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TerryK
Member
Username: Terryk
Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2009
| | Posted on Friday, November 06, 2009 - 01:04 pm: | 
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Hi everyone! Welcome to my first blog!
My name is Theresa. If you've read my story, you can see that organ donation has touched my life personally. It happened three years ago and changed my life forever. I'm not going to go over the story again because you can read it for yourself at www.GreenRibbonConnection.com. What I AM going to do is try to provide you with news, updates, stories and my thoughts on life! Oh, and I might talk about organ donation too. All this brought to you through the miracle of modern technology! OK, I know blogging has been around for awhile, but I'm new to it so it's still a MIRACLE to me! Here it goes!
My sister called me this morning. She is a stay-at-home mom who is approaching the big 5-0. She was feeling a bit blue about the upcoming birthday and having one of those "What's-my-purpose-in-life kind of days. You know the feeling. One of those days when you wonder what exactly you're supposed to DO with your time here on this earth. Those "Is-this-all-there-is" kinds of feeling?
Now I’m no expert on what we should do with our lives by any means, but I try to be a good listener. My sister talked about feeling disappointment, about feeling a bit isolated from the world. She felt she needed to get out there. She needed to do SOMETHING! She just didn’t know what. I did my best to cheer her up, and being the great problem solver that I am, suggested, that she join a social networking site such as Facebook. After all, a group on Facebook has inspired me to get off my butt and start exercising again. So I figured, it couldn’t hurt. Brilliant, I know!
Reluctantly, and rather skeptically I might add, my sister agreed to join Facebook. (Really, I think she just said yes to shut me up!) I proceeded to explain the inner workings of Facebook as best I could which would be the same as if a 5 year old were explaining it to her. Heck, I get lost trying to log in! How do you do a search for people again??? I told my sister that I knew there were different organizations or groups she could join. I don’t know if they are called organizations, or communities, or forums, or whatever. I just knew there were these groups you could join, with people having similar interests, that she might enjoy. I was hoping that once she got her Facebook feet wet, so to speak, she might start to feel better, more connected and feel better about herself. Brilliant! I know . . .
I walked her through the steps to sign up for Facebook. We came to the section where you have to type in a funny word so Facebook knows you're an authentic, REAL live person, and not a spammer. Guess what her word was!? Existence. Existence, the very thing she was questioning! She had called me wondering what the meaning of life was and her word was Existence. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Now that might not sound like much of a story to you, but it got me to thinking, thinking back to when I first learned I was going to be a live liver donor for my brother. It got me to thinking about signals, the little signs and subtleties that make up our life. Do we pay attention to these signs? Are life experiences coincidence or are they signals?
It was early April, 2006, and my friend called and asked me if I wanted to go to the driving range to hit some balls. Stupidly thinking that this might improve my golf game, I agreed to go. While I was driving out to the course, a car passed by me with one of those personalized license plates. It read “MiracleZHappen.” I noticed it and didn’t think much about it except, “Why do people get those personalized plates anyway? Don’t they just cost extra money?” I continued the drive to the golf course.
My friend and I were on the driving range for about a half-hour discussing the trials and tribulations that are the golf game, when my cell phone rang. The caller ID indicated it was Mayo Clinic. The transplant coordinator was calling to tell me that I had passed the medical screening process and was eligible to become a live liver donor for my brother. I was a compatible donor. The decision was up to me. I think I thanked the coordinator for calling, but can’t be sure because all I remember was feeling a bit frazzled. Had I heard her correctly? I was a compatible donor. I was? Was I? Did I want to do this? The decision was up to me. Maybe I should call back, just to make sure...
I told my friend that I’d had enough golf practice for the day (like it would ever help my game), and was heading home. I needed to think. I needed to make a decision. I needed to discuss this with my husband. I needed to discuss this with my family.
I got into my car and started the ten minute drive home. At the stoplight, I came up behind a huge semi truck. You know the type, the big trucks that take forever to get going after sitting at a stop light? As I’m sitting behind the truck waiting for the signal to turn green, I notice its bumper sticker. It reads “Life happens.” Life happens. You got that right.
