
So…..the moral of this story.
IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT I POST CONTACT ME FOR CLARIFICATION.
I have already made a few concessions in my web activities. I am not using names here on the blog to protect the innocent (or the stupid). I use carefully selected pseudonyms. To most, it’s not hard to add everything up. To many, no one cares. I also don’t blog about everything, like over at Dooce. I could, but that would open another can of worms that I won’t go into. Although putting in names and a full accounting of events might be more fun.
Although, I could be like others in this world and not care, that wouldn’t be me. I do care. I care enough to actually post here to let everyone know what the hell is happening. I care enough that I offered my own damn liver to help the recipient out. I cared enough that when my wife asked, I had already gone through the thought process to be able to say “yes, I will donate”. I even said yes to consolidating houses to help the recipient and his spouse since they are not able to sustain individual living on their own. Along those lines I clean the house (sometimes) I drive them to some appointments. I cook and have a few conversations every day. I deal with the nuances of their personalities. I even hold my tongue on occasion (rarely). We even go to dinner together when I can drag the recipients spouse off the couch. Does it sound like fun? Well, for the past 4 years, 3 months and several days, every time I speak to one of my family members I field the questions and answer session of when will we be moving back.
I DON’T KNOW. If it were up to me, I would relocate to 99336 tomorrow. But my wife and the recipients spouse have more say than the kids, myself and the recipient. Their arguments are valid. I understand. But I don’t have to like it. So, here were are and here we will stay until death do us part.
Employment has also kept us here, but that too is another LONG potentially volatile discussion.
To compare that to some of the other family members, I have done a lot for the recipient and spouse. I know that my wife and I are in a unique situation.
But everyone else is too, so don’t go there.
We took this on (taking care of them) many many years ago because of another situation that we were in. I will also not forget that the recipient and spouse have done a LOT for my wife and I. It doesn’t go unnoticed. I also have my own sets of parents to think about. This is probably a precursor for what the rest of my life will be about.
For those that question me, walk a mile in my shoes.
So hows that for pissing in your cheerios.
Filed under: Liver Transplant, Organ donation, numbers, personal reflections, web sites
Okay, wow, like, it’s been a while.
I still have a few hangers on. I appreciate it. Really, I do.
Now that I have a real job, (taking care of my kids) I don’t have time for the frivolous stuff like blogging. (tongue in cheek) Sort of.
So, here’s a nutshell update.
Moved out (you already know that)
No regular paycheck (you already know that too)
Trying to get a photography studio off the ground.
Looking for a corporate type gig (otherwise know as a “job”)
Trying to adjust to living in a box with 5 other people……moving in with the recipient and the recipient’s spouse is a HUGE adjustment. My kids are not as enthusiastic about it anymore either. I am sure it goes both ways though.
Next week I get to go “home” for a few days. My 20 year class reunion is Aug 10/11. Almost didn’t get to go. I would have been truly bummed if that had happened. Truly.
For three weeks, I have been hanging out with our summer visitor…..She is legally a niece. But because of my superior way of being specifically ambiguous, I will call her….OldestD. It has been fun, and trying. From OldestD’s perspective, I am the “entertainment”. Since I don’t have a day job, it’s up to me to keep the kids entertained. Swimming, food, shopping, trips ANYWHERE out of the house. You know. Everything I have waited to do since I was a young teenager. Being a DAD is nothing short of great. Wish OldestD could stay forever. Wish she could have been with us these past years….
Other things happening are:
The recipient has been taken off some more medications. He is doing very well since the transplant. Even in the past three weeks, things are better. He was really tired for quite some time. Early to bed. Late to rise. Mid day nap for a few hours, then back to bed early at night. Now, the nap is essentially gone. Strength is still low and a few other issues exist like the lost feeling in fingers of the left hand. Still there.
I have been monitoring the numbers, but obviously haven’t posted any. Here they are:
Waiting list candidates: 96,940 as of today 11:22am (8/5/07)
It won’t be long until the list tops 97 THOUSAND people waiting for an organ. I guess I should do my part.
A little FYI. Over the summer, there was an ad campaign on TV about teen drivers. While I am not a teen driver, I have one that is of age, and two that are becoming aware of driving. They ask the speed limit. Recognize red lights (and green ones too). The stats from SADD (culled from the NTSB) say in 2005, 43,200 died in traffic accidents. That same year, 3,467 15- to 20-year-old drivers were killed in accidents. (Not in additions to, but as a part of).
Looking on the CORE web site. I found some interesting bits of information. First, one:
If I die of a heart attack, can I be an organ donor?
