A glimmer of the future

This week my son Derek and I attended a care giver/patient  seminar at the UW Hospital.  The meeting is filled with folks who have either had transplants (ranging in time with a new heart from a few months to 20 years and going) or are waiting for a heart, like me.  We learned a few facts that painted a clearer picture of what I will be experiencing in the future.  First, everyone remembers their transplant date like a birthday.  They celebrate the day they were born and the day they received their new heart.  Second, the transplant has improved life for everyone on the receiving end.  The increase in energy, new optimism for life, etc.  Also, those who had new hearts look at time in small increments.  No longer is time measured in years or months, but days or portions of a day.  They are living in "the now", making each moment count rather than holding out for some big event.  Also we learned there are some things that may change life in a not so pleasant way.  Expect to be on a big dose of pills for the rest of your life.  One man spoke of his 64 pills that he was consuming each day.  I currently am dropping in 10 pills a day, which I see as being more I care to handle.  Also, because of the medication, you run a high risk of becoming diabetic.  Many of the recipients are dealing with a low grade occurrence of diabetes.  Some are managing it with careful eatting and exercises.   I am sure that what these have experienced should be in line with what I can expect.  Their life and outlook has changed.  They have been given a second chance, a new opportunity.   

(The photo above was taken from Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier looking toward Gibralter Rock.  You can make out the outline of the rock ridge, the starry night and the roped teams of climbers making their way across the glacier in the night.)