Tag Archives: Organ transplant

Transplant: oils, supplements, drinks

After two messages and three emails this week asking me about cleanses, herbal remedies and oils, I need to be clear about some things. Yes, I had a liver transplant nearly 5 years ago and, yes, I am living healthier … Continue reading

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When the good part of life hits you hard

What do you do when good stuff hits you hard? Have you ever had moments when you just sit back and think, “holy smokes, I have it good?” There are piles of crap pulling for my attention. Gross, right? Crass, … Continue reading

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4 years today. A good, good Father.

My eyes opened for the day just before 4:00 AM. I listened to the birds coming awake in the trees just outside our bedroom window and thought “how blessed I am.” I spent some time talking to God about the … Continue reading

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Wasting my bonus days

I think I’m wasting my bonus days. Or, at least, I think I’m wasting too much of them. Imagine you have a giant bowl of mashed potatoes and are a huge spud fan. If you have a gallon of mashed potatoes, you … Continue reading

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Living on the edge of “uh oh” after transplant

It’s quiet. The smells of blueberry muffins baking in the oven and fresh chocolate-raspberry coffee are pulling me awake. My twelve pound, white miniature schnauzer is sleeping soundly on the back of the couch. I know all this will change … Continue reading

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My Christmas gift made me cry 5 months later.

According to my family, I am a tough buy. I don’t understand it at all but I have heard it for almost thirty years. I think I’m an easy person to get gifts for. I mean, I like a lot of things. … Continue reading

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I take a lot of drugs. Most are not what you expect.

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 … Continue reading

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Reliving my transplant nightmare

Remember that book I was working on writing? I let it sit, untouched, from September 2013 until December 2014 when I gave it to my friend Jan Perry to read and clean up. She was my second reader. It’s about 60,000 … Continue reading

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Facing burnout. Moving from surviving to thriving.

My last post was January 1. That’s not a good sign for me. You know how that scratchy throat or that slight pressure behind your eyes sometimes is a symptom of a bigger problem, a virus? When I stop writing it’s … Continue reading

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May I sit next to you, forever? These seats are spectacular!

Seats. Good seats are expensive. Cheaper seats don’t provide as good an experience. Some seats are soft and comfortable and others are rock hard and a pain to sit on. Some seats are narrow and constricting and others are roomy enough for … Continue reading

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How should I shepherd this flock? Where do I begin?

“I have something for you,” Jen said. Her face wore her father’s half-smirk-half-smile that always made me wonder what he was up to. She stood facing me close enough that I could see the same spark that I used to … Continue reading

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Is life after liver transplant “normal?” Not exactly.

“So, ah, are you, um, like, normal now?” The question came from a friend I hadn’t seen since before my liver transplant. It’s a fair, yet somewhat awkward, question. Am I normal now that I am approaching the 21st month … Continue reading

Posted in chronic illness, End Stage Liver Disease, handicapped, Liver disease, Organ transplant | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What do you do when grasshoppers devour your life?

I will post our family Christmas letter tomorrow. It is a run-of-the-mill, holiday brag letter extolling all of the good things of 2013. Yeah, it’s one of those look-how-wonderful-we-are pieces that comedians joke about and some people hate. Know what? … Continue reading

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Flashback to Oct. 31, 2011 and my biggest fear

At the end of October 2011, I posted the following blog entry about my biggest fear. I am reposting it now, after accepting a position as Interim Pastor at First Baptist Church here in Westbrook. Last week was spent preparing … Continue reading

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Is it time to put it all behind me? Forget it?

I can’t help but be amazed by the passing of time and how it changes things. Last summer I attended two weddings and left both early. Both were major accomplishments for me since I was just weeks post transplant. Everyone … Continue reading

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