I go to Tampa General Hospital once a month to have a biopsy of my heart. They go in through my neck, down into my heart and take out five pin-head sized pieces. These pieces “cook” for twenty-four hours and then they read the results. This test allows my doctor to see if there is …
One of the many blessings that came out of my heart transplant was the ability to attend the church as a visitor. To be able to experience the church from the street entrance, to the parking lot, into the building, into the sanctuary and through an entire worship service was eye-opening. When you are in …
Last weekend Michelle and I went to Orlando to visit my daughter Madison at the University of Central Florida. We would normally go up to visit on Parent’s Weekend, but our schedule was full, so we had our very own Parent’s Weekend. Madison made us a packet that outlined all the activities with pictures and …
I take a walk with my dog every morning around 7 am. We leave the house at the same time that Michelle leaves for school. We walk out through the garage since it is already open in preparation for Michelle’s departure. Once the garage door is closed the house is locked up tight and the …
When my youngest daughter, Madison, was in preschool, some fifteen years ago, we had the screen on our lanai cage replaced. For those of you who don’t know what a lanai is, it is a screen enclosure around a pool that allows the outside to become additional living space without bugs. It is a very …
I, in no way, am totally recovered, but I am well on my way. I have to be careful that I don’t forget that I am immune compromised and that I can’t physically do everything that I once was able to do. When I feel so good it is easy to forget that I had …
When I was a senior in high school I took a creative writing class. I thought that it would simply be an easy A, but it turned out to be my introduction to a love of writing. One of the exercises that my teacher made me routinely do was continuous writing. I had a composition …
There is a time, after a thunder storm, when it isn’t nice enough to make outdoor plans, but it is nice enough to venture outside and smell the clean, fresh air. A time when you can sense that the storm has literally “cleared the air”. Birds are singing and the air smells fresh and it …
A man can very easily become institutionalized. After close to two months of living at Tampa General Hospital, I experienced this reality. My normal was that someone was assigned to take care of me in twelve hour shifts. Every couple of hours someone would come in and check my vitals. When the medicine on my …
Transport showed up to the room, I loaded my month and a half in the hospital up and off we went. This was the first time that I was leaving the transplant unit without some kind of procedure or test being my destination. As I was wheeled down the hall, saying goodbye to the nurses, …
