One Year Anniversary with my new Lungs

Hey everyone February 11^th marks my 1year anniversary of my Lung transplant and Birthday all on  the same day. Although I still have my ups & downs about what I have been through & have to go through in my life, this year I was able to realize how I have so much more to live for. Life after transplant is not easy for everyone & it hasn’t been for me. Despite having a loving family who no longer take my ‘I just had surgery excuses’ (bastards LOL), I’m grateful for the 1 year (and hopefully many more) I will be able to share with all of you. I just want to give a special thanks to Dr. James Lee and staff at Penn University in Philadelphia for the 2nd chance at life he has given me & I really wish him (and everyone else as well) the best in life.  Last I just want to say, try not to let your situation slow you down. Sometimes things happen in life for a reason. So  take one day at a time and enjoy it while you can. Again Thank you all so much for all your support in the last year and longer.

 Thank you guys, love all of you

Ric.

Moving away from home back to home in one life time. I’m Ready to do it.

Moving away from home back to home in one life time.  I’m Ready

 

I'm starting my life over, how many people can say that about taking up Country accommodations. I don't live too far away from home (about a four hour drive  from here or so that sounds funny  saying that from the state of Virginia, when I was born in Philadelphia I lived there until I was Eighteen years old,  lived in Delaware for the past 33 years and all most 20 years in the same house..)  Our parents did their best to control us, but it didn’t work! We always had the upper hand (Just Joking Dad Oh did I mention Una dads girlfriend for past ten years one of the nicest lady in Virginia.  I have three wonderful sisters Virginia (Ginny), Lisa & Barbara and two great brothers Roy & my brother Douglas and not to Mention 6 nieces and 5 nephews 9 great nephews 4 great nephews but now,  where I’m moving to  is where my father (Roy) was born is a totally diffident life compared to being up north in Pennsylvania Delaware and Maryland. More convenient in getting thing done at a nice pace here in VA as well as enjoying a new friendship with someone you just met. I thought that it was important for me to do this  while  my nerve  is up to move that far. I feel like a teenager like leaving the nest all over again. Moving seems so much fun like selling everything I own and starting over fresh, and I’m scared that everyone will think I’m a weirdo and laugh at me that’s ok at least they would have a good laugh on me- I’ll make  new friends in Luray and Page County & the Shenandoah valley and my shared accommodation (32 of us sharing an apartment one store building in Stanly Virginia). The fact that I’m different also makes it harder because I’m not fully understood  on my sexual orientation , and I’m a nervous wreck that my apartments dweller  will be homophobic; I’m not sure how to tell them, should I tell them and give them all heart attacks immediately? Or wait until I get to know them better, I’m sure in time they will figural it out. Any advice on moving away from home in Delaware would be greatly appreciated. Will miss you all in Delaware, I hope if ever in Virginia you stop by the town of Stanly and look me up, I will never forgot  the staff at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital who gave me excellent care and a normal life back Thank you Dr.Lee and your staff. I'll be back every few months to see Dr Lee . and you thought you where rid of me  LOL. Someone asked me if I had to do this again would I ?  Yes I said you bet you your sweet bottom I would, the staff at Penn you are all the best and thank you for letting me start my life over in Virginia and letting me live life again.

People using People

I noticed a strange facts about myself and other people in need of help. I have this big need to help people out when in need. Usually I give up something for this. But when people start to use me later and behave like I am their lacquey or something. Therefore my need for helping decreases and the need to become independent from them increases. It is difficult, because I sacrificed something that I needed to become independent. And even if I become independent after some time, the need for helping increases again, but I’m afraid of becoming a lacquey again. It’s like I imagine myself helping people in need and later these people turn me in their slave and I wake up from my dream, look around and see that reality is not like this, people are not as kind as I though. It ruins everything I believe in a person, and makes me a worse when they ask for my help because I’m always there for that person who always needs something for them self’s only, all I’m asking is give a little back in return. Just because I wrote is article like this does not mean it’s me, Just so you all know that.

Last IVIG Drip

I'm wishing and hoping that I‘ve a very smooth last treatment since this is the last one of IVIG this coming Sunday Morning at 7:00am . And I pray that this is just the ticket for me!! Many patients have done this very successfully and done it extremely well, as I’m doing by taking this treatment. I’m praying that this will work. I know I’m going win.

Quake shakes East Coast

I think this is his way in telling us to fixes the world now before we destroy it, Fires ,Floods. Poverty & Hunger. Though Virginia hadn't had a quake like Tuesday's in 67 years, it was mild by West Coast standards. California has seen 35 quakes of that size since 1944, when the last East Coast quake of this magnitude occurred. So the first thing everyone had to do was figure out what was happening. I was in the local pharmacy when the bottles starting to fall off the shelves, People were screaming and running out to the parking lot. For a moment I thought I was in a movie, I told some of the people that it would only last a minute which I should had said 10 Seconds. My cell phone did work and the only person I could get was Virginia and likewise with her, I think we were more worried about my dad and Una. My father did say that boomer the dog starting barking very loudly and nonstop before it hit them in Stanly Virginia and Luray county.

Rudeness

I think it very rude when a person or persons do not respond back to say no thanks, not today or no I'm not interested in you, but thank for sending me a post of interest. All I'm saying is take one minute out just to send that little note. And don't be rude because your day will come back to bite you in the ass. I consider myself to be a “nice guy” that is rarely rude. There have been many instances in my ? years that I have had to be an a**hole. For the most part though, I prefer to treat people with dignity and respect. I am not talking about the occasional person you run into that is in a bad mood about something. That happens to everyone, most of the time these people keep to themselves. I am referring to the ones that a.) lash out at everyone they come into contact with and b.) the ones that offer unsolicited advice.

A Small set back!!

Just a small set back!! I will be on a Prednisone at home for the next nine days starting 08/01/2011, this should help with the (A1) rejection. I will keep you all posted as to how I’m doing and if not me my sister Virginia. As of today. My bronchoscopy showed a mild rejection (A1). This needs to be treated. It will be treated it with a prednisone taper. 60mg x 3 days, 50mg x 3 days, 40mg x 3 days, 30mg x 3 days, 20mg x 3 days, back to your baseline of 10mg daily. Also my numbers are down for my Kidneys, I was taken off all of Lasix until future notice and the last thing. I also have small infection in my lungs that will also be treated this with 2 weeks supply of Levaquin. Dose will be 750mg every other day. I must say that University of Pennsylvania is on top of thing as always, Belinda said if my numbers did not go back into normal range I would have to be admitted back to Penn, Where the food is really great cannot wait.(Not).It just as bad as my sister food. LOL. Just joking and I never said which sister did I. So don’t assume I meant Virginia.