Ramblings

First of