Howdy, Hello, Aloha, Hey, SSSSUP! What’s shakin?, Hi, and any other greeting you find comforting. Fast fact: early Christians would greet one another by saying “He is risen” and the response was “he is risen indeed”. Wow! What it must have been like to exist in those early days. The sense of tragic loss, yet the immense hope the true believers had been given. And those who had realized what they had done, what they had participated in. Though, at that time they were few. I hope, when I get to heaven, there will be stories from those days. The miracles they had witnessed. The feeding of 5,000 men, which would then include the wives and children beyond that number, with a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread. Wow.

     Well, as you know, we made the pilgrimage to Rochester for my first annual heart checkup. We left Des Moines on Sunday, to get up there and relax in the pool and the hot tub before my appointments began Monday morning. Caitlyn is in Florida (actually as I write this, she is back in Iowa, and will be home in a couple of hours.) so, Jordan invited a friend to come along with us. It made things interesting and kind of fun at the same time.

     Monday dawned bright and promising, as I awoke, and showered at 0500 in preparation to catch a shuttle to Mayo. Of course I was unable to start the day properly with prayer and coffee, so prayer had to be enough. Somehow it always is. I got to the lab early, and had my blood drawn, and headed to chest x-ray. The first day, was a testing day, so each test required me to be fasting. Not the most fun when you have a gut full of nasty meds, and nothing to buffer them from the stomach acid. Anyone who has ever burped and tasted cyclosporine, would attest to the fact that food is a necessity. Regardless, I knew what to expect, and was able to get through the day, seeing familiar faces, and reuniting with fellow patients pre and post transplant. There was a slight scare, when dermatology decided to remove and biopsy a mole on my back. She sliced it off with the dexterity of a hockey player (no offense Pastor Terry) and the finesse of a viking. This proved to be the first in what was to be a myriad of holes in various strategic locations along the length of my body.

     Day two was not as hectic, with only a couple of tests, and ending in the treadmill stress test. I can now assure you all, that my heart will exceed 150 beats per minute, without any serious consequences.  There was some fatigue afterward, but that is to be expected.  If you are keeping count, I think at this point, that we were up to about 5 holes acquired since arriving at Rochester.

    Wednesday, the final day, was a different story. This is why us patients become somewhat cranky when doctors cover us up so all they have to look at is a 3” by 3” hole in a surgical drape in which to attempt to force a needle, rather then  acknowledge that they are working on a living, breathing, human who is nervous, and conscious. Local anesthetics are good, but they don’t insulate us from the pain that comes from repeated failures to break through the scar tissue. After 45 minutes of muted swearing, and apologies for the pain which was becoming excruciating, they aborted attempts to enter my neck and went into my groin. After that, the procedure went quite smoothly. The damage was already done, though. I am home now, but I am still in pain, 5 days later. Mayo is a great teaching hospital, but I think I have paid my dues. I have earned the right to demand the “first string” doctors and let the trainees watch.

     After recovery, We (Mary and the girls had left the hotel, and were waiting to take me home.) had one last consultation with the transplant docs, to discuss all of the results from the testing throughout the week. PRAISE GOD! The answer to my prayers throughout the week was NO! No cancer, No heart disease, No kidney dysfunction, No clogged arteries, No rejection, No negative results whatsoever. I thank God for my biggest complaint being a sore neck and groin. I read some back blogs, and what we have been through together, and here I am whining about my neck. Well, my neck hurts, so, I will whine for another day or two, but I will not forget to thank God for the miracle that my life represents.

     I have lived over a year, with a transplanted heart, but beyond that, I have lived since October 24th, 2005 after a massive heart attack, or two. I will continue to live for God until I breathe my last, and then I will live forever. (John 3:16). The last few years have taught me, that we only need to trust him. The docs are often great men of medicine, and the nurses are arguably angels in human flesh, but they are limited by their own humanity. My God is only limited by our small thinking minds. All we have to do is stay out of his way, and let him work. Where I work, at Jordan Park Camp, we see miracles daily. We are a cut and patch group of men who believe in miracles, and God provides our needs, often before we even realize we have them. Keep strong in the faith. Believe you are special, and belong with God. And know that, with that belief, comes eternal salvation. God bless, and please, pray for each other. As always, I love you all.

                                                                                                                                                   Mark 8/1/08