I remember the Reeve's family

I was reading the blogs of fellow transplanted friends. One of my friend had a lung transplant and the other had both lungs transplanted. Reading them brings back many memories..

I remember throwing up blood and the doctor not letting me drive to the hospital. My heart was racing and my blood pressure was very low. We were talking about how I had driven to his office and how he would not let me leave on my own. I called a friend to come and take me to the hospital. The doctor was about to call an ambulance to come get me when my friend walked in to take me. I told him he saved my life and for the first time he told me it was luck. He thought I was going to die.

I remembered talking to my donor family on TV. Back then it was news when one met the donor family. They wrote the hospital where the organs were harvested and they sent the letter to the hospital that did the transplant. Then I wrote to them, sending the letter to my hospital and they send it to the other hospital who then sent it to the family. We were not allow to give out our name or address. They had wanted to meet and I said okay. So the hospital got together, picked a date, called the TV stations and I drove the 72 miles to the hospital in Austin to meet them. First we had to be together in front of the cameras. I tried to lead the discussion to talk about the donor family. I remember tell them ( heck, I got the video of it) that they were the heros. I could not help getting sick, I had no choice. They had a choice and choose to give life.

After the camera left and we were allowed to just talk among ourself the mom told me how hard it was when they asked her about being a donor. The hardest part was being asked, organ by organ and having to sign for each one. Would you donate the kidneys, yes, sign here, will you donate the heart? Yes, sign here. Would you donate the liver? yes, sign here. When it came to the eyes she said no, told me she just could not give the eyes that she had looked into.

I told her that of all the people I knew on the transplant list, not one of us wanted anyone to die so we could get an organ. I never prayed that I would receive one because I knew someone would have died. I tried not to be afraid and I don't believe I was. On the day I got the call, I had gone to where I use to work to say good bye to a few special friends. I knew my time was running out, I had all the signs that I had been told about. While there, my pager went off and I called in. I remember the words I heard, "get your yellow fanny up here, we believe we have a donor." I told the girl I was talking with at the time to spread the word and I started home. I could not go without my wife. That was almost 13 years ago. The date was Feb 14, 1997. My donor died Valentine Days, Feb.14, 1997. He left a wife and 2 kids, one boy, age 18, one girl age 21. His wife was in her 40s. They had been high schools sweethearts.

Today, Christmas season, I think of the gifts. The Son from our Father in Heaven and my liver, from a person I never knew. I recall the TV reporter that asked the wife, "how do you feel sitting next to the man who has your husband's liver?". She answered, "it is not my husbands liver, it is Lee's, to live with as he wants to." A great answer.

To my transplant friends, give thanks to people who shard there love ones with us. Every now and then, think about them and say a prayer for them. Without them, where would we be?

Birthday

Oh Boy! Mom is here with my cake and stuff and my teacher put a crown on my head! It is my day! I am 6 years old now.
















Lianna, at her desk with frosting on her lip. Kindergarden is fun! Next year she will shall be in First Grade. That will be a jump for her.









This is the cake Lianna had in class. It is a bunch of cupcakes covered in frosting. That is a lot of frosting. There were enough cupcakes for everyone in class and some left over for grandpa at home. And the care bears went home with her too. Next up, Christmas!!!

the parade pictures

There's mom!
Sophie joins Lianna under the covered area


















Lianna, sitting under the covered area waiting for rest of parade to join them.















Lianna, coming into the covered area where her mom was waiting.

the big parade

Today was the annual school Halloween parade. As last year, I went this year too. I missed all of the parades when my boys were in school. Had to work and Sandra had all the fun.

I really enjoyed this years parade. It was shorter as they didn't have the contest and other stuff. That will be held this evening and they will show free movies in the covered area.

