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Monday, February 27, 2012

The Sheepdog's 500th Post = The BIG Announcement

Today is the day. Back in August, I first mentioned the new "project" I was working on. That was six short months ago. I shared the "project" with friends and family at my five-year heart transplant anniversary party on Saturday. It's now time for me to make the formal announcement here on The Sheepdog. The time for talking is over. The time for doing starts now.

Over the course of the last two years, I've done a lot of praying and seeking of the Lord's direction in my life. I knew He had something in mind for me to do - something important that would make a difference, but I just couldn't figure out what that was. I took a real hard look at getting into politics and even worked on the campaign of a friend, Tennessee State Representative Susan Lynn, in order to learn about how to run a campaign. My plan at that time was to gain as much knowledge and experience as I could from her, and then, maybe give politics a successful go at some point in the future depending on various factors. However, one day back in July of last year, the Lord made it very clear to me that He had a much more important work than politics for me to do, at least for the time being. It's pure and will make a more lasting difference than politics ever could.

So, after much, much prayer, and 6 months of planning, I am excited to announce the creation and launch of the Tennessee Organ Donation Foundation, Inc. (TODF) It is the first and only non-profit agency in Tennessee founded by and exclusively managed by members of the organ and tissue donation community. In fact, in order to be eligible to serve as a member of TODF's Board, you must be a transplant recipient, donor family member, or living donor. I set TODF up this way to help insure that advancing the cause of organ and tissue donation would always be its number one priority.

TODF has but one goal – ending the needless dying of 19 Americans everyday simply because of a lack of organ donors. We aim to accomplish this by improving public awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation through increased public education in Tennessee. Our plan is to attend various events in Middle Tennessee communities speaking to the public and distributing information about organ and tissue donation and how to register as a donor. At some point in the future, we want to begin a program where we provide financial assistance to transplant recipients that are unable to afford their anti-rejection medications. Why ? Well, we know that sometimes recipients are unable to take their meds as required because they can’t afford them. I know from experience how expensive they are. Not taking them can lead to rejection and the loss of a transplant and even your life. The ones that survive sometimes have to be re-transplanted draining the pool of donated organs which is already a limited resource. If we can prevent this from happening, there will be more donated organs to go around, additional lives can be saved, and transplant recipients in financial difficulty will be better able to take care of their "gifts of life" and live their "second chances" to the fullest.

When I made the decision to form this new organization, I also knew I couldn’t do it by myself. I needed some folks to assist me who were as dedicated to the cause as I am. I asked the Lord to show me who He wanted to serve alongside me, and He did. I decided to go with a three member Board of Directors. In addition to myself serving as a Board Member and Executive Director, I am joined on the Board by George Blank who is a living kidney donor. George will also serve as Associate Executive Director and Secretary. Our other Board Member will also serve as our Treasurer. Her name is Doris Gray, and she is a donor mom.

Once I had the Board in place, I was missing one more important piece of the "all volunteer" team. I knew we needed someone to coordinate and manage a team of volunteers since volunteers will conduct the vast majority of our activities. Most non-profits use volunteers for that purpose, and we will be no different. However, I felt it was important to have someone on board as a Volunteer Coordinator who had experience in putting together and managing Volunteers. I knew immediately who to offer the position to - a wonderful lady named Misty Armour. Misty is not a transplant recipient, living donor, or donor family member, but she believes in the importance of organ and tissue donation just as much as any of us. She is also a very talented singer / songwriter, and she will do a heck of a job for us.

We are looking forward to this new endeavor. It will give myself and the rest of our team a wonderful opportunity to go into our communities, network, make new friends, make a lasting difference, and accomplish our objective of  "Saving and Improving Lives in Tennessee ... and Beyond." It's gonna be neat to see what is accomplished and to see what the future holds.

I want to take a moment to dedicate the work that TODF will do to the memory of Kent Fuson (my donor), Tommy Gray (Doris' son), and all the other donors and their families across our great country. You have saved and changed the lives of many, including mine. You have paved the way. Now, it's our turn to "pay it forward." We will not let you down.


