Getting better and better

John showing off his homemade cane

Every time I see John at the coffee shop, he looks a little livelier and moves a little better. He made himself a cane out of an old branch on his property, stained it and put a tip on it. Those new knees make it hard for him to get up and down, but he moves pretty well once he's vertical. He won't be running any marathons any time soon, though. But in his "Ozark tuxedo" as he calls his overalls, he looks much more natural than he did in the nursing home.

He's already gotten onto his tractor and made some progress at home. Driving isn't a problem, either, and he's happy to have a handicapped parking sticker so he can park nearby when he's out and about. I suspect by the time he's ready to plant his garden, he'll be almost back to normal. It amazes me what they can do these days with worn-out body parts.

My friend Steve, an old skydiving friend on a journey to get a new liver, has made great progress, too. I've been able to keep up with him on Facebook. He had a kind of liver cancer that required a transplant if he was going to be able to live more than a few months. We agonized as all his friends waited to see if he would get one in time. On January 8, he received a new liver, and last week they removed the staples.

Steve's amazing scar

Inside him now resides a liver from someone who died, probably in a car accident, as that seems to be where most organs come from these days. I am wishing him all the best in the future, because even though he now has that essential ingredient, he will need anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life to keep it. He is a strong person in many ways, and he has his wonderful life partner, Maria, who has been taking care of him ever since he got sick. Hopefully the two of them will have many more years together.

I just made a new friend online, Heather, who was given a short time to live more than nine years ago. She had mesothelioma and in order to save her life, she opted to have her lung removed and is now doing well with the remaining one. Her story is very inspiring, and you can read all about it here. To honor the day she said goodbye to her lung, she started a blog called "Lung Leaving' Day" and gives us all a chance to leave behind our fears by writing them down on a plate and shattering it. It's very cool! Yesterday was the nine-year anniversary of that first day.

We are all very fortunate to live in a time when these miracles of scientific progress take place every day. Although none of us will know the date and time when we will leave this earth, I am inspired by those who valiantly take their future into their own hands. I am doing what I can to keep my own knees and lungs and liver, because I don't know if I would be able to go through it. I hope I don't get a chance to find out!
:-)