Cinco De Mayo

     To many of you Cinco de Mayo refers to the Commemoration of the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in the Franco-Mexican War.


     To me it does too, however I have a huge celebration as well. On this day in 2005 (yes o5-05-05) I received my third chance at a new life. I received a kidney transplant. 


     I am to this day amazed at how little we think of our kidneys, and how they bring everything into working order  in these complex machines we call our bodies. I knew I was anemic and had high blood pressure because of the the insufficiency of my kidneys. But to see the day after transplant my blood pressure reading drop to a whopping 95/64 with no meds from barely controlled 120/92 (on a good day) while taking 2 different medications is phenomenal.. I mean how can this small organ, smaller than my fist accomplish such a huge feat?


     I still have my 3 page list of foods I had to avoid. No they were not the fast foods we hear about today. These were ones I loved: bananas, oranges, broccoli, dairy, etc. I used to  joke that anything that was naturally good and colorful was b-a-d for me. I held out to the very last with my Diet Coke. Can't have caramel colored soft drinks either, too much phosphorus. I only drank them when I had an upset stomach. That too was nixed in the end.


     I no longer have my "Popeye" arm, where the fistula was placed. It was removed exactly 5 years to the day after it was put in. It had formed a clot due to non-use. I smiled to think non-use. Wow, first time I could actually say I had a surgical procedure done as a pre-cautionary  that was exactly that! Now all that remains is a long scar from under my arm-pit to just below my wrist. A reminder to take care of that lone kidney I received from Suzie my sweet donor. And the wonderful Donor Dad who agreed to let me receive it.


Today is melancholy and yet happy. Today is my celebration, while  Donor Dad is remembering his little girl he lost on May 3, 2005 her birthday. You too can honor my donor Suzie, please visit my page  and see her picture and read a little about her too. We have alot of similarities in our lives.


Are you an Organ Donor ? The life you could save might be one you love.. ♥


Recycle yourself.. Become an Organ and Tissue Donor 

Cinco De Mayo !!!!!

This day six years ago was one of the luckiest days of my life!

You see, on May 5, 2005 yep, 05/05/05  ( gotta be lucky) I received my kidney transplant.. To make it more coincidental my surgeons name was Dr. Foley! Those of you not around medical issues probably wouldn't understand the humor.The relation of Dr. Foley and "foley catheters " was not lost on me.

********** So ..... today I am 6 years old **********

I get to run, play , jump on the bed to my hearts content1 I'm a kid again!!!!

But none of this would be possible without the gracious Gift of Life from my donor Susie Paxton.  There were a myriad of coincidences that year.. My Donor Dad had removed dear Susie from life support on her birthday May 3,2005- and graciously gave me a true Gift on May 5, 2005. I lost my Daddy on June 3, 2005 and he was 30 days from his birthday on July 3,2005.  I wrote an anonymous letter to my donor family one year later and through a few letters I finally spoke with Ron Paxton who I now call  my Donor Dad.

Life throws us many curve balls, but it is true that when one door closes a window opens..  I discovered that Susie and me had many similarities with very different outcomes. I owe her and Donor Dad my life. For you see if not for the kidney transplant eventually the lung transplant and the rest of my health would have gone into a steady decline.

If you have a moment, please visit my "honor page"  and meet Susie... She is a true gift to all !

Cinco de Mayo-God Bless Susie

Yes I know I'm a day late. I have a great excuse believe me. I was celebrating the wonders of organ donation and how one person can change a life.
It was on May 3, 2005, that my Donor Dad, Ron Paxton had to make the most heart-wrenching decision of his life. He chose to remove his lovely and only daughter Susie from life support and donate her organs.
     May 3rd was also her birthday.....
I received one of Susie's kidneys on May 5th. 05-05-05 to be exact. While I celebrate  one of the best days of my life, my Donor Dad is quietly grieving over the loss of his loving daughter. Through letters and phone calls, we have discovered Susie & me had many parallels in our lives.
       We were six months apart in age.
        We both had serious heart problems as infants-Susies' was found early -mine was not. Regrettably during surgery the heart lung machine malfunctioned and she remained "Daddy's Little Girl" her entire life.
       Susie's Mother had lung issues that would have required a lung transplant had she chosen to.-I've had 2 lung transplants.
        Susie was an athlete and ran in the Special Olympics- I competed in Track & Field at the U.S. Transplant Games.

It is said, When God closes a door -He opens a window. 
        Donor Dad lost his little girl May 3rd
        I lost my Daddy on June 3rd and his birthday would have been July 3rd
I still miss my daddy every second of the day, but through the miracle of organ transplantation I am Blessed with one great Donor Dad.

Susie will forever be honored with the pendant I designed above. The "sisters" cameo is designed in the pocketbook style of wrapping, and the Swarovski crystals are in our birthstones. The left side is one emerald for Susie, while the right  side holds one rose as well as one emerald crystal signifying what she gave to me.

I worry over my Donor Dad each year on the 3rd of May and say a few extra prayers for him and Susie.
I celebrate her life and the life the two of them gave me on the 5th of May.

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!!