I enjoyed, most of all, the kids and before that waiting with Sophie. I got there early for the 9:30 parade only to be told it was postpond to 10:15. Should I wait or go home and come back. I live about 8 blocks from the school but I waited anyway. Sophie had a great time, I let her run in the play area and I saw many smiles as I chased after her. Only once did she make a dash for the parking lot. I didn't know I could still move as fast as I did.

At last, time for the parade. I went to where the kid left the school grounds and around the block to the parking lot. After taking a couple of pictures I ran to the parking lot to get a couple of more pictures of Lianna. It was good to see all the classes taking part. The first class was the special needs class. They didn't know anything about that, they were just happy to be there. I waved and they smiled and waved back. So I started calling out the characters I knew and boy did they smile! Hello Spiderman, Hi princess, Hello etc. Then I looked up and the class behind them was waving at me. So I stayed there till Lianna passed by and I almost missed her. In fact, I didn't get a picture there.

So off to the end of the route I went. Lots of parents there. Looked for Sophie and her mom and found them. Asked Stephie if she had gotten any pictures and she said "Not really, had to hold Sophie". So I held Sophie and told her to get take some pictures. The I decided to take Sophie to where Lianna was sitting and let her see her big sister. Sophie was thrilled and I put her down and she went and sat with her sister and all the other big kids. Big smiles on Lianna and Sophie. Stephie took some pictures. Hope to have them soon. Will post them when I get them.

Sophie didn't want to leave her sister but we had to leave as it was time for the kids to go back to school for what ever they had to do.

My pictures didn't turn out to good. My batteries were to weak to allow me rapid picture taking and I miss lots of good shots. The picture posted at the top is of Lianna coming out of the school grounds and heading for the sidewalk. The street was blocked for work they were doing. She is the Fairy Princess.

My thoughts back to the parade, good time for me and Lianna and Sophie. The cool weather and early hour was forgotten as I saw the smiles on the face of Lianna and the other kids. I think I will try to hang around for Sophie's parades! Teachers dressed as witchs and gobblens and WOW, a can can dancer!!! Moms looking at their kids with pride written all over they face. Only a few dads. Guess that's why grandpas go to school activites. Happy kids. Hope I don't hear the songs, monster mash, Adam's family and Thiller for a long time. Smiles, smiles and more smiles.

A warm feeling as I left, Sophie looked tired. Stephie feeling good.

Thanks God, I needed this.

Please listen America

Once up on a time, I was a softhearted person. I recall when South Vietnam fell to the North there went out an appeal for people here to take in members of the Vietnam armed forces into their homes and help them get a new start. They had been stationed here in San Antonio going to school to learn the way of the United States military. They could not go home. My wife and I said we would take in one and soon there was a Vietnamies in our home.

Sandra had painted the walls in the room as if it were part of a villiage in Vietnam. We though he would like that. However, this guy was strange, first he asked if we were going to offer him a job or help with funds. We told him, we were offering a place to sleep, food to eat and a place to call home. Well for 2 days he was on the phone and then left and didn't come back. But we had a hugh phone bill for calls all over the U.S. It seems he was looking for other friends, guess he found one and left to go with them. So much for helping. We did get a certificate saying thanks from a certain charity.

A year later my employer hired a young man from Vietnam. I talked to him and tried to be a friend. Then soon it was Tet. They were having a big party and the "certain charity" sent me an invite to a celabration to be held at a big church building. I told the young man about it and he said that he knew about it and was going. He asked me to go as his guest. So I did.

I knew I was not welcomed as soon as I got there. First a group of young vietnam guys stood to block the way but my friend told them I was his guest. So in I went. He took me to a table and sat me down next to some people. You should have heard the chatter that started. I could not understand what they were saying but I knew. I received looks that told me I should not have sat there. So my friend took me to a different table where his mom came sat wth me. I listen to some music and was looking around when his mom placed a plate in front of me. Told me it was special Tet treat. I saw everyone was enjoying it and I started to eat mine. Took one bite and tried to find a way to dispose of it without anyone seeing.

