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29837 tn?1414534648

Appreciation Of A Donor

I am 11 months post transplant and I just started to think about what’s happened to me. No, I don’t mean the torture and agony of defeat in trying 5 times to get rid of the virus and of the liver transplant pre and post trauma. I’m finally realizing I’m living because I have someone else’s organ in my body. I was so emotional last night, I teared up thinking of the gift a stranger gave to me so I may live a second life.

How can one repay someone for that? I tried to contact his family just before being released from the hospital trough the hospital’s social worker, but was told I couldn’t. That was a painful episode. Not being able to thank a family for their son’s or husband’s gift of life to me. Yes I contacted a society wherefore you can leave a note on the web site thanking families in general, but it is a general offering of thanks that families of donors may read about, but the particular family in question may never see. That’s sad.

Why did it take 11 months to feel this? Maybe because unconsciously I may have taken this gift for granted, but believe me, I don’t take this lightly. If all people would volunteer to be organ donors, there would literally be no waiting time for any type of transplants. Unfortunately for some, religion may play a part of not wanting to donate part of your body even after death, and then there are those who feel they will be reincarnated and want to be sure they come back whole.

Whatever the reason some donate their organs may be, in my eyes, they are the true heroes in my life. So on I go, entertaining and making people happy. It’s not only my calling, but I believe it’s my destiny. After all I’ve been through, I should not be alive. Where did the inner strength come from? I don’t question that, I questioned why I’m still here. I think I finally found the answer. I’m not a very religious person, but I feel strongly that I’m an instrument of God for the purpose of healing people.

Just like a doctor heals physically, I heal spiritually. By that I mean I have done volunteer work for Wounded Warriors, cancer victims and other organizations. When I first arrived to entertain, I could sense the sadness around me, but when I was done, I saw smiling faces, clapping in appreciation that they were entertained and had a good time. A small departure from their daily struggle of life. In my case, a second chance of life is beyond thanks, but being able to see those faces, that’s my true reward.

Magnum
11 Responses
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Avatar universal
What a beautiful, thought provoking, special post - insight into something so special!

Happy Anniversary a few days early.  God Bless, Good Life and many many years of giving the gift og laughter to others.     Pat
Helpful - 0
163305 tn?1333668571
Although I had a live liver transplant, I can relate to your wanting to give back as well as thank the person, or family, that made this life saving gift available to you.

Personally I feel like so many people helped me along the way to regaining my health that I have to take good care of myself as a way of appreciation and thanks.

Be well~ OH
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Sometimes Magnum in life,  it's just meant to be.  I honestly believe there was a reason "Why" you were the lucky recipient.  Trust in your instincts as
they will forever guide you thru life.  Your purpose was to survive, and to pay it forward the lessons learned along the way.
Happy that you continue to enlighten and entertain.  Being able to bring a smile to someone in need is a treasured gift few possess.
Best wishes
.....Kim
Helpful - 0
10175413 tn?1427170251
Such a heartfelt post. And from what I read you feel as though you have a very important purpose in life, to share HOPE with others who might lose theirs from time to time. There is no greater gift than the gift of life, may sound cliche but it's a so true. I am so happy for you and your new life. I don't want to sound preachy by any means but it was time for your miracle!  Congrats to you friend
Peace and ongoing Good Karma
Deb
Helpful - 0
29837 tn?1414534648
Hepcand me is right. I got a liver with not only Hep C, but also syphilis. I don't care. It was the miracle I was waiting for and they fixed the syphilis problem and now I'm fixing the Hep C problem with Harvoni.

Given the fact that at the time I got my liver, the doctor told my brother I was given one month to live. I was on the transplant list for less than one month. I say it was a miracle because not only did they have to find a liver with the same blood type, but also the same size. You can't put a small liver in a large body or a large liver in a small body.

As others have literally died waiting for a liver, I call it a miracle. I got mine after less than one month. Let me add that a team of doctors who were to make the decision as to whether or not to put me on the transplant list, interrogated me for several days in my hospital room to see what my attitude was. I expressed my wish to return to the stage to perform again and that I was anxious to receive a liver.

This must have made an impact on the doctors, because in several days later, their discussion came to a conclusion that I should be put on the list. I didn't even have to wait one month for the liver, which was transported by helicopter at a $40,000 fee I was told, to the hospital, which of course they passed the cost on to my insurance company.

It was a series of events that I look back at now in wonder and again ask myself on a nearly constant basis... With so many people waiting for a liver...Why me?

Magnum

Helpful - 0
6708370 tn?1471490210
You can donate your Hep C liver. But only to someone with Hep C.

In rare circumstances, they would rather give you a beat up liver than have you die waiting for a transplant

I guess they are hoping to either make your donor liver virus free or wait for another donor

Everything else is out though
Helpful - 0
317787 tn?1473358451
Cheflady, what a wonderful person you are!  Donating Anthony's organs was such a generous, loving thing to do.  I already admired you, now I do even more.

When I read Magnum's post it really touched me, it was so nice.

I got to your post and I got a double whammy.  How nice that the people were able to express their gratitude to you.

Magnum, I think you are right, I think God had a purpose for you as he has a purpose for all of us. Some of us may never know what the purpose was or only see it many many years later.
I think what you wrote was a very nice tribute to the people who donated an organ to you.

My thoughts are a little disjointed, it happens when I am emotional, so I hope this makes sense.

Susan, thanks for asking the question.  I signed up as a donor years before I knew about the HCV, it still shows up on my drivers license.  I didn't know I would not be able to donate.  Good to know :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That's what I sort of figured that they would say no to blood donations and/or bone marrow/organs.  Because technically, even if we are undetected, can we still infect someone else with some like Hep C if it was transplanted into them?
Helpful - 0
29837 tn?1414534648
You can never donate blood or organs because, even in today's modern techniques, it is still not 100% that they can find HIV or HCV in blood donations. I asked that question to a phlebotomist when I gave blood. It's also in my post transplant literature in the book they sent me home from the hospital with and told me to read after my transplant.

Another very interesting thing. No more grapefruit juice or grapefruits. They can nullify certain medicines. I almost ended up in the hospital after my transplant when the nurse panicked after reading my blood test result after she read my ultra high potassium lever which could have caused a heart attack. She asked me what I was eating or drinking, I answered grapefruit juice as one item. She asked if I saw in the manual in bold letters "NO Grapefruit Products". Yes, it's a slippery slope when it comes to what you can and can't do after you've been diagnosed with Hep C.

Magnum
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This is just a general question, not a statement of my preference or anything..

Can somebody who is positive for Hep C virus (even if they have gone undetected), still donate blood, bone marrow or organs?  I was under the impression that when you go to donate blood they tell you that if you've ever had Hepatitis (any of them A, B, C or other), that they won't take your blood for donation.  Has that changed?  Is it different with organs?  Maybe the United States has rules different from the UK on that?  Anyhow, I am curious.

Susan400
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi there what a lovely post.If you have seen any of my posts then you will know that my beautiful 9 year old son was a multi-donor. Over here in Britain i was allowed to know the age,sex and rough idea where abouts in England of the recipients lived also the transplant co-ordinator could forward any messages to me. For years i would get a xmas card and letter from the man who had his liver thanking me for a life with his family.The girl who recieved his heart&lungs suffered from cystic fibrosis and was in a wheelchair most of the time, a year later i got a letter from her&her family telling me that she had won a gold medal in the Canadian transplant olypmics how good is that? Anthony would have been 32yrs old now and i am so proud of him, and as his mum i am glad that i asked about donation and went ahead with it because it meant that my only child did not die in vain. Look after yourself and enjoy life. Love Jules
Helpful - 0
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