Dan Murphy
We are family.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2000
As many of you are aware, both from several of my earlier posts this year, as well as from Catzeyes (Kathryn) herself, she has had a tough go of it in the very recent past. Both from some of my words with her back then, as well as all of our collective good thoughts, and most importantly, prayers, Kath did get on with her life, wanting to live, rather than the alternative, that which prompted her to reach out to me in the first place.
Among several things which had made Kath so very despondent earlier in the year, (and there were several, but we are only dealing with one here) was a severe heart problem, which had necessitated a multiple heart-bypass operation late last year. As with most heart operations of the like, medication, usually for life, goes with it. For some reason, the medications are not effective with Kath, and, after reviewing with several top cardiologists, it appears a heart transplant is the route to go. Well, that IS big time folks.
Kath is all up (as best as can be expected) to go along with the necessary operation, given the alternative, but is really concerned, and very much down again, with the so-called 'odds' as put forth by the doctors, honest though they are.
Kathryn said that the long term success rate of heart transplants is around 60%, but the bummer is the number of folks who get the transplant in time, about 20%, agreeably, a rather low number, mostly due to low donor levels.
Now......I have talked with Kath some about this, her being down and all, and I suggested that she come to our DIS family for its wonderful support structure we can give people, through both good words and thoughts, and so importantly, prayer. Kath has always been a bit more 'reserved' than me, dealing one-on-one a bit better than I do with groups. (I guess I tend to jabber a bit, LOL). She was hesitant to again ask us all for help, so I asked her if she would allow me to come to us all and again ask for what we do so well here on the DIS.....H E L P.
So that's it, that's the story, Kath has some tough days ahead, and could use our support. She has gone full circle, from not wanting to live, to very much wanting to live. Kath, you know you have mine and you know that of all the DIS.
Thanks guys, Kathryn is most appreciative.
PS: Kath's best friend sent this to her in an email...are you a donor???
<center>TO REMEMBER ME
The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying.
At a certain moment, a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.
When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine, and don't call this my death bed. Let this be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.
Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.
If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man.
If by chance you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or a word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.
Robert N. Test</center>
Among several things which had made Kath so very despondent earlier in the year, (and there were several, but we are only dealing with one here) was a severe heart problem, which had necessitated a multiple heart-bypass operation late last year. As with most heart operations of the like, medication, usually for life, goes with it. For some reason, the medications are not effective with Kath, and, after reviewing with several top cardiologists, it appears a heart transplant is the route to go. Well, that IS big time folks.
Kath is all up (as best as can be expected) to go along with the necessary operation, given the alternative, but is really concerned, and very much down again, with the so-called 'odds' as put forth by the doctors, honest though they are.
Kathryn said that the long term success rate of heart transplants is around 60%, but the bummer is the number of folks who get the transplant in time, about 20%, agreeably, a rather low number, mostly due to low donor levels.
Now......I have talked with Kath some about this, her being down and all, and I suggested that she come to our DIS family for its wonderful support structure we can give people, through both good words and thoughts, and so importantly, prayer. Kath has always been a bit more 'reserved' than me, dealing one-on-one a bit better than I do with groups. (I guess I tend to jabber a bit, LOL). She was hesitant to again ask us all for help, so I asked her if she would allow me to come to us all and again ask for what we do so well here on the DIS.....H E L P.
So that's it, that's the story, Kath has some tough days ahead, and could use our support. She has gone full circle, from not wanting to live, to very much wanting to live. Kath, you know you have mine and you know that of all the DIS.
Thanks guys, Kathryn is most appreciative.
PS: Kath's best friend sent this to her in an email...are you a donor???
<center>TO REMEMBER ME
The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying.
At a certain moment, a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.
When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine, and don't call this my death bed. Let this be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.
Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.
If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man.
If by chance you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or a word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.
Robert N. Test</center>