So, there it is - the "project." Time to get to work. Be sure to visit The Sheepdog here next Monday. I've got a special Music Monday planned. You're gonna love it.
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Friday, February 24, 2012

California Agency #1 in Organ Donation

English: The Sacramento skyline, as seen from ...
Sacramento Skyline - Image via Wikipedia
During the first three quarters of 2011, Sierra Donor Services based in Sacramento, CA was the number one ranked organ procurement organization (OPO) in the U.S. Nationally, OPO's averaged recovering 3.13 organs per donor during that time period, while Sierra Donor Services averaged 3.78. Additionally, the organization recovered 243 organs for transplant last year which was up 65% from the previous year.

Sierra Donor Services serves Northern California and Northern Nevada. They are obviously making a difference in their community. My hats off to them. Keep up the good work guys !!

P.S. Monday will be The Sheepdog's 500th post !! It will not be a Music Monday. Instead, The Sheepdog will mark that milestone by making the "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT." It's been 6 months in the making, so don't miss it.

Source : sacbee.com article titled Sacramento Area Donor Agency Leads Nation in Organ Recovery
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Thursday, February 23, 2012

First Heart Transplant in Central Florida

In early February, Edwin Arce, 49, became the fortunate recipient of the first heart transplant performed in Central Florida. The transplant was performed at Florida Hospital (pictured below) after the hospital's staff spent four years finalizing the necessary paperwork and planning needed for their first such surgery.

Arce spent seven weeks waiting for a heart to become available for him. He had battled heart disease for several years and had been in the hospital since Christmas. According to Arce, prior to his transplant his life consisted of "... walking from the bed to the couch." Unfortunately, his condition sounds eerily familiar.

English: Florida Hospital Celebration Health -...
Image via Wikipedia
Arce's doctors say his transplant went "flawlessly" and that he is doing "well." His heart transplant may have been the first at Florida Hospital, but it won't be the last, and that's great news for other patients in Central Florida in need of heart transplants. Until Florida Hospital opened it's heart transplant program, people in the area needing heart transplants had to travel several hours away from home in order to have one. Oftentimes, the distance made it difficult, if not impossible, for friends and family to visit the patient in the hospital. I can testify to the fact that having your family and friends, your support system, near you during your recovery is vitally important to a successful one. There will be times when you need them to encourage you, laugh with you, and even cry with you. Sometimes you just need them to be there whether they do anything or not. This world's a tough place to survive alone. Take it from me - a transplant's even tougher.

Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to say "Thank You," once again, to every one that was there for me five years ago. You know who you are. I wouldn't have made it without you.

Source : MyFoxOrlando.com story titled Florida Hospital Performs Area's First Heart Transplant
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Monday, February 20, 2012

"These Dreams"

For the last several years, the third weekend in February has been an emotional one for me. There's a couple of reasons for it. On one hand, it's a somber weekend, and on the other, it's a weekend of rejoicing and reflection about where I once was, and how blessed I am to be where I am now.

Yesterday evening 11 years ago, my wife and I were sitting on the couch watching the local evening news. I was still a little ticked because Dale Earnhardt had wrecked out of the Daytona 500 on the last lap. He was my guy - one of my heroes, and I hated losing the Daytona 500 as much as he did. It is NASCAR's Super Bowl. Plus, I knew it meant he was starting the season off in a hole in regards to the points championship. I wanted that eighth one badly. In fact, I had turned the race off as soon as it was over I was so perturbed. I didn't think that much about the wreck. It didn't look that bad. Then, as we watched and listened to the sportscaster, he showed a clip of NASCAR President Mike Helton's news conference where he said, "After the accident on turn 4 of the Daytona 500, we've lost Dale Earnhardt." I could not believe what I had just heard, and I didn't want to believe it, either. Dale was ... gone ? No way. I'd seen him walk away from much worse than that. I didn't sleep that night hoping to wake up the next morning and it all be a bad dream. But ... it wasn't. My hero was indeed gone.

NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, taken by offic...
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For years, I had not been able to understand Elvis Presley's fans' reaction to his death. Now, unfortunately, I did, and even though I wasn't a fan of Whitney Houston, I felt bad for her fans this past week, because I could relate. I had nothing against Whitney. She had a great voice without a doubt. It was just I was a fan of hard rock and metal. I just didn't get into "pop." It is a shame she died so young.

I saw a blog post over the weekend where the author wrote that it was time to let Dale go. She also said that "time heals all wounds." In my opinion, nothing could be farther from the truth. Time may heal some wounds, but not all of them. Just ask a parent who has lost a child at a young age, or someone who lost a spouse after decades of marriage. Time may heal wounds to a certain extent, to a point where they are manageable and one can live with them, but it doesn't heal all of them completely.

