Operation Breath of Life Update 8/28/2010

Approaching One Year!!!!

Amazing, Miraculous, Unbelievable, Wow, Humbling, Thankful, Grateful, Blessed.....those are just a few words that could describe our feelings this past 11 months. We are just shy of one month until we reach our 1st anniversary [October 2, 2009] since being given new life through the gift of lung transplant.

We have learned so much this past 11 months about how to adjust to a very different lifestyle, but when it is all said and done, we are so blessed to be exactly where we are at today. Many things have taken place in our family's life since my last update on June 14, 2010.

Some of you might recall that the day we were called for transplant, shortly after Debbie and I met at our home in Davie and departed for the airport, a "For Sale" sign was placed at our house that very afternoon. We had been talking for about 2 1/2 years prior to transplant of moving closer to our church/school so that Kylie and Debbie could be closer to where they spend the majority of their time. With the unpredictability of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, we felt it was best for Debbie and Kylie not to be in the home we were in and felt downsizing and moving closer to our church/school would be in their best interest.

Fast forward to June 21, 2010 and as we entered into a contract with a closing date of August 30 on our home at 9pm that night, we then left for New Hampshire the next morning at 7am. Not having a place to move to, as we flew [first time flying since transplant] Debbie and I began to talk where/what/how in regards to where we were going to go. We decided to lease a Condo in the Palm Aire community and through the internet and friends being our eyes and checking out what we found on-line, we basically leased a place to live while in New Hampshire!!! Some of our desires were for our "New Home" to be a place for Kylie and her friends to be able to hang out after school, a place for her friends to sleepover, a place for team meals.....a place for ministry to kids and families. In keeping with my nature to not want to sit and wait for the August 30th closing date, I moved the closing date up to July 30th. We actually entered into a contract without having a place to go, moved into our new home and closed on our old home all within 5 weeks. It is totally another God Story as to how it all worked out. On the second night in our new home, Kylie asked if one of her friends could sleepover after church that Saturday night....during the first week of school kids were over after school hanging out awaiting going back to school later.....and 4 weeks after moving in we had the opportunity to host Kylie's basketball team and some parents [26 people in total] for a going-away dinner for one of their teammates heading off to college!!!! It is totally working!!!

It's as if he never skipped a beat!

Just a brief comment about our time in New Hampshire this past summer. We had the opportunity to be with our kids and grandkids, Debbie's parents, The Kelly's and many friends. Our annual "Russ Bell Memorial Tournament and Dinner" went very well and one of the highlights for me was having my friend DJ and his mom and dad attend the dinner. DJ is the special needs young man I wrote about in one of my earlier updates [1/12/2010 update] that I am blessed to share a friendship with. I was blessed to sit with DJ to watch the July 4th Fireworks along with other friends and family and to then have a great conversation with him the evening after our golf tournament/dinner. DJ has promised me that he is going to play on my team next year and that he is even telling me what music to select for our video. I am truly blessed by this young man.

DJ and Dad ready to watch fireworks at Alton Bay

Regarding where we are at with correspondence with Rosemary [Timothy's mother], just this past week I have spoken to the coordinator for Lifelink of Georgia and she is sending both Rosemary and I release forms to sign, which will allow for us to correspond/communicate directly with each other. The next step would be for us to talk and set a time and place for Debbie and I to fly and meet her personally. Her son Timothy had lived in Georgia, but she lives somewhere in Kentucky and I presume that we would travel there to meet her. I will look forward to that time and to then learn more about Timothy's life, to understand what happened at his time of death and to have a picture of him. My thought this past week was if you looked at me, you would never know that I had gone through double lung transplant surgery. However, for the purpose of sharing the Miracle Story of God, if I showed you a picture of a young man and then said his lungs are inside my body, now that would be amazing, miraculous and unbelievable!!!! I'm still not quite sure how God is going to use us with all that we have been through, but it should be exciting as He unveils His plan for us as to how we can share this Miracle Story with others. Please continue to pray for Rosemary and how we can be used to encourage her in her journey in life.

Regarding my health, I continue to exercise and workout faithfully. It seems like what I refer to as my "left side issues" are going to be with me. The feelings and sensations I experience on the left side of my body continue to persist as a result of the neurological damage that occurred right after surgery. However, as stated many times, that is a small trade-off for being able to breathe and to continue living!!! I totally enjoy my exercise time and the best thing is the problems with my "left side issues" do not affect my exercise or strength. I even returned to playing golf while in New Hampshire with no ill affects on my body. The only complaint I might have is that my golf game was just as bad as before surgery!!!

At the top of Mt Major in NH this past summer.

Next, I want to share a very serious prayer request with each of you. As the story goes, "Operation Breath of Life" has been a tremendous success. However it appears that an "Operation Breath of Life"--"Phase 2" is upon us. Some of you might have already heard this, but my older brother Steve had Lung Biopsy Surgery recently and our doctor has told him that he has the same disease that I had. We have suspected this for quite some time, but without this surgery there was no confirmation. Steve and Denise have had many challenges in life, much like many of us, but coupled with the unfortunate loss of their daughter a year ago this past May, this could present a serious challenge to their family. However, as we have told them, we have not experienced the loss of a child, but others have and some have gone forward in life. Regarding this next challenge of having IPF and facing the uncertainty of this disease, that is something that Debbie and I have experienced and through our faith in God, through our own prayers and the countless prayers and expressions of love from so many, they too can come out on the other side of this trial in life. Trials are an opportunity to grow in relationship to Christ, so please pray for Steve, Denise, Steve Jr. and Michael as it presents opportunity for them to grow closer together with Christ and each other as well. Please don't allow any of these comments to sound judgmental, but know that as a result of our trial, it gave opportunity for our family to grow closer to one another and to our Lord and Savior.

Also please pray for our son-in-law Eric as he will be returning to Iraq for another 6 month tour of duty starting in Mid-October. Even though we hear on the news how all of our servicemen and women will be home by next year year from Iraq, the operation of replacing/rotating our military personnel continues. The timing of them being stationed in South Carolina while we went through our time at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville was a blessing from God. They are now stationed in Kansas and will soon be joined by our son Ricky, as he is going to be moving west to join his favorite brother-in-law Eric, sister Christy and their kids Nichole and Emily.

Lastly, Debbie and I will traveling up to New Hampshire this coming week to spend a few days with Debbie's parents. As with many, they too are experiencing the challenges that come with the process of growing older and wiser. Both of her parents are having health issues face them unlike any other time in their life. They have both been blessed with a lifetime of good health, but daily life today presents many challenges. Please pray for the quality of life and for wisdom for the doctors that are treating them.

The girls walking to church with G-Man in New Hampshire

As always, we are grateful and encouraged by your prayers, love and concern for us. Just 2 weeks ago at church, we saw a young man who is now a junior in high school. When he was in middle school, he spoke at his graduation ceremony and mentioned how as "Middle Schoolers", his class had prayed for me and another man who had previously gone through a kidney transplant and how God was teaching them to how to pray for others. Maybe it was just me, but I had not seen this young man in quite some time and his greeting to me seemed so sincere. We have been blessed by so many, both young and old.

In Christ's Love,

Rick and Debbie

A thanks goes out to Luke Smith of Living Proof Studios for coming out to take pictures of our family in New Hampshire, one of our favorite places to all be together.