No. For traditional organ donation, a person needs to be in a hospital and on a ventilator at the time of death. If someone dies of a heart attack, that person may donate tissue, but not organs.
Another one that is a big bummer, but understandable (source here) :
Donation Facts
-Under a program called “Routine Referral”
…However, when an individual dies outside the hospital setting, the individual may be able to donate tissue or corneas, but not organs.
Those two items have been the most troubling for me. The death outside a hospital was surprising. But my limited knowledge of anatomy, I will assume that when the heart stops beating, the organs begin to deteriorate. Thus, in a car accident, it can be several minutes (tens of minutes) before a crew could extricate a decedent. By that time the organs are in pretty bad shape. Not exactly something to put into another person huh.
With those two items, I can begin to understand how important it is to have more and more people to be organ donors. Right now, so many people die in car accidents, they are probably the bulk of organ donors. If the death occurs in the car, then they cannot donate.
Kind of a strange irony.
Filed under: Liver Transplant, Organ donation, numbers, personal reflections, web sites
Okay, wow, like, it’s been a while.
I still have a few hangers on. I appreciate it. Really, I do.
Now that I have a real job, (taking care of my kids) I don’t have time for the frivolous stuff like blogging. (tongue in cheek) Sort of.
So, here’s a nutshell update.
Moved out (you already know that)
No regular paycheck (you already know that too)
Trying to get a photography studio off the ground.
Looking for a corporate type gig (otherwise know as a “job”)
Trying to adjust to living in a box with 5 other people……moving in with the recipient and the recipient’s spouse is a HUGE adjustment. My kids are not as enthusiastic about it anymore either. I am sure it goes both ways though.
Next week I get to go “home” for a few days. My 20 year class reunion is Aug 10/11. Almost didn’t get to go. I would have been truly bummed if that had happened. Truly.
For three weeks, I have been hanging out with our summer visitor…..She is legally a niece. But because of my superior way of being specifically ambiguous, I will call her….OldestD. It has been fun, and trying. From OldestD’s perspective, I am the “entertainment”. Since I don’t have a day job, it’s up to me to keep the kids entertained. Swimming, food, shopping, trips ANYWHERE out of the house. You know. Everything I have waited to do since I was a young teenager. Being a DAD is nothing short of great. Wish OldestD could stay forever. Wish she could have been with us these past years….
Other things happening are:
The recipient has been taken off some more medications. He is doing very well since the transplant. Even in the past three weeks, things are better. He was really tired for quite some time. Early to bed. Late to rise. Mid day nap for a few hours, then back to bed early at night. Now, the nap is essentially gone. Strength is still low and a few other issues exist like the lost feeling in fingers of the left hand. Still there.
I have been monitoring the numbers, but obviously haven’t posted any. Here they are:
Waiting list candidates: 96,940 as of today 11:22am (8/5/07)
It won’t be long until the list tops 97 THOUSAND people waiting for an organ. I guess I should do my part.
A little FYI. Over the summer, there was an ad campaign on TV about teen drivers. While I am not a teen driver, I have one that is of age, and two that are becoming aware of driving. They ask the speed limit. Recognize red lights (and green ones too). The stats from SADD (culled from the NTSB) say in 2005, 43,200 died in traffic accidents. That same year, 3,467 15- to 20-year-old drivers were killed in accidents. (Not in additions to, but as a part of).
Looking on the CORE web site. I found some interesting bits of information. First, one:
If I die of a heart attack, can I be an organ donor?
No. For traditional organ donation, a person needs to be in a hospital and on a ventilator at the time of death. If someone dies of a heart attack, that person may donate tissue, but not organs.
Another one that is a big bummer, but understandable (source here) :
Donation Facts
-Under a program called “Routine Referral”
…However, when an individual dies outside the hospital setting, the individual may be able to donate tissue or corneas, but not organs.
Those two items have been the most troubling for me. The death outside a hospital was surprising. But my limited knowledge of anatomy, I will assume that when the heart stops beating, the organs begin to deteriorate. Thus, in a car accident, it can be several minutes (tens of minutes) before a crew could extricate a decedent. By that time the organs are in pretty bad shape. Not exactly something to put into another person huh.
With those two items, I can begin to understand how important it is to have more and more people to be organ donors. Right now, so many people die in car accidents, they are probably the bulk of organ donors. If the death occurs in the car, then they cannot donate.
Kind of a strange irony.
We are finally moved out of the old place. It took THREE 26 foot moving trucks plus our van (for the delicate stuff) and two regular pickup truck loads and a trailer. Damn man, that’s TOO much SH!T. All I can say, is we better have one helluva yard sale soon.
