Monday, May 28, 2012

Trey's Story

Today Mike, the boys, and I had the opportunity to hand out organ donation information for UW at Golden Sands Speedway, the local race track.  We met up with Trey Schwab, Outreach Director at UW's Organ Procurement Organization.  I had met Trey last month at the Donate Life event I spoke at in Wausau.  When I originally signed up to volunteer for UW, Trey was the one who I corresponded with so we have had several opportunities to chat via email as well.  Today through talking with Trey we found out a little bit about his background.  Trey was an assistant basketball coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves and also Marquette University.  In fact, Mike noticed that Trey was wearing a Final Four ring from the 2002-03 season when Dwayne Wade played for Marquette.  Being a huge basketball fan, Josh was way impressed!  We got busy with our duties today and at one point it started raining hard so our time was cut a little short.  When we got home I realized that I never asked Trey about  his donation story.  I only knew that he was an organ recipient -- but I didn't even know which organ!  I figured since he had been a basketball coach I could likely find his story online.  I Googled his name and was amazed at what I read.  I wanted to update my blog today to give you a brief synopsis of Trey's incredible story.  So here it is:

Trey had the rare lung disorder known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.  Without a double lung transplant he would die.  In February of 2004 Trey got the call that a set of lungs was available for him.  After a very successful lung transplant Trey was in the ICU at UW Hospital.  One day Trey stood up from his bed and realized he just didn't feel right.  He was having trouble breathing.  Doctors soon realized that Trey had a 16 inch blood clot wedged between his pulmonary arteries.  He stopped breathing and the hospital started CPR.  Trey went a full 40 minutes with no pulse while doctors rushed him into the operating room for surgery to remove the clot.  His doctor, Dr. Robert Love, the head of the lung transplant program at UW said that the vast majority of patients would never leave the operating room alive.  But the other thing Dr. Love did was pray, because he says that some things are simply out of doctors' hands.  As you know, since my family spent the day with Trey today, he did indeed survive that day.  Trey had not one, but two miracles -- the first when he received his lungs and the second when he was literally brought back from death.

Every time I hear an organ donation story it amazes me.  My passion continues to be in educating people in what organ donation can do.  We had several people tell us today when we were handing out information that they were not healthy enough to be a donor.  But that is simply untrue in most cases.  Even unhealthy people can often contribute something -- if not organs, perhaps tissue, corneas, skin, or bone.  You would be amazed.

We also worked alongside a man by the name of Steve today.  Steve's daughter tragically died at the age of 21.  In her death, over 40 people received the gift of life.  Incredible.  Simply incredible.  Organ donation works.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Two Milestones!!

Yesterday marked two milestones...I turned 40 and Sara and I had our 10 month anniversary of the surgery.  that forever changed both of our lives. Turning 40 didn't make me too excited, but my husband, family, friends, co-workers, and Facebook friends sure made it a time to remember.  And fortunately I don't feel 40!  Not yet anyway!!

Last month my friend Mike Breezee asked me when I was going to update my blog.  I looked back and realized I had not done so since January!  Sara and I are both doing so well that sometimes it feels there is not much new to report.  But in reality a lot has happened since January.  So Mike...this update is for you!

In February, Sara's friends and family held an extremely successful benefit to help pay for medical costs incurred with the transplant.  It was an incredibly fun day of music, food, games, friends, and best of all...a cake walk!  I was so happy to see the huge turnout of people who came out to support Sara, Craig, and Ashlyn -- not to mention the work that the organizers put into the day!  It is times like this that remind you how generous people can truly be.

In March I received a letter from UW Transplant Clinic telling me that I had been selected to be a donor mentor.  Donor mentors assist the kidney transplant clinic in preparing living kidney donors for surgery.  Before my surgery I was matched up with a mentor who called me to answer any questions I might have about the surgery itself.  The idea behind the mentor program is that nobody knows better what donors go through than those who have been there.  I found the program to be very helpful as my mentor gave me some tips that the medical staff simply didn't think of -- or possibly didn't even know.  In mid-April my family and I traveled to Madison so I could take part in a 4 hour training to become a mentor.  (That night we also had the opportunity to go on to Milwaukee to attend the Brewer game with the Donate Life Wisconsin group)  This past week I received my first mentor assignment.  I left the donor a message and at this point am waiting for a call back.  I am eager to talk to a potential donor about what I know will be a life-changing event in their life!

The last weekend in April Sara and I attended Donate Life North Central Wisconsin's scavenger hunt and dinner.  I was honored to be asked to be a speaker at their event that evening.  As I told my story, I looked around the room at the hundred or so people whose lives had been touched in some way by organ donation and I couldn't help but smile.  It is my heart's desire to continue to speak at events and to groups and I pray that God will open up those opportunities for me in the future.  If every time I tell my story just one person is inspired by it, then my time will be well worth it.

On Memorial Day my family and I will be at Golden Sands Speedway in Wisconsin Rapids working with UW to promote organ donation.  Our family has the job of handing out "Yes I Will" information to all who come to the races that day.  I am so happy that Mike and the boys are willing to help me with this passion that I have to spread the word that organ donation works!!

Today I had an email from Sara.  It turns out that Colleen Belle is kicking up her heels and acting much younger than her 40 years.  Sara's labs were all within normal range!  The great thing about this is that Sara can now decrease her anti-rejection medications.  What wonderful news!

Life has been busy, but I am so grateful for the time and opportunities I have been given.  I am also thankful for an incredible husband and kids who support me in all that I do.  I have said it before, but I never grow tired of saying it...God is good...all the time!!

If you haven't registered yet, do so today!! If you don't live in Wisconsin, check online for your own state's registry.