The National Kidney Foundation estimates that 350,000 people in the US have end-stage renal disease and about 67,000 people die of kidney failure every year.
In the year 2000, 47,000 people in the US were waiting for a kidney transplant.
The lack of organs available for transplantation is a serious problem. By signing a donor card, an individual indicates their wish to be a donor. It is important to share your wishes with your next of kin as they will be asked prior to a donation.
I took Gary to his first Buckeye game against Poodoo(Purdue). The game was a stinker. We still had a good time. We walked around the tailgate areas, took a gander at Heinegate(pre and post game), the Skull Session, and walked around the shoe. We walked around St. John Arena and when we actually walked in we saw Coach Tressel speak and then the players walked out. We were right above the tunnel the players and coaches walked out. Great timing on my part. Even though the game stunk it was still a good time. Here are some pictures.
Skull Session in St. John Arena.
Not our seats but got a chance to get close to the field after the game.
A face only a mother could love.
Dave sent me this picture a few minutes ago. He is up there with his MSU grad wife, and going to the game. Leave her there bro. MSU SUCKS! GO BUCKS! ha.
I had an EEG a few days ago. Just wanted to see if I had any lasting effects from the seizures. I don't know the results just yet. I had the lady take a picture of me. God look at my neck. I think I have about 3 twinkies stored in there. GROSS!!!
An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of your brain. Special sensors are attached to your head and hooked by wires to a computer. The computer records your brain's electrical activity on the screen or on paper as wavy lines. Certain conditions, such as seizures, can be seen by the changes in the normal pattern of the brain's electrical activity.
One year ago, I was 28 years old and my husband of 6 years was 30. My husband was on a ventilator at OSU, in what I referred to as a drug induced coma. He would not respond to my voice or my touch. I was in the ICU with my family and friends when a doctor told me that they thought something was or actually was not going on in my husband's brain. I was told that the fact that his tongue could potentially get cut off, was not at all an issue to deal with now. A doctor actually let my family and friends think that Neal was brain dead. For days we would all go back and visit hoping to get a response from him and nothing. It was days before tests were run to prove the doctors wrong.
I drove him to the hospital just 12 hours earlier and he knew my name and his name (although he could barely talk since his tongue was swollen throughout his entire mouth), but could not even tell me what year it was. He did not even answer let alone acknowledge my question "What year is it?" He simply stared into space as if my question never made it to his brain. I immediately called my sister and said meet me at the hospital right now, something is really wrong. Upon arriving at the hospital we were taken to a trauma room. We had never visited this area of the ER before, which was not a good sign. Neal was put on a ventilator and taken away for tests. Six hours later we saw him heavily sedated on a ventilator and still had no answers. My mom stated it best, this was a real life NIGHTMARE.
Thankfully the images of this nightmare are slowly fading. Neal likes to joke about this incident. I in turn do not think anything about it is funny and wish I could forget the month of October 2007 forever, perhaps even the entire year! Who would have thought we would be where we are today. Neal is in the best shape since we first started dating 13 years ago. I think we both have a new, improved outlook on life.
Michele and I have settled into our grove. I keep working out as much as I physically can. Michele has picked up tennis. She is getting better every time she plays. We have had a few lessons together. I started taking advanced lessons. I really enjoy playing. I hate watching it. All the tennis people like watching it. Most weeks I play on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
I started a softball team(I play and coach) and we play at Berliner on Wednesdays. We are 3-3 so far. We ran up against a really good team and one team that was just awful. Hopefully we can make the playoffs but who knows.
Ryan is ready for this half marathon. He can already run the half. Impressive. For a Clydesdale.
I am again going zip lining on October 4th. I am taking my nephew Austin. It is his birthday present. He does not know he is going. So if you read this Austin this is what we are doing for your b-day.
Michele and I volunteered at the NBC4 Health Expo for Donate Life of Ohio. It was a little weird in the beginning but after a while it was fine. We got 3 or 4 people to sign up to donate there organs upon there demise. No one else that worked there at the time we were there had anyone sign up. I think it went well. Now comes the boneheaded part. One lady came up to the table and said that when her son died in a car crash she donated all of his organs. I then said how wonderful. Sad thing is it sounded more like I said how wonderful about the car crash. The lady did not say anything about it and probably knew what I meant. I can kind of laugh about it but I felt a little bad. But I got her to sign up to give up her organs upon death. That is what Donate Life gets for sending me out in the public with no training before hand. I plan on becoming a ambassador for Donate Life in the near future. Just one more training class.
