From Mark: Waiting For A Heart Chronicles

I’ll start again by thanking everyone that has sent a card, brought food, gave us a dinner out, responded to the blog posts, or just “liked” some of the references to my journey on Facebook.  I look at every post, read every card and view every “like” and comment.  It’s a lifeline.

I’m feeling really good right now!  I’ve established a routine mostly focused on taking care of my heart as I try to add back parts of my life that energize me and make me want to get up every day. That includes my work at Gallup.  I celebrated 14 years of employment with Gallup this week, and I count a lot of my coworkers as very dear friends.

I have a home healthcare nurse that comes by twice a week to check my vitals, check that I’m doing ok emotionally, and make sure my picc (peripherally inserted central catheter) line is working.  The line is hooked to a small (but not that small) electronic pump, and a bag of meds that I change along with a battery every 48 hours.  I love my picc like a child would love and care for their tamagotchi.

Ken, my nurse, says I’m his best patient… because I’m compliant, go figure!  Compliant to me means I want to do everything in my power to keep this heart going until I get the call that a heart has been donated with my name on it.  I follow his instructions to the letter.  It’s probably the most disciplined I’ve been about anything, except running.

I’m doing better than ok emotionally because I have so many friends supporting me.  My second week out of the hospital I had two dear friends from my Young Life days, Kyle Gillespie, and Heidi Kretsinger, pay me a visit with a huge winter storm looming in the home town of KC.  They were followed by two more YL friends from Lincoln, Troy Heller and Bret Welstead.  We didn’t do a lot, just hung out, talked and they obliged my obsession with hot spicy food (nothing else tastes good, not even dessert). So we went out to eat Thai, Mexican and for a special treat, Caribbean food at a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  The only peppers they cook with are scotch bonnets and ghost peppers… it was amazing!

My work buddy, Paula Wilhelm, is another friend that goes above and beyond running things to and from the office, bringing over food or an extra bag of salt for our sidewalk.  She also took the initiative to email our CEO regarding Organ Donor Day last Friday.  He forwarded the message to the entire company.  Here’s the link…
http://www.organdonor.gov/index.html

Needless to say I’m humbled by the sacrifice and commitment so many have shown our family.  The words and prayers and actions of my friends and family make me want to get up each day.  I’ll share more about the selfless acts of others in the future… there’s a lot!

Probably enough for now…  Thanks!