My Heart Journey: The Great Ladder Incident

My Heart Journey: The Great Ladder Incident
Have you ever done something so stupid that you immediately knew—before you even finished doing it—that it was, in fact, a monumentally dumb idea? Yeah. Me too.
It started like any other morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was feeling great. I mean really great. Sixty-some days post-heart transplant and full of the kind of energy that makes you believe you’re invincible. You’d think I was ready to run a marathon. Or at least install a security camera on the back of the house.
So out I went, grabbed the ladder, and got to work. It wasn’t like I was climbing Everest—just four feet off the ground. Barely enough to make the average toddler blink. But I was focused. Steady hands, new heart pumping strong, screwdriver in hand like a man on a mission.
Then came The Voice.
“What the heck are you doing!?” my wife Jeri yelled from the back door.
That voice. The one that stops time, makes your spine straighten, and reminds you that you’re not as slick as you think you are.
I froze. Half up the ladder. Guilty as charged. I’d completely forgotten that I was still under strict no lifting, no climbing, no acting like you’re a superhero rules. Jeri did not forget. She never forgets. She’s got a steel trap memory when it comes to keeping me alive.
Fast forward to my next follow-up appointment. We walk in, and before the doctor can even ask how I’m doing, Jeri’s already snitching.
“Tell him what you were doing last week.”
And that’s how I got thrown under the bus… again. Right in front of the whole transplant team. I tried to defend myself. “It was only four feet!” I said, like that somehow made it better.
The doctor just shook his head.
This is the curse of being a Type Plus personality. Not quite Type A, not quite Type B—just someone who gets restless and thinks, “Hey, I feel good, I can totally do this,” forgetting that my insides were rearranged just two months ago. It’s like having a go-kart engine inside a Ferrari. Looks good on the outside, but you better take it slow for a while.

So, lesson learned. Again. No ladders. No tools. No superhero acts.

Just me, my new heart, and a very watchful wife who’s always one step ahead of my next brilliant idea.

But hey—I did get the camera installed.

Well… almost.
My Heart Journey- Waiting on a Heart