She's goin back to Guthrie, Guthrie....

That's right we sold the house. Now the hard part moving. Two more goals left for the year and about six months to do them. This is going to be a short post, I mainly wanted to get that title out. For those of you not in my head, think of LL Cool J and Brooklyn.

PSA

Long time no post.

I received a letter a few days ago about a change in the UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) rules for distribution of donated livers. Currently the rules state that when an liver becomes available, it goes to the closest local sickest person. For example, if a liver is available in Tulsa, Ok and there is a really sick person in OKC, but a sicker person in Austin, TX; the person in OKC gets the liver. The proposed rule (proposal #3) will change this so that it is the sickest person in a region who gets first choice. Thus the liver in Tulsa would go to the person in Austin.

Why is this bad! Well, if this was in pace say ten years ago I wouldn't be writing this blog. I wasn't on deaths door before my transplant, in fact if I had been I would not have been eligible to receive one. My liver decease put me at high risk for liver cancer, so I needed a transplant before I got cancer. They don't transplant the livers into people with liver cancer.


Currently some state have higher populations of transplant patients then other states, and some states have higher donation rates. The only reason to propose this rule is to attempt to equalize the liver transplant list. But it does not equalize all organ transplant lists.

Some questions I have: Why isn't this for all organ transplantation and is it right to try and create an affirmative action like policy when dealing with saving of life?

The proposal is open for comment until Friday the 24th, follow the link above to read it and comment on it.

Consider this a Public Service Announcement.

Two Sides to Every Story.

Driving home from a church thing tonight, my wife told me of a family friend who died over the weekend. The friend who entered in to the big sleep, had the same cancer I had at the same time. I had actually met him while awaiting chemo once. At saying this she started to (not) cry. And I was struck at how I did not know her story of survival.

I realize that this blog only tells my side of things. How I survived. But it cannot tell her side. It cannot convey her fears or hopes. It can only show me how much stronger she is than I. I now understand that it is much easier to be the one going through it, than the one watching it.

Spot On Product Placement!

Even if you're not a BSG (Battlestar Galatica) fan you'll find this funny. Unless you're not evil like me.

Warning It's a bit gruesome.

The Fog Is Rolling In

It's been a while since the last real post. Mainly because with the final surgery so far off the direction of the blog needs to change. But to what?

Well people always say write what you're passionate about. Currently I'm all about the goals I have for 09'. Now that I have beat death again, the wife and I are focusing on the finances to get a bigger house so that toward the end of the year we can start a family. But not before the surgery in July. So that's like four big things this year. Bills, House, Surgery, Baby! What do they say, "Go Big."

What this all means is that the blog could get really mundane with the day to day of these goals, and the posts may get further and further apart. I still plan on posting, but how often and what direction is still foggy.