Hi! Inspirational? Well maybe, but I really never thought about my life as being inspirational. Life after transplant for me has been inspirational however! I had an emergency liver transplant in 2007 due to a rapidly disintegrating liver. It was determined by the pathologist that it most likely was due to a medication that I had been on. My symptoms were itching and lack of energy which started just after Thanksgiving and increased over Christmas 2006, and by Jan. 28, 2007, I was moved to the top of the transplant list with 48 hours to live. Within 2 hours after they put me at the top of the list, an almost exact match was found, and my life was saved by the expertise of Mayo Clinic and a wonderful young man who decided to check yes as a donor. His life unfortunately ended (I still experience grief for his family), but it gave me and many others the chance to live! Grateful-Thankful-Blessed. Six months after my transplant I needed to work, if not for living expenses, for insurance coverage. I found a job within a month (amazing, as I was 58 years old too!), and started my new life – both exciting and very scary. A job miraculously appeared in a local newspaper that seemed good, it had 100% paid health benefits and was located within a couple miles of where I was living. It was a job located in a federal facility, working because of an agreement between the government agency and a non-profit organization for people over the age of 55. I had a background in administrative work, and I found that learning about something new was taking my mind off my own situation. The people were super supportive and after I shared with them my transplant journey they participated in my “positive” journey, and I made many new and wonderful friends. Now, fast forward to 2022, and I am still working for the same organization! I was given a permanent staff position 7 years ago, and I have been promoted several times since! I work for a company that provides jobs to workers over the age of 55 years, some have health issues such as I had (which is really no issue), and the benefits have helped in so many ways, I’m now 73 years old (where did the time go?), and every day I learn something new. The photos I’ve attached show me now, I was surprised that my hair looks exactly like my Dad’s did, and a photo of last year’s Donate Life walk and celebration in my hometown. Just remember – with the super care your transplant team provides, your determination to live a full life – transplantation is really the opening of a door to a wonderful and fulfilling life – it is what you make it! Have a wonderful journey!!

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