Where were you 1 year ago right his second

I can answer that question quite easily.  I was in a hospital bed dying.  I will never forget it, it seems like last night and yet it seems forever ago.  I remember so much and yet I have forgotten it seems anymore.  I will never forget arriving at Abbot and the shear chaos of Dr.'s, nurses, and technicians working on me.  I wont forget Dr. R. asking me where my family was because I might not make it through the night.  I won't forget Dr. Sun sitting at the end of my bed rubbing my feet and keeping me calm and explaining to me the options I had to save my life, LVAD or transplant.  I won't forget my parents arriving or Heidi arriving.  For those of you keeping score at home, it was the 31st of March.  My son's, John, birthday is April 1st and I was afraid I wouldn't live to see it.

We have set a date to take my 1A time.  May 24th.  Coincidentally it is about 2 months from today.  I think I am going to try and post everyday what I am thinking.

Since Saturday night organ transplantation has been a very popular topic in light of Dick Cheney receiving his heart.  Since he and I had the exact same LVAD model, I think about his experience.  The Cheney effect as I call has helped me explain to others what an LVAD is.  When people ask me to explain I say, "oh it's the exact same device Dick Cheney has" they suddenly know exactly what I am talking about.  Magic:-)

I find myself feeling three things a lot.  The first is the complete fear of anti-rejection med complications.  I have been lucky so far in that I have tolerated all medications without side effect, at least that I am aware of.  I pray that continues.  I think about it a lot.

The second thing I feel is wow, I have a lot of energy.  I have been working on my honey-do list, most of it is self imposed.  I squeeze working out, work, golf lessons, yard and house work in around everything else.  Amazingly I have fun doing it.  I just took my first certification test to become a National Fitness Instructor at the YMCA and I passed.  Yeah for me:-)

Lastly I am dreading the two weeks after surgery.  No getting around it but just being back in the hospital, split open and needles and IVs sticking out my arms, neck, chest etc.  Small price for what I get out of it but I have to tell you it is hard.  Just need to suck it up.

I guess that is all for now.