Operation Breath of Life Update 11/4/2009

My dad's latest update is below. I don't think there is much more I can add except that I am excited at the thought of being able to see him in person again next week! We have had a quick trip to Disney planned for the 4 of us since July and it couldn't be better timing, but the thought of passing right by Jacksonville and not stopping just doesn't make sense. So we hope to stop in for a night and at least have the girls get a chance to say hello. And I am anxious to see him outside of the hospital! So, sit back and enjoy the update! Keep the prayer pages coming (In case you don't have the number anymore: 561-230-0012) One day I will find time to sit down and write a reflection on these past few weeks! It's been amazing!

Now onto my dad's bit:
It seems like alot has happened since our last update from October 29. However, Debbie and I first wanted to say thank you again for all of your prayers, cards and expressions of love on our
behalf. We continue to be humbled and blessed by God as He has used so many people to bless us in so many ways.
Last Friday was a special day as we celebrated my birthday with Mark and Dawn. Lots of laughs and obviously a special day in my new season of life as it had been also 4 weeks since my double lung transplant surgery. If you would have told me how great I was going to feel only 4 weeks after surgery and described it to me, I would never have believed you. It is all such a miracle from God.
The weekends are nice in that no hospital appointments are required and the highlight is for Debbie and I to sit in Mark and Dawn`s beautiful family room and watch Pastor Clay and Pastor Bob lead us in worship. With the time change this past weekend, we decided to watch the 8am service as we so look forward to that time of worship. We are so blessed by our church and cant` imagine life without God in the center of life.
Cardio/Pulmonary Re-hab at the Mayo Clinic continues to go very well. The staff at the Re-hab center are very thorough and are humored by Debbie and I. We attend classes together before each re-hab session on Mon./Wed./Fri. and as various staff lead the teaching sessions, they obviously observe the personalities of both the transplant patients and their caregivers. After those clases are over each morning, Debbie changes and goes out and does her exercising while I go do my re-hab. The staff tell me what a great team Debbie and I make and on Monday 3 of the staff ladies were telling a new patient who was next to me on the treadmill how they bet Debbie keeps me in line with what I eat and how she probably doesn`t let me get away with anything. [The 3 of them were laughing so hard and it was really at me but at the same time laughing respectfully at Debbie, if that seems possible]. They are all so encouraging, as just today another new heart transplant patient was on a treadmill next to me and she was asking the physical therapist how long it would take her to do what I was doing and the therapist said "Oh, that`s Rick, he is our superstar in here". I only share that to illustrate how blessed I am and to encourage each you so that you know all of those prayers are working.
On Tuesday of this week, we met with a neurologist for the purpose of checking out the recovery progress of my left leg as a result of the complications which occurred right after the transplant surgery. The doctor reviewed my charts as we sat with him and was totally amazed at what complications had taken place just 4 weeks ago and then to put me through his tests and to then see how strong my body has recovered in such a short period of time, he acknowledged this is truly a miracle. As he went back to all of the charts, CT scans and tests results from that day, he commented on the extensive testing that was done on me through that critical time and said at some point between tests I must have had a slight stroke, but for some reason it did not show up on any of the tests. However, the only affect left to yet clear itself up is just for my left leg to continue to strengthen through the re-hab I am doing and that they expect full recovery. Keep in mind, on Monday of this week I did just over 4 miles of exercising at pace of 3 miles per hour [that was broken up into 2 segments]. The weakness in my left leg is only when I do certain leg exercises, but it continues to progress daily. While meeting with this doctor, our prayer pager was buzzing in Debbie`s hand bag and the doctor asked what that was. We explained and he was very interested to hear about it and the purpose of it and said he had never heard of something like that before. It gave us an opportunity to share our faith with him. That pager has been used to share about all of you "prayer pagers" out there and to allow us to share our faith in God to alot of people.
I know it has been mentioned in the past, but after many drafts and many nights of not sleeping well, due partially to my body adjusting to the meds, I have had alot of time to compose my thoughts regarding my letter to the donor family. There were many guidelines to follow and it was to be hand written. Debbie turned it in today while I was at one of my appointments this afternoon and while turning it in at the Pulmonary Department, one of my pulmonologists was at the receptionist desk and she told him what was in the envelope and he said he felt the family would probably want to meet us [based on past history] and how encouraging it would be for them to see how strong and vibrant the recepient of their loved ones lungs is doing. Please continue to pray for that family and for the letter which they should be receiving very soon. It will first be reviewed by staff at the Mayo Clinic prior to them forwarding it through the proper channels.
In closing, it`s obvious God continues to bless us through this journey, but I will share a few prayer requests with you. First, would be for the donor family and their loss of a loved one and the receipt of our letter. Second, would be for my continued miraculous recovery and that no rejection or serious complications occur. Third, I have had some serious gastro intestinal challenges which have been very uncomfortable and does affect my exercising/re-hab/sleep quality.
Sorry for the length of this update, but it so exciting to share how God has worked through this season of our journey. Praise wise, the list is endless. Debbie connected me to my last dose on the IV earlier tonight and I am scheduled to get my picline removed this Friday. That is huge! Test results all continue to be great. We continue to be so blessed by so many praying for us and ask you to keep praying as the doctors continue to caution us of possible bumps in the road but at the same time are also amazed at what their own eyes see in my particular case. In talking to other lung transplant patients we meet, we are constantly reminded of how God is truly blessing us.
Love in Christ,
Rick and Debbie