Seven perscriptions

I take drugs. I take seven prescriptions a day. You’re betting that’s due to my liver transplant, right? Wrong.

It’s true that I will have to take medicine for the rest of my life to keep from rejecting my new liver but only two of the seven prescriptions I take are for that: Ursodiol and Prograf.

Here’s the surprise – the other 5 help me breathe. I’ve had asthma all my life. I inhale a steroid powder twice a day, I squirt something up my nose twice a day, I take and allergy pill each morning and then a bronchodilater at night. And then, I usually have a little, blue rescue inhaler close by. I also have a nebulizer to deliver medicine quickly if I need it. (Thankfully I haven’t need it since my transplant!)

Most of the meds I take have nothing to do with my liver disease. They are all about my asthma. Why am I telling you?

Someone recently asked me about the Trek Across Maine event that I am riding in over Fathers Day Weekend. They assumed that I am pedaling my bike those 180 miles over three days to benefit liver research, liver patients, organ donation and all of that. Nope. The Trek is all about breathing.

Yeah, it’s a big deal that this transplant survivor is attempting it but it’s also pretty significant that I will be one of many chronic lung disease folks traveling up and down those hills. It is lung disease research that makes that possible. Because my asthma is so well managed medically, I am able to ride.

The Trek is in support of the American Lung Association. Yes, I am riding to increase organ donor awareness but I am also riding to raise funds to help in the battle to breathe.

I’m riding for my son and donor, Joshua, who inherited my asthma and still was an NCAA athlete and has run half marathons because of the medicines that help him breathe. I’m running for my 82 year old dad who takes three medicines a day in his battle with COPD. I’m riding in memory of Carmen Sholl, a former youth group kid who enjoyed enough bonus years to be married and enjoy a career because of a lung transplant she got as a teenager.

Breathing is a big deal. It’s important. I’m thankful for the medical advances that have made it possible for me and others to live life so well despite chronic illness.

I bet you didn’t even know I have asthma, did you? No? That’s because I benefit from years of research and development.

Help me help others?

You know someone who struggles to breathe right? Will you help me help them? Will you help me help the American Lung Association fight lung disease?

I set a big goal of raising $1200. That’s more than double the minimum riders need to raise to participate. I’m sure I will break that goal if I can get those who have been effected by lung disease to help me ride in honor of them. I already have $850! Great!

Yeah, it will be a big deal to cross the finish on Fathers’ Day as a liver transplant recipient. But, if I weren’t also directly benefiting from lung disease research, that would be impossible.

I know everyone is asking you to sponsor them for this walk or that run. Me too. There’s a lot to do.

Please consider letting me ride in honor of you, your granchild with asthma, your dad fighting COPD or your friend with cancer. Progress is being made!

Even $5 or $10 will make a difference. To help me break that $1200 goal, click the link below and then click “SUPPORT SCOTT” in the column underneath the video box.

http://action.lung.org/site/TR?px=5641664&fr_id=10630&pg=personal 

Thanks for getting involved.

Scott