Life, one year later

  Well, it has been a couple of months now since my last update. I left off last January talking about Lois' endoscopy and my upcoming liver biopsy. We received the endoscopy results and things looked just as bad as we suspected.  Apparently the knot that the doctor tied during her last surgery has slipped again and we are going to have to reschedule another surgery. The problem with that is, the first surgery should have been a one time deal. Two surgeries are rare and a second one always complicates things because of scar tissue in the esophagus, creating a blockage in an area where a blockage is being repaired.  A third surgery is unheard of, so now we are kind of at a crossroads. We need to find a surgeon who is capable and willing to perform the surgery. They also found signs of dysplasia.
   This news has left us feeling a little despondent. The complexities of this situation are a bit overwhelming, so please, please keep Lois in your prayers.
   My liver biopsy and ultrasound showed a little liver rejection and a slight sign of inflammation, but that was remedied by my having my cyclosporine dosage raised. The numbers from my last labs evened things out.
   The biggest news this month was the celebration of my one year anniversary. I can't believe it has already been a year since my transplant.
   I think of the years that passed by one after another; the months that were marked by moons, and the days that I followed one by one. Every one of them so different from the other. I remember how I felt each and every day. I remember clinging to every moment. I remember leaving my nightlight on every time I went to bed because I was afraid to go sleep. It is impossible to describe all these things to you because there was just so much happening. And I remember the night I got that phone call.
   The phone rang at 12:15. I half expected what it was. And it didn't surprise me when they told me who it was. All the while, my mind grappling with the thought that someone lost their life. A mother and father lost a son or daughter. Maybe siblings sat somewhere crying over their loved one. These thoughts still confound me.
   I am thankful for this gift of life. And I can't even begin to describe this feeling that flows through me when I think about it all. I am forever grateful to my donor.
   Lois wrote a column about it for the newspaper and it ended up on the Donate Life site. Check it out here:
http://donatelife-organdonation.blogspot.com/2013/03/in-death-organ-donor-saved-my-family.html