Michele forgot to mention we went to Ruth's Chris for dinner. Here she is digging into a plate of cheesecake.
Neal and I just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. In total we have been together for 13 years. Last year we were at a tailgate and Neal had to use a cane to walk and could only stay an hour. This year, we road our bikes down to tailgate from the Park of Roses and I had to drag him out of there. What a difference a year makes! I accidentally scheduled a tennis lesson on our anniversary, so we did that followed by dinner and dessert. At least I did not try to schedule a boys night at an Indians game!
Neal is doing great. Better than ever. Ryan has also recovered quite nicely. What is a guy to do after donating his kidney to his friend...... run a half marathon. Seems logical to me. Ryan is running for a cause. We are proud to say he is our friend! Here is a letter from him.
Friends and Family,
Many of you know that I am training for the Columbus Half-Marathon. I'm currently up to 11 miles in preparation for the 13.1 miles on race day Saturday, October 19th. I recently found out that I will be a "Clydesdale" in the race. When I went to sign up I had to pick a category of runner, the categories are "Men", "Women", "Clydesdales" and "Athenas". No, I will not be in horse-costume towing a buggy of Budweiser. So what is a Clydesdale? It's a man over 200 pounds competing in a half marathon. Apparently we have our own category in the racing world. While my initial goal was simply to complete the half marathon, that has since changed. My new goal is to be the first "Clydesdale" across the finish line. The fastest fat man in the field! For 2009, my goal is to simply attain "Man" status in the racing world! You've got to start somewhere I guess.
What many of you don't know is why I am running in the marathon. This year, a co-worker of mine at Pearson Education, Marissa Feliberty, passed away from cancer. At just 40 years old she left a husband and 3 young children. Marissa's battle with cancer came at the same time as my own brush with the disease. When I went for my follow up with the oncologist in March to make sure my remaining kidney was clear, I made a visit to Marissa, who was also in the James Cancer Hospital that day. Just a week prior, Marissa had learned that her cancer was terminal. Needless to say, when my own results came back that morning clear as expected, it was not a joyous day of relief but a day of many emotions. Marissa passed away days later on March 18th, 2008.
A group of people at my company got together afterward and wanted to do something to honor Marissa and support her family. We are raising money for her children's college funds, Chloe (13), Ben (11), and Olivia (9). If you would like to sponsor me for the half marathon and our fundraiser for Marissa's family, please send your check, made out to Friends of Marissa, to Alicia's attention at the address below.
Alicia Wozniak, Pearson Education, 445 Hutchinson Ave., 4th Fl., Columbus, OH 43235. Any amount, even $10, will help me attain my goal of $1,500 for this fundraiser. Thanks for your consideration and support.
Got my Buckeye season tickets in the mail yesterday(Sec 18C Row 36, Seats 29&30 Top picture is a view of the field from my section). My seats are not all that good but better than last year. Should be another fun year of tailgating and pissin in the bushes near the Ag buildings.
Neal was diagnosed with end stage renal disease at the age of 18. He was put on the transplant list and received a transplant after 3 years on peritoneal dialysis. He received a cadaver kidney that had been on ice for quite some time. The kidney did not begin working immediately. The doctor felt the life of the kidney would be 8-10 years. Neals' transplant rejected in late November of 2006 (a life just over 8 years). Since then he has been on hemodialysis 3 days a week for 4 hours each time. Due to Neal's young age, the doctor encouraged him to find a live donor. A live donor transplant can last almost twice the time of a cadaver transplant and could occur quickly, rather than waiting for the cadaver transplant. Unfortunately his immediate family members are not matches. Luckily a good friend was a match and began the testing process.
Neal and Michele met Ryan in 1998. Vacations, birthdays, weddings and soon to be births have been shared between the couples. Many people spend their lives searching for friends like this.
Not our seats but got a chance to get close to the field after the game.