I have found that sometimes the best way to heal is to try to focus on the good memories. For instance with Dale's death, I've thought about those 7 Winston Cup Championships, the 1998 Daytona 500 victory, and the races he won when I was there in the stands with my dad. I've focused on the things I learned as a boy from watching him and reading about him, such as the importance of family, hard work, setting goals and working hard to achieve them, and most importantly, never giving up. Plus, I'll never forget that big grin and those sunglasses (picture at upper right). Those are the things you hang on to. I think that's what Dale would want.

The third weekend is February is also a time of remembering the beginning of the end of my battle with heart disease. Five years ago this weekend, I wasn't doing well at all physically. My lungs and abdomen were filling with fluid again. My legs were stiffening as the fluid congregated in them, too, making it uncomfortable to walk. Monday, the 19th, came along, and I felt worse. On Tuesday, the 20th, my wife had to spend the day going to see clients. I felt horrible, was short of breath, and scared to be left alone. So, I went and rode around with her all day. That evening, we had a dinner function to go to. I was feeling even worse, but I made it to, and through dinner, but I was ready to head home at 8 P.M. I knew I had to call the doctor the next morning, and I was expecting they would put me in the hospital to begin some IV diareutics.

It was dark, cold, and rainy as my wife drove us home. At 8:30, about two miles from the house, my cell phone rang. I looked at it but didn't recognize the number. I started not to answer it, because I just wanted to go home, try to get through a warm shower, and then go to bed. I was exhausted.

Even though I didn't want to, I felt compelled to answer the phone. When I did, it was Angie, a nurse from St. Thomas Hospital. She asked me where I was and what I was doing. I said I'm headed home. She said, "No, you're not. Get down here to the hospital. A heart has become available for you." Even thought we were surprised it had happened so quickly (I had been listed for exactly one week), my wife turned the car around, and we headed to St. Thomas.

Once we got there, They put me in a wheel chair and rolled me back to ICU where they began prepping me for surgery. They finished up, I told my wife that I loved her and would see her later, and they wheeled me back to the operating room where they did some more tests before beginning the transplant. That was just before midnight on February 20, 2007. Shortly after midnight, on February 21st, they began the heart transplant surgery, and as they say - the rest is history. The Lord has brought me from being the guy who in October 2006 was told he had a year to live, if he was lucky, to being the guy that will be 5 years post-transplant tomorrow. He is good. I praise Him for giving me more time. In 2007, my "game clock" was winding down fast, and I had no timeouts available. Now, I wrapping up overtime #5 and about to start #6. I love overtime !!

Myself, my wife, friends, and family will celebrate my 5 year anniversary next weekend. I will reveal to them at that time what the surprise "project" is that I've been working on since August. I will share it with you, my blog readers, next Monday, February 27th. Today, we will begin the one week countdown to the announcement with the last Music Monday of this month.

The song and video I've chosen for today's wrap-up of "Heart Month" is "These Dreams" from Heart's self-titled album, Heart, released in 1985. Interestingly, "These Dreams" was the first #1 song of Heart's career in 1986 and the album it was recorded on is the band's only #1 album ever. I hope you enjoy the video. I have embedded it below in this blog post, or you can watch it by clicking here.

I chose today's song because it just seemed appropriate. Just as Dale Earnhardt was driven by his dream and goal of being a champion race car driver, I'm driven by the dream of making a difference. My dream is that the "project" I'm launching next week will be successful and, most importantly, be a difference maker. I am confident that it will be because a lot of hard work, planning, and prayer has gone into it. Plus, the Lord has blessed me by surrounding me with a good team to work with. I'm really looking forward to getting the talking out of the way and getting on with it. We will do that here next Monday. All the mystery will make since at that time. So, please don't miss it.



These dreams go on when I close my eyes,
Every second of the night,
I live another life .....

P.S. I must take a moment to thank my friend Alice for the idea for "Heart Month." Thanks a bunch, Alice !!
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Friday, February 17, 2012

A Small World

Ed Mooney, 52, had been suffering from cirrhosis of the liver for five years and was quickly running out of time. Both his brother and sister had been tested but denied as possible living liver donors for him. Then, he got the call that all transplant candidates hope and pray for, and in the process learned that it is indeed a small, small world.

