Donor Family

The last two weeks have been pretty exciting for me. I got to go visit my donor family, in Deer Park, Washington. I had an incredible time. It meant so much to me to meet the community family and friends of which my donor was so much apart of. While over there I also met a lady by the name of Doni (and her husband), who is a living donor and she also did the Seattle Marathon with team transplant a few years ago. She said she had a blast and that I’ll love it. Well if so far is any indication she’ll be absolutely right. I get so excited thinking about walking with team transplant. I received my team transplant asics shirt and it looks great. I love green and green was also the favorite color of my donor. So me and him are gonna rock green together.

I also just had a check up with my doctor at OHSU, and I had my best numbers to date, with my FEV-1 up to 88% and over 4.3 liters. I’m excited about the news. I push my hardest to keep increasing that number to better this gift I was given. Well I better start hitting the hills down here in Eugene. I’m thinking about hiking once a week to improve my hill endurance. So far I’ve only hiked once, so we’ll see if I hold up to it. I’ll try my best. Hope everyone is training hard, Go Team Transplant!!!

Walk Walk Run Run
It doesn’t matter lets have fun
All of us together spreading the word
Of transplantation and its gifts, ya heard

I was given a second chance
And hope to increase the beat
Now I can walk play and dance
Here’s a pleasant surprise: I like to eat

Optimism and Hope
Is what transplantation stands for
Life is one long journey and
I wouldn’t mind a lil’ more

starting the marathon training

As I climb closer and closer to the Seattle half marathon that I will attempt, I get more anxious, nervous and everything in between. I've never been a distance athlete, or ever been as much an athlete as I've ever wanted to be. But since my lung transplant, I'm not sitting and waiting I'm taking all opportunities I can to get out and get my body in shape. I have muscles now I've never had before; it’s a VERY pleasant surprise.

Training for my marathon is going well. I had a sore foot for about 2 weeks a week after my training started back in August, but now I'm fine. I'm slowly working up to longer distances and faster times. When I started I was walking along at a 20 minute mile pace, now it’s around 18 minutes a mile. This last week I had a doctor's appointment at OHSU, everything checked out well, so I can't complain.

Last Monday, I played some 3 on 3 basketball and shot around for awhile. It was pretty intense for me up until this point, so I didn't play 3 on 3 for very long. Walking is great exercise but basketball is so much more enduring for me right now. On Tuesday, I walked three miles and shot around the basketball again. Wednesday, I played a couple hours of tennis with some friends, mostly doubles. Thursday, I hiked up Spencer’s Butte here in Eugene, first time I've done this popular hike and I've been here for five years. That's just an example of what I can do now that I haven't been able to do these past couple of years. It was a tough hike, but well worth it and I had a massage appointment afterward, which ended up being very strategic. Friday, I was walking again and walked a little over 5 miles. I played more Tennis Saturday before I rested on Sunday. Although it wasn’t a total rest, I helped my mom buy a new TV and she is nice. So it looks like I’ll be watching movies at her place for now on. But I did exercise my mind, so I think that counts as far as not slouching on my training.

I have an interesting story to report while walking which backs up one of Alysun’s recent emails to us all about training tips of the week. I just wish I got the memo earlier. I was wearing my mp3 player walking, sorry I don’t have an iPOD, if anyone would like to donate me one I won’t complain, ha. My volume was pretty high, when all of a sudden this guy yells at me from inside of 5 feet away. I turned back suddenly freaked out and it was a person on a bike warning me that he was passing. Although I thought the yell, even possibly a scream was a little excessive when he could have easily gone around me, it was an experience in which I took note that listening to music did halt my awareness of my surroundings.

Right now the hardest thing for me is to just walk, there are so many other activities that capture the mind of a young man, for which walking has never been one. I don’t mean that in a bad way, because I’m probably the most excited for this half marathon than anyone. I’ve spent years on the bench, but now I’m getting a chance to start and I couldn’t be happier. This is an ABSOLUTE dream come true. No person could ever wish for what I have received, it’s been nothing short of spectacular.