End of January update.

Last year, I sort of shied away from making resolutions because of the fact I was waiting for a heart transplant.  It's not as if I intended to sit on my butt all day and wait for the call.  I didn't do that (most of the time anyway).  I have tried to remain determined to live my life to the fullest extent I am able given my limitations.  My wife Amy is good ally to keep gently (mostly) nudging me forward.

So, since 2015 came and went without a new heart for me, I decided there really is no reason to avoid making plans or setting goals.  Lord knows, I've not come through on numerous resolutions in the past.  However, I didn't want to set vague goals, or cliche goals.  I wanted them to be concrete.  If I've learned anything from my jobs over the years, when you go to your evaluation, make sure the goals you set are measurable.

So, I set two concrete, measurable goals for the year 2016.  First, I intend to pedal 2016 miles on a bike.  Most of these miles will be on our recumbent bike at home, but any bike will do.  Second, I will read 16 books in this calendar year.  I mentioned these goals in my last post, so consider this a monthly report on how I am doing.

Through January 1, I had completed 169 miles on the bike which puts me on pace for about 1995 miles.  Slightly off the pace, but not too bad.  On the book side, I have completed Seabiscuit, Heart and am currently close to finishing The Real McCoy, so I am fairly well ahead of the pace on that one.  It helps that with the recumbent bike, I am easily able to read while I ride.  Killing two birds with one stone is nice.

In addition to these goals, I am keeping myself busy in other ways.  My Dad asked me to help him with his genealogy project and so I have been going down to his house weekly to work with him for a few hours on that.  This has involved scanning and labeling old family photos, some that are well over a hundred years old.  As he said, "I'll be dead and you kids won't know who in the hell these people are."  The other big project is tracing our family's lineage to St. Marianne Cope.  There is some connection between our family and hers, but thus far, we have been unable to find it.  It appears it resides in the 1600's or there abouts.

I have also been continuing to volunteer with local organ and tissue donation centers.  Currently, I have done office work and speaking to people at various events at a booth.  I hope to perhaps add speaking to school groups down the road.

Amy and her sister Emily are entering several 5k and 10k races in the coming year.  Some of those will be for organ transplant awareness.  I intend to participate in some of those in particular.  Since i have been out of Atrial Fibrillation, I feel as though I am certainly capable of walking some of these.

As always, thank you for all your prayer and support.  Please continue your prayers for us and my future donor.

When did we get old?

The year is off to an odd start to say the least.  I learned several years ago that life is fragile and precious as my heart disease began the snowball's roll down the hill, gathering size and momentum as it went.  Although I was sick, I remained (and still do remain) upbeat about my prognosis.  I have been blessed to have exceptional doctors taking care of me.  I'm even more blessed to have so many family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers praying for me daily. Without a hint of a doubt, I would not be here without them.

One of my college friends had a heart attack on January 1 after taking his dogs to the park.  He died two days later.  Earlier this week a high school friend was diagnosed with cancer in his kidney.  Further tests showed it had spread beyond there, but had not made it into his bones or his brain.  His prognosis is not good, but he is a surgery candidate, and we will hope and pray like crazy that medicine and technology will catch up to his disease.

I recently read a book called "Heart" written by former Vice President Dick Cheney and his cardiologist Jonathan Reiner.  One of the points Cheney reiterates throughout the book is how lucky he is that new technology became available for him at just the right time to keep him alive.  In this book, Cheney chronicles his 35 year battle with heart disease that led him through five heart attacks to receiving an ICD/pacemaker to receiving and LVAD just before he would likely have died, and ultimately to receiving a heart transplant.  It was a fascinating read as I could identify with so much of his journey.  I had a heart attack (although mine was a result of hereditary factors, not blockage).  I had an ICD/pacemaker implanted.  I have an LVAD and I'm awaiting a heart transplant.

Reading this book is also part of one half of my resolutions for the new year.  I intend to read at least 16 books in 2016.  I tend to read in spurts, but with this goal, I hope to become more consistent.  I received several great books for Christmas, so I have a few to get me started, but if any of you have recommendations, please pass them along!

1. Seabiscuit - Laura Hillenbrand
2. Heart - Dick Cheney & Dr. Jonathan Reiner
3. The Real McCoy - Hal McCoy (I'm working on this one now.)

Next up will probably be The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto - Mitch Albom.  I always enjoy his books.

I also resolved to help keep myself in better physical shape for transplant by biking 2,016 miles on our recumbent bike in 2016.  That breaks down to an average of 5.5 miles per day.  I did not get off to a very good start to the year and it took me until today to actually reach the pace I needed to reach the goal.  It took many days of riding 10-12 miles in a day (roughly an hour) to make up for days I didn't get on the bike at all.

This has me feeling much better physically.  I am back to feeling about the way I did at this time last year before I began the nearly year-long battle with atrial fibrillation.  The Tikosyn prescription that I was put on in November has been effective in keeping me out of A Fib thus far.  It is a pricey medicine, but it is helping me to keep my strength and energy up for the time at which I am called for a new heart.

Please continue your prayers for Amy and I as we continue to await "the call."  Please also pray for my future donor and his or her family who will have a terrible tragedy to deal with at that time.  And also please add the family of my friend Tom who passed away and for my friend Kevin and his family as they prepare to battle cancer.