Mooney's new liver came from Dan Glover, 24, who lost his life in a tragic automobile accident. These two men had a special connection - Mooney had been Glover's little league baseball coach just years earlier. Mooney cherishes the gift Glover gave him and promises to now live on for two people - "... for me and for Danny," he said. I hope you'll take a moment to watch the video of the story. It's embedded below. You can also watch it and read the full text of the story by clicking here.

video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Source : abcnews.go.com article titled Tragedy, and Luck, Leads to Miracle Organ Transplant for Coach
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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Shocked and Awed

The Hawaii state seal.
Image via Wikipedia
I'll have to admit that when I first read this story, I found it extremely hard to believe, since it was about politicians doing the right thing. In fact, I had to read it multiple times to make sure I read it correctly. However, it is true, and I'm "shocked."

Recently, Republicans and Democrats, including the Governor and members of the Hawaii State House of Representatives and State Senate, put aside their partisan differences and voted in favor of a bill that put the welfare of the people of Hawaii first, because, to paraphrase Hawaii Governor Abercrombie, it was what the people wanted. WOW !! What a novel idea - public servants doing the right thing because it's what the people want. It leaves me in "awe" of Hawaii's citizenry. You can watch the full TV news report of the story below, or you can both read the text of the story and watch the video by clicking here.


I know some politicians in both Nashville, TN and Washington D.C. that could learn a few things from these guys. I wonder if the people of Hawaii would be willing to share them ?

Source : story on www.HawaiiNewsNow.com titled Governor Abercrombie Signs Organ Transplant Funding Bill Into Law
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Monday, February 13, 2012

"Who Will You Run To" when you're ..... "Alone" ?

Today is week 2 of my "Heart Month" Music Mondays and 5-Year Heart Transplant Anniversary Celebration. Plus, since it's the 2nd Monday of the month, it's time for a "double shot" of Heart. The two videos featured today are singles from the band's 1987 album titled Bad Animals. One of them was a #1 hit, and the other is my all-time favorite song from the band.

The first video, and my favorite of Heart's, is of the single "Who Will You Run To ?" I liked the song from the very first time I heard it. It's just a good, fast tempo rock song. Plus, Ann Wilson's vocals create a bit of a work of art with this song. She puts a lot of emotion into it allowing you to feel the anger of a woman scorned. However, if you are a Heart fan, you know that much of Heart's music is driven by emotion. The Wilson Sisters have been successfully making music that way their entire career. The video is embedded below in this blog post or you can watch it by clicking here. I think the "bad animal" graphics contained therein are a nice touch, too.



The second video today is of Heart's single "Alone." "Alone" was the second #1 single of the band's career. It reached #1 in July 1987 and remained there for three weeks. "Alone" is typical of most '80s ballads. It starts off with a slow, fairly quiet intro, and then turns into a power ballad when the guitars and drums join in for the chorus. It was likely the biggest hit of Heart's career. In fact, the band has not had a #1 song since "Alone."

I've embedded the video below in this blog post, or you can watch it by clicking here. Enjoy. We've got one more week of "Heart Month" Music Mondays, and then the BIG announcement will follow on Monday the 27th.



Just like last Monday's "Stranded" post, these songs got me to thinking about what I'm celebrating this month and where I've come from in the last five years. It also got me to thinking about the 112,000+ Americans who are currently feeling "Alone" and needing someone or somewhere to run to. I count my blessings everyday and don't take them for granted. I hope and pray that one day each of those 112,000+ get the same "second chance" I got. 
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Friday, February 10, 2012

Results of New Study Great News for Young Liver Recipients

A recent study has proven that it is possible for children who receive organ transplants to eventually stop their anti-rejection medications. Other, less extensive and less successful, similar studies have been conducted in the past, but none of them showed results as promising as this one.

The study involved twenty children from three different transplant centers who received liver transplants. In each of these transplants, the child received liver tissue from one of their parents. In other words, the parent was a living donor for their child. Each child was about eight-and-half years old when they discontinued the anti-rejection meds. Of those twenty kids, twelve of them, or 60%, went three or more years without any signs of rejection after stopping their anti-rejection medication. The other eight had to resume their anti-rejection medications after showing signs of rejection. However, each of these recovered from the rejection episodes and their transplanted liver tissue regained normal function and sustained no permanent damage.

