Hi!
I hope you don't mind this plug, but instead will find it relevant. I donated a kidney to my coworker's son January 3, 2013. A year and a day later I started blogging about my experiences going from being a fat guy on a couch, to a runner, to a donor, and now I am training for my first marathon. I wanted to find a way to encourage more donation without it looking like attention-whoring, and blogging was a fun and semi-anonymous way to do it. Anyway, it's runningwithoutlefty.wordpress.com (http://runningwithoutlefty.wordpress.com) and if you think it's not horrible, I'd appreciate you telling others.
Looks interesting. Hope you stick with both the running and the blog. Do you want to be added to the calendar? https://livingdonorsonline.org/calendar/calendar.htm
Dear "Phellad",
Nice blog! Congratulations!
I donated at age 56, back in 2002. I was not running previously, but started a bit in order to help recovery. Then I got enthused to try to train enough to do the (seemingly impossible) 5k run at the 2004 "Transplant Games" in Minneapolis. I made it! It was an extraordinary experience to be running alongside folks who had received new hearts, kidneys, livers and lungs, plus other donors, families and friends. A celebration of life, and I was hooked. I finally did my first Marathon at age 60 in 2006. It took me a little under 6 hours, but I made it. And here in Okinawa they give a lovely "finisher" medallion to everybody who crawls across the finish line in under 6 I/4 hours, and that was worth more than its weight in gold. I did my last Marathon in 2011 at age 65 but have cut back to a half-marathon once or twice a year now. So keep at it! It's well worth the effort regardless of whether you make the Marathon or not.
Reminder: the next "Transplant Games" are this summer in Houston, and living donors can compete in some events alongside donors. Info at www.transplantgamesofamerica.org (or maybe that's .com???)
Fr. Pat
Fr. Pat, you are my hero! I had not heard of the Transplant Games. I don't think I can make it out to TX this year but I will definitely do it in the near future.
Dear phellad,
It's great that two people had their health improved! Many years of health and happiness for you both.
Love, elephant
Dear "Phellad",
If you go to www.youtube.com and type "U.S. Transplant Games" or variations on that into the "search" box you can watch a number of short videos from past Games. Most are short personally made ones, but there are a few longer professional ones such as "2008 U.S. Transplant Games in Pittsburgh", etc.
FR. Pat