A new year and a new challenge

This is my first blog post ever.  It is Sunday January 8th, 2012 and right now the Giants are beating the Falcons in the early playoff game. 


I wanted to capture my thoughts along the way to my transplant.  It is funny how it has become mine even though it is not guaranteed and I have no idea when or even if it will occur.  Since my LVAD surgery last April I have recovered and done well.  However, no amount of hard work and discipline on my part has allowed me to overcome the damage to my heart.  My most recent echo showed an EF of 10.  Despite the low number I have completed five 5K's, albeit as a walker, since my surgery.  My personal best is 36 minutes.  In August after no remodeling and many discussions with my doctors we decided to move forward to transplant. I am currently on the transplant list as a status 1B.  I have been 1B since about September 15th.  Because I have a LVAD I get 30 days of 1A time without being hospitalized and provided I remain healthy I will take the 1A time in June after school gets out for the kids.


Emotionally I am in a really good place right now.  For 9 years I ran as fast as I could away from my heart disease.  I didn't even know I had heart disease, but that is another discussion.  We couldn't talk about it in our house.  I just ran from it.  Amazingly, when I received the first diagnosis of heart failure I was relieved.  I didn't have to run any more.  Now as I move forward to the next step my attitude is more about refusing to let this define me.  I try every day to live my life as normally as possible and not be a heart disease victim.


Which leads me to this blog.  Now that I am on this journey and fight for my life I want to capture what I am feeling.  I have been through so much in the past year, but as I have experienced with my own family, I am finding it heard to remember some of the things I went through.  So I hope to capture my thoughts here.........