"It's election day 2016. Susan and I vote and proudly wear our "I Voted" stickers even though Susan does not like any name tags or stickers on her clothing. Next, we head to the UCSF hospital for some required blood draws. Finally I'm called, and we both enter the cubical for the draw. My phone rings
For months, every time the phone rang and there was a 415 prefix, Susan and I chorused: "Your heart is here!" This time, as Susan laid her head on my shoulder to hear better, we finally heard the words--
"Your heart is here. How soon can you get to the hospital." My heart skips a beat except I pretty much have no heart. Five months before I had a preliminary major surgery to have an LVAD (Left Ventricle Assist Device) installed, which is basically a tiny battery-driven turbine to keep the blood through my body until a match for a new heart could be found.
We both gasped and then we heard these words, "Where are you now?"
"We're right across the street."
In the photo above, you see the strap for the battery pack to the LVAD, and the "I Voted" sticker I proudly transferred to my hospital gown.
At 4:30 am, four days after the transplant of what the surgeon called a "pristine heart," I felt compelled to write MY HEART AND I. I was surprised to learn several days later that two of my nurses had found it and sent it in to KTVU, where it went viral. This is a testament not to my writing skill but to the turbulent and divisive times. People were desperate for a vision of unity and hope.
My Heart and I
I know a lot about myself. But I know nothing about my new heart other than it has saved my life.
My heart could be male or female. My heart could be Hispanic, African-American, Native America, Indian, or Caucasian. My new heart may be Catholic or Jewish, Christian or Hindu. Maybe my heart was previously beating in the chest of a Buddhist, a Muslim or an agnostic. My heart could have origins in Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Europe or Africa.
My heart could be gay, lesbian, transgender or straight. My donor may have been covered with tattoos and piercings or may have had no adornments at all.
My heart could have resided in a Republican or a Democrat, conservative or liberal. It could've been beating away in someone who decided not to vote at all.
My heart and I are very symbiotic. We live off of each other and one of us cannot live without the other. My heart and I have much love for each other.
My experience as a heart transplant recipient brought home an essential truth to me: We are ALL part of one another. We are one humanity. Our physical parts are even interchangeable. We can--if we choose to -- have a unified heartbeat despite our differences.
Pay it Forward
Prior to the LVAD, we both were terrified. What we really wanted was to just get a heart and not the mechanical turbine to be placed in my failing heart. That LVAD would require a line to run from inside my body to an external battery pack to keep me alive.
As I hobbled down the hall gasping for breath, I noticed someone who looked out of place. He was well dressed casual and looked quite healthy. Most healthy people in the hospital are either wearing white coats or scrubs. He soon showed up in my room along with the doctors who were attending to me. He explained that he had both the LVAD and a heart transplant. He looked GREAT! As he talked, Susan and I were finally convinced that I was going to be just fine. His visit meant everything to us. He and his wife will always have our gratitude for going out of their way to guide and encourage us at a time when we needed it the most.
To pay it forward I am always available to visit with others who are facing the same choices that we were. Someone who is about to receive an LVAD or a new heart needs to know that in the end, they will make it and return to a great life. Feel free to send an email so we can connect.
Lee: scs@sonic.net
Take it from me... while a heart can be replaced, you don't want to go there. Best to keep the one you have healthy.