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Una revision de
The Grateful Heart
Diary of a Heart Transplant
Autora: Candace C. Moose
Revisado por: Jim Gleason, receptor de un corazon
El viaje por un transplante puede ser ambos, fabuloso y
desafiante y Ud. encontrara su experiencia unica viviendolo.
En este libro, El diario del transplante cardiaco de Candace,
colecciona una suma de desafios mayores a los que la mayoria podrian
afrontar en toda una vida, principalmente por la enfermedad rara que
la ha afectado a ella, por lo que no lea como una "tipica" sino como
otro recuento inspirador de como el espiritu humano puede triunfar
sobre cualquier adversidad, retornando a una vida saludable y aun
trabajar luego de ello.
As my own social worker pointed out up front, "This is not an
easy black and white decision of life or death..." rather it
is a question of quality of life that may result from complex surgery
and dealing with an immune suppressed body and expensive life sustaining
meds for, hopefully, many years afterwards. Is it worth that risk?
With humor and inspiring optimism, Candace's shares her experience
with an open heart, giving insight to help you face such decisions.
Her's is an close look into the daily transplant ups and downs, supported
by a close loving family, friends and a caring medical staff which
help deal with and overcome many difficulties.
For family and friends reading this book, you will see into a patient's
mind and discover possible answers to the common caregiver question,
"What can I do to help?" Candace
also shares many of her letters to friends and her very special cardiologist.
You will wish you could see the other side of such letters, especially
wondering what her doctor said in response to her e-mails of symptoms
and concerns. Actually, better we shouldn't be tempted to apply his
answers to our own symptoms instead of talking to our team who know
our particular situation and can diagnose them better.
An important lesson Candace shares that many fellow recipients also
report is: "Curiously, I did not live those days in fear. I knew
God was with me." What to everyone around us seems like the expected
fear of dying often becomes a peaceful acceptance of our own mortality,
based on faith in a higher power, a gift that lives on with us after
a life saving transplant. Waiting, we have time to answer her questions
as we reflect on our current life: "Have I done enough?
... lived life well? ... treasured every moment?"
Not many can give positive answers to all such deep thoughts. With
a transplant extending our lives we may be given time to change such
answers as her example shows us.
Another unique aspect of this book is the sharing by family of their
own experiences, an interesting parallel to Candace's same event story.
Everyone goes through their own journey when a family member undergoes
a transplant and, as patients often say, we wish they didn't have
to go through that, but given a choice, we feel the patient is the
one with the easier role to play out. Another unique insight is offered
by her cardiologist, Dr. Deng, who shares in his own chapter a medical
summary of Candace's story and then puts that into perspective by
adding his comments about everyone's different view of the same story,
a lesson medical staff can take from those differences in approaching
patients and family.
On page 123, Candace offers us her list of "the psychological
issues of recovery" with questions patients often ask of themselves.
She writes: "Initially most of us ask, What happened
to me and why? They go on to ask later during recovery, Why, if
I am doing everything the doctors said, am I not better? Why do
things keep going wrong? Will I ever be 'better'?" She continues:
"At the deepest level, somewhere within the course of the illness
or recovery, questions regarding our ultimate mortality surface.
Does this new heart work? How long will it work? Am I prepared to
die? Most of us have come close to doing just that. And finally,
when we do get well, we attempt to answer questions about the future.
Why did I live? What am I supposed to do with this second chance?
... "
These are good questions to face and I hope that your post transplant
life gives you many years to find answers to such questions, supported
by the thankfulness and joy of being alive, challenged with such
questions. Despite much more than her share of challenges, she puts
it all in perspective in thanking God for seeing her through to
enjoy her life now. To use Candace's words in summary: "I
made it. I'm here. I'm healthy. Three years later, after many bumps
in the road, I am finally better. I look just like everybody else,
maybe even better."
Thank you, Candace, for sharing your "heart" diary and offering
us this.
Note: The Grateful Heart is available online
(autographed copy) and from Amazon.com
Brief bio: Jim Gleason, receiving his own heart transplant
Oct. '94, retired from Unisys Corporation in 2005, is a volunteer
with NKF and UNOS as well as a nationally recognized speaker and author.
His own book, A Gift from the Heart, is offered
free in thanks to his donor family and can be obtained by contacting
him at GLEASONJIM@AOL.COM.
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