The mom leaned over and said, "you don't like it?". I answered no so she said that's ok and went and got me a piece of ham on a plate.

Then it was show time, lights dimmed, music started. Someone was talking but I had no idea what was being said. Then something happened that really ticked me off. A person dressed as a vietcon came in carrying a vietcong flag. Everyone stood up and cheered. Then more people came in wearing black PJ with coolie hats and wearing sandles make of old tires, (vietcong uniform) and carrying rifles and things made to look like RPG. That was enough for me. I got up and walked out wondering if I would make it back to my car. As I left they were waving vietcon flags and singing songs I never heard or understood. No one was outside so I made it to my car and left.

I know that I will not take anyone into my home again. Nor will I go to parties held by refuge groups. We should have learned that if someone will not fight for their own country, expecting others to fight for them, it will fail.

Now as an older man I see Afgans more concerned about power then about freedom. Iraq people fight over who will rule there instead of working together to built a free country. Well, let them fight it out themselfs. Enough American blood as been spent. I recall the words of President Johnson, something like "I will not send American boys to do a job Asian boy should be doing." He forgot his own words. I hope we will remember them

grandkids

It's kind of strange, last night I was wishing that Lianna would leave me alone so I could play on my computer. Sophie kept wanting to be in my lap, typing with her feet. Then tonight, Lianna is at her cousins and Sophie is out with her mom to visit the other side of the family. And I miss them.

Much to quite, I keep wondering what they are getting into now. My sons are home, each in their own world safe in their rooms, using their computers. I can't find any online friends online at this time.

Sophie is growing so fast. I can't believe how she loves to play games with me. It is so much fun, sometimes she pretends she picked something off the floor and puts it in her mouth. I go get it out and she didn't have anything and then she laughs at me. Not bad for a one year old.

Lianna is getting ready to return to school, and she always wants me to play school with her. She lines up all her dolls and I suppose to have roll call and give a lesson. Everyone one of them has a name. From Lickly Lickly Lala to Married man. Better get the names right too.

I miss them, I hope I never forget that and say something dumb like "leave me alone"

What the....?

I don't recall the date other then it was 1961. It was either sometime around the Bay of Pigs invasion or in the fall of the same year.. Tenisons were at a high level with Cuba. We had been in the area around Cuba for some weeks, training and conducting war games.

One day, as we sailed around close to some island, the general alarm went off. Bong, bong, bong. No words just the alarm. It was the first time I had heard the alarm without the words, "Now hear this, this is a drill, this is a drill. All hands man your battle stations". then the alarm, Bong bong bong, would keep going till someone in charge turn it off.

In shock, I ran forward to my battle station, high in the upper deck, to man my Target Designator Transmitter, or TDT. As I ran forward I couldn't help but noticed that our guns were swinging out as I ran forward and up. I could see, in my mind, our missile lanchers receiving their missiles and swing to face the targets. Hatchets were being slamed shut, dogged (locked). Sailors putting on helmets and life jackets. Lookouts scaning the sky.

I felt a strange kind of pride. We were doing everything just as we had done during our countless drills. But this time, live ammo was being loaded into the breechs. Just as I pluged in my headset the captain came on the 1MC. He told us it was a mistake, someone had pushed the alarm button. He told us he had been getting a hair cut when it went off and that he was still wearing a sheet around his neck. The alarm was canceled and we went back to normal duties.

Later we found out a new crewmember had been polishing the brass in aftercon. After control is where the ship can be controled if the bridge gets wiped out. Anyway, wanting to do a good job he pushed the lever covering the brass plate out is his way and that lever was the general alarm. I bet his officer got chew out and I bet he chewed out he person in charge of the new guy.

But what I saw and felt confirmed to me that "we" were ready. If Castro came at us we would respone. No Pearl Harbor for the USS Canberra. We were a team, trained, and ready to respone. No panic, no wondering what to do. We would fight as we had trained.

Sleep well America, our armed forces are trained and ready.