The results of this study is a big win for pediatric liver recipients for various reasons. First, anti-rejection medications have their own side effects which include elevated cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, and the potential for kidney problems. Some transplant recipients even develop diabetes due to these medications. Second, with your immune system suppressed to avoid rejection, there is always a higher risk of developing infections and cancer. Third, if a child who receives a transplant can one day stop taking their anti-rejection meds, it'll mean more cash in their parents pockets and more in their own when they leave the nest. And who doesn't like having more cash ?

The taking of anti-rejection meds does have a downside. However, it beats the other alternative of ...  being dead. And yes, ... you can quote the Sheepdog on that if you want to.

Source : newswise.com article titled Many Children with Liver Transplants from Parents Can Safely Stop Using Anti-rejection Drugs
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Tennessee Family Thankful for 2-Year-Old's New Heart

Doctors' Office Tower at Monroe Carell, Jr. Ch...
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When Witt Deane was born in the spring of 2010, his parent's joy with his arrival quickly turned into grave concern. They soon learned their newborn son had a congenital heart defect known as aortic stenosis. He was transported to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where medical personnel in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit began treating him.

Witt underwent surgery to repair a heart valve, recovered, and went home. Things appeared to be going well until a week before a scheduled check up. He stopped eating and developed a cough, and when doctor's examined him, they determined that his mitral and pulmonary valves weren't functioning correctly. Then, his parents, Norm and Allison, were told that in order for Witt to survive, he required a heart transplant.

Witt's parents were devastated. He was placed on the transplant waiting list where he waited for about four months. Then, on September 22, 2010, at only five months of age, Witt's "second chance" came. He had some serious complications following his transplant surgery but pulled through and went home three weeks later. Today, he is doing well and progressing like any normal, healthy toddler.

Witt's family is very thankful that their first son has an opportunity to grow up. I expect that after going through this life-threatening ordeal shortly after birth that Little Witt is gonna grow up to be one tough dude. He's already conquered more in his first two years than most people have to in their entire lives.

Source : cisionwire.com article titled Thanks to a Heart Transplant ... A Tennessee Family Will Celebrate a Very Special Valentine's Day


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Thursday, February 9, 2012

Burke Gave Life

Sarah Burke
Sarah Burke (Photo credit: taylor and africa)
When I first heard about Sarah Burke's death, my first thought was, "What a tragedy - she's so young and talented." Later on, I learned that some good came out of it.

Burke, a Canadian freestyle skier, died in Utah back in January after a skiing accident during a practice run. She was considered to be one of the medal favorites in the 2014 Olympics. According to reports, she crashed and fell on her neck, while practicing on the half-pipe, rupturing her vertebral artery. The vertebral artery supplies blood to the brain. The rupture led to an internal hemorrhage resulting in cardiac arrest. Although Burke underwent a successful operation to repair the injury, the cardiac arrest cut off her supply of oxygen for too long and that's what led to her death.

Burke's family and friend's are still coping with her sudden death, but hopefully they find some comfort in the fact that some good came out of her death. Burke wanted to be an organ and tissue donor, and the family's publicist said that, "In accordance with Sarah's wishes, her family has donated her organs and tissues to save the lives of others." Somewhere today, other families are rejoicing because their loved one is still alive because Sarah Burke chose to be a hero. In addition to being remembered as a talented athlete and champion skier, she should always be remembered for being a caring person that chose to give life, too.

The other thing I thought about in regards to Sarah Burke's death is that in a way she was fortunate. She died doing what she loved to do. How many people get to do that ? Too many times we have to watch loved ones suffer through lengthy illnesses before they finally succumb to them. Sarah's situation also reminded me of 2001 when Dale Earnhardt, one of my heroes, passed away doing what he loved. That was a painful time for me and many others, but as time has went on, I've realized how truly blessed Dale was to die at the racetrack. I suspect that if you could ask Sarah or Dale if they agreed with my hypothesis, they'd both likely say 'yes'.

Five years ago, a caring man did for me what Sarah Burke did for some others. If you haven't yet registered as an organ and tissue donor, let me encourage you to do so today. You can make a difference, too. Just visit the Donate Life America website by clicking here to learn more, including how to register in the state where you live.

