My story

The other night I was flipping through the TV channels to find a good movie or show. I came across a Clint Eastwood movie, “Blood Work.” The movie is about a FBI agent who requires a heart transplant. After he recovers, he starts working on a murder case, where the victim was the donor of his new heart. The movie shows Clint taking some of his medication, like two pills. The reality is that a heart transplanted agent would be taking close to forty pills a day. Maybe he took them all earlier in the day. Also, I do not know how long before he is back to work. He is post transplant and still jumps into action. His recovery must be a lot better that mine.

Then I flipped some more channels and came across the TV series “Three Rivers.” This short aired show is a doctors’ program set at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center. The program shows the drama between juggling the needs of the patient with failing organs, the families of the possible organ donors and the doctors. My favorite part of the program is the operating room. Three doctors, a nurse or two in a big room that you could easily do two other operations in. My recollection (before the anesthesiologist had his way with me) was a crowded room, with a dozen doctors, at least a dozen nurses and everyone talking and yelling out numbers as they monitored my old heart. The room was packed with equipment also. I was surprised they could find a place to squeeze me in.

I think there should be a movie that would be a hybrid between “Blood Work”, “Three Rivers” and my experience with a heart transplant. The setting is at the University of Washington Medical Center, which is immediately next to the College of Fisheries where I completed my Bachelors degree now over 35 years ago. The doctors would wheel me into the operating room, but there is no donor heart. Instead, the doctors go next door to the College of Fisheries and grab five large Chinook salmon, remove their hearts and put them together in a series to be placed in me. After I recover, I dedicate my life to the protection fish in the Pacific Northwest.

For those of you that really want to know how I am doing, I am doing well. A slow recovery, but I am making positive steps.