As I’m turning into my driveway, a third car passed me. It was an older model little Subaru covered in bumper stickers. You couldn’t miss this car. It was literally COVERED in bumper stickers! It had to be driven by some young college kid because no ADULT I know would be caught dead driving a car like that. There were bumper stickers for everything, skiing, snowboarding, save-the-earth, I’m a Phishhead, you name it. Some were faded and yellow. Others were torn. But there was one particular bumper sticker that stood out to me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The bumper sticker was green and in the shape of the State of Colorado. It read “Transplant.”
This is a true story. Life does send us signals. We just need to pay attention.
Have a Beautiful Day!
Theresa Whisenand |
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Meagan
Forum Leader
Username: Newheart14
Post Number: 419
Registered: 01-2009
| | Posted on Friday, November 06, 2009 - 01:37 pm: |
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Hi Theresa,
Welcome and congratulations on your blog. It's wonderful. I am also a novice at blogging and, to date, I have been posting mostly pictures.
I read the story about your gift of life to your brother. You are truly an angel. I am glad to hear your brother is doing well.
I hope you continue to write. You're a terrific writer.
There are a few donors on the site who I am sure you will meet up with eventually.
Meagan
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Hostess Rise'
Forum Leader
Username: Risa
Post Number: 10962
Registered: 05-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 06, 2009 - 03:01 pm: |
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Hi Theresa
I loved reading your blog/ story. I want to hear more.
Your story gave me the chills. Pay attention to the signs.
Thank you for joining us.
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Hostess Rise'
Forum Leader
Username: Risa
Post Number: 10963
Registered: 05-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 06, 2009 - 03:04 pm: |
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For those who are new to Transplantbuddies, Theresa has a great webstie for Organ donor awareness items. check it out
http://www.greenribbonconnection.com/
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Karen R.
Forum Leader
Username: Relivkaren
Post Number: 3774
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009 - 09:12 pm: |
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Theresa:
Welcome to Transplant Buddies. What an incredibly loving thing you did for your brother by donating part of your liver. It was so great to see you both looking so healthy. I love your website! It is a great way to get more awareness for organ donation. I am currently waiting for a double lung transplant so the more awareness out there the closer I am to my second chance at life. Thank you for all your hard work!
Your blog is fun! What a great story. I am not a blogger. I tried it once on my own and I just couldn't keep up. I love reading others blogs though. Keep on telling us great stories!!
God Bless!
Karen
Dx: BOOP - May 2006. Rediagnosed with Bronchiolitis Obliterans Nov. 2006
Listed Feb 2008 - Waiting on double lung transplant at Cleveland Clinic
Ohio, USA
Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. |
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Marina
Member
Username: Marina
Post Number: 50
Registered: 08-2009
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 02, 2010 - 07:57 pm: |
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Hi Theresa,
so wonderful that you could give your brother the gift of life, a second chance of life.
I also agree with how life, the universe, high power, God or whatever we choose to call it, gives us signs.
I rely on signs often, especially when I have to make an important decision.
The signs are given to me too.
We often forget to pay attention, that's for sure!!!
awaiting kidney-pancreas since Aug 22, 2008
California Pacific Medical center CPMC San francisco, CA
BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!! |
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DAP1122
Forum Leader
Username: Dap1122
Post Number: 1514
Registered: 05-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 03, 2010 - 07:34 am: |
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Theresa,
Hello and welcome to TransplantBuddies. I really enjoyed reading your story, you have a great writing style.
And, I agree ....... I like to call those "signals" as my roads signs on the path of life. They always pop up unexpectedly.
Be well.
New blog/web page - http://My2ndHeartBeat.wordpress.com
DAP1122@Gmail.com
Heart Tx - 5/11/2007
DAP
Ohio, USA
Link to the Transplant Buddies Calendar - http://www.my.calendars.net/2ndHeartBeat |
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