Reminder..
I was looking at my training schedule this morning and notice I have been running everyday since last Tuesday. Horray!!
Mind you, the mileage ain’t particularly high. This week, I am up to 14 miles. Running in the snow and keeping the HR down, I have to slow down. Stay relax.
At church, I am part of the usher ministry. I was talking with one of the ushers last Sunday. He was a pharmacist. As someone who knows a lot about drugs, my question for all pharmacists are, ‘I am taking cyclosporine. Why am I taking this?‘ It is fun to tease them and test them of what they know (or don’t know).
Cyclosporine is an immune-suppression drug I am taking. With the liver transplant, the body considered the liver as a foreign host and tried to attack it. Cyclosporine is to keep my immune system from rejecting the liver.
We chatted a bit about my operation. I had the liver transplant at the age of 11. He mentioned that the technology back then was still pretty new. I researched last year on the longetivity of transplant patients. Unfortunately (or fortunately!) I am at the border of that research. (I just thought that was cool).
The usher told me I didn’t look like I had a transplant. What a great reminder =D.
I had my liver transplant at Toronto’s The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids for short). The hospital I now go to, Toronto General Hospital, is side by side with Sick Kids.
I have an annual check up with my transplant doctor tomorrow. Once a year, walking by Sick Kids reminds me of where I was seventeen years ago. I remembered the room I was staying at. The nights I would stared out the street to see the city lights. Watching Night Court, playing video games, making my own hockey games in my room. In a ward, with other kids who had transplants. The caring enviornment of the nurses and doctors.
It’s good to be reminded where you are from. Where you started. Be it the first open water swim or the first Ironman. It’s good to take a step back and reflected the memories, the agony and the laughter.
Hmm….I will be heading into my eighteen year of transplant. Looking back, not many people have a second chance to live.
Thank you for reading and have a great day!
Note: This Sat I am planning to do a Mississauga Half. 1 hr swim, 3 hr bike and 2 hr run =D. Fun fun fun!!!
PS – Happy Valentines Day…I already got my chocolate this morning at work =D. Note to self: need to clamp down on the chocolate…
Cliff, may the eighteenth be the best year ever!!
not many people get to go through life with your perspective on gratitude-thanks for sharing it with us
Congratulations on a great life and remember, the best is yet to come.
I like your definition of fun 🙂
And thanks for sharing your story. I really don’t know much about transplants and learn a lot from you.
I have a friend who had a kidney transplant. She celebrates her real birthday as well as her kidney birthday. May your 18th year be the best to date!
Thanks for sharing about your childhood experience. My husband used to work with the hospital ministry visiting people and he always enjoyed seeing the kids the most.
your doing a half iron already this year. holy moly.
your a miracle in the house.
What a great post…we all definitely need to remember where we came from. Thanks for the reminder.
Cliff – wow. What a journey you’ve been on and so much to say about life and living moment by moment. Thanks for sharing your journey. All the best in your 18th year!
cliff – what a great reminder of how far you’ve come.
happy 18th!!