Source : allvoices.com article titled Aftermath of Sarah Burke's Tragic Demise


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Monday, February 6, 2012

Have you ever felt .... "Stranded" ?

As I mentioned last Thursday, my posts for the entire month of February will be spent celebrating the 5-year anniversary of my heart transplant. That goes for Music Mondays, too. Now, you might be asking, "Sheepdog, how you gonna do that with Music Mondays ?" Well, hang on 'cause I'm about to tell ya.

I was a teenager in the '80s - you know, back when the really good music was made. I was also the "black sheep" of the family when it came to musical tastes. While everyone else in the house was listening to that "yee-haw" country stuff, I was rockin'. If anyone asked me who my five favorite bands were, I'd say they were Motley Crue, .38 Special, Heart, Vixen, and Cinderella. It was hard to narrow it down to five, though, because there were so many good ones. To only pick five, I had to leave out bands like Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Journey, Foreigner, Poison, and ZZ Top. In fact, of my "top five," the only band that I own less than three of their records is Vixen, and that's only because the original lineup stayed together for only two.

About six months ago, a friend of mine was telling me how much she enjoyed Music Mondays, and I mentioned I was thinking about running another series of them like the Queensryche series last May.  She suggested I put together one for my 5-year heart transplant anniversary, and, in her opinion, the perfect band for it would be Heart. I thought, "Perfect !!" So, February's Music Monday's will be "Heart Month."

If I had to pick my favorite Heart record, it would probably be 1990's Brigade, and today's video is of one of the singles on that record. Every song on Brigade flows well and just sounds good. It's not too hard rock, and it's not too wimpy and soft, either. There are fast songs and slow ones, but they all have a nice melody, and it's just fun music to listen, too.

The song and video I picked for today is "Stranded." It's embedded below in this blog post, or you can watch it by clicking here. It's got a nice mix of musical styles in it. It starts off as a ballad, then you get to the chorus and the tempo picks up and it gets a little "rocky." Then, it slows back down into a ballad, and it's back and forth like that the entire song. I like it. It's a song about relationships, as most of Heart's music is. However, as I watched today's video and listened to the lyrics it took on a bit of a different meaning for me.

The song got me to thinking about the word "stranded" in regards to what I'm celebrating this month. In particular, the words of the chorus really hit home :

"Don't leave me like this,
don't leave me stranded.
If you walk away now,
you'll leave me empty handed.
Don't leave me like this,
don't leave me stranded."

I remember when I literally felt "stranded" - sick as I dog and there was nothing I could do about it but pray and wait. I was always short of breath, cold, and have little to no energy. I was literally "stranded" in a chronic illness - end-stage congestive heart failure. I was fortunate, though, that I was surrounded by family and friends who always supported me and helped out when needed. None of them left me "stranded."

Now, I'm so thankful to be able to breathe freely and have the energy to do the things I enjoy. I think a lot about where I was, and where I am now. I know that I am so fortunate and blessed to have received a "second chance." I basically won the lottery five years ago, and I don't take it for granted. I hope and pray every day that each of my 112,000+ fellow Americans who are currently "stranded" on the waiting list will one day hit the "second chance" lottery, too.

Enjoy today's video. 




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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Researchers Developing New Transplant Drug

Wow, it's hard to believe February 2012 is here, and it will be a special month here on The Sheepdog's blog. I am dedicating the entire month to celebrating the 5-Year Anniversary of my heart transplant. It will be five years to the very day on the 21st. I will cap the month off on Monday the 27th with my big announcement about the "project" I have been working on for the last six months. I hope everyone will check in regularly to celebrate with me.

Today, I want to start the month off with some good news for transplant recipients, including yours truly. The other day I ran across an article telling about a new anti-rejection medication that researchers in the United Kingdom are developing. It is basically a form of cyclosporine (CsA), which us transplant recipients are already closely familiar with, but it is delivered to the body via nanoparticles which keep the level of the cyclosporine in the body relatively constant. The good thing about this new "nanoparticle delivery system" is by keeping the CsA levels constant in the bloodstream it reduces the risk of the drug's harmful side effects. Those side effects can include elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, kidney damage, and liver damage. If the research proves successful, it will be a big win for us transplant recipients.

And, I like winning ... a lot.

Source : pharmabiz.com article titled Scientist Develop New System to Deliver Organ Transplant Drug Without Harmful Side Effects

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