So now I have internet access and can hopefully, get back to the better tasks at hand.
Since I have been moving literally every day for the last three weeks, it’s time for a break. But there is no rest in the plan. We have so much chaos in our lives right now, it affecting our sleep, our attitudes, our logic and of course how we all get along.
The house we are in now is nice and big but the kitchen on the main floor is not set up very well. The former owner really did a crappy job in almost everything he touched. The rumor was he had electrical skills. Well, skill is not the word I think of. We had two electricians come in to take a look, and they both said the house should not have passed inspection. We have several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars worth of work that needs to be done because of his “work”. Hopefully, we can do some of the work ourselves and save on the non-existent cash.
One other item is how the main floor kitchen was put together with zero insight. (I wasn’t involved at all). The food is in four different and separate locations. Drinking glasses are in such a bad place everyone struggles to get at them. But no one is willing to admit they were put in a bad place nor will they move them to a better place. So I relish in a sadistic joy as I watch everyone struggle getting a freaking water glass.
I could go on, but I don’t feel like throwing myself into a pit of negativity, there will be plenty of time for my bitterness to rise to the surface.
We are finally moved out of the old place. It took THREE 26 foot moving trucks plus our van (for the delicate stuff) and two regular pickup truck loads and a trailer. Damn man, that’s TOO much SH!T. All I can say, is we better have one helluva yard sale soon.
So now I have internet access and can hopefully, get back to the better tasks at hand.
Since I have been moving literally every day for the last three weeks, it’s time for a break. But there is no rest in the plan. We have so much chaos in our lives right now, it affecting our sleep, our attitudes, our logic and of course how we all get along.
The house we are in now is nice and big but the kitchen on the main floor is not set up very well. The former owner really did a crappy job in almost everything he touched. The rumor was he had electrical skills. Well, skill is not the word I think of. We had two electricians come in to take a look, and they both said the house should not have passed inspection. We have several hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars worth of work that needs to be done because of his “work”. Hopefully, we can do some of the work ourselves and save on the non-existent cash.
One other item is how the main floor kitchen was put together with zero insight. (I wasn’t involved at all). The food is in four different and separate locations. Drinking glasses are in such a bad place everyone struggles to get at them. But no one is willing to admit they were put in a bad place nor will they move them to a better place. So I relish in a sadistic joy as I watch everyone struggle getting a freaking water glass.
I could go on, but I don’t feel like throwing myself into a pit of negativity, there will be plenty of time for my bitterness to rise to the surface.
TNT channel has a new series centered around organ transplants.
http://www.upmc.com and the TNT site.
TNT channel has a new series centered around organ transplants.
http://www.upmc.com and the TNT site.
I am heading in a different direction professionally. I have two photographers looking over my portfolio and am thinking about moving whole heartedly towards being a pro photog. Another local pro has offered me a 1/3 partnership. We will talk about this in more detail Friday morning.
I also got a call from “C” (you can see her picture here http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneaday2007/513681626) her daughter is an up and coming photog and she wanted to know if I could offer any guidance. Of course I will!
One of the things the recipient gets is TIRED. He naps for a few hours every afternoon and I think he’s getting a full night’s sleep. But after 3 months, he can do more things, but it really saps the energy. We worked together today on a workbench in the new garage. I could see him struggling with the tools and with his strength. While it’s better than is was 6 or 12 months ago, it’s tough to see him like this.
I put up a new link down on to the right, but here it is anyway http://transplantheadquarters.blogspot.com there are many thing organ donation related on here. I haven’t gone to far into it, but it’s a plethera of info.
I am heading in a different direction professionally. I have two photographers looking over my portfolio and am thinking about moving whole heartedly towards being a pro photog. Another local pro has offered me a 1/3 partnership. We will talk about this in more detail Friday morning.
I also got a call from “C” (you can see her picture here http://www.flickr.com/photos/oneaday2007/513681626) her daughter is an up and coming photog and she wanted to know if I could offer any guidance. Of course I will!
One of the things the recipient gets is TIRED. He naps for a few hours every afternoon and I think he’s getting a full night’s sleep. But after 3 months, he can do more things, but it really saps the energy. We worked together today on a workbench in the new garage. I could see him struggling with the tools and with his strength. While it’s better than is was 6 or 12 months ago, it’s tough to see him like this.
I put up a new link down on to the right, but here it is anyway http://transplantheadquarters.blogspot.com there are many thing organ donation related on here. I haven’t gone to far into it, but it’s a plethera of info.
Filed under: Friends n Family
It’s my brothers birthday and I want to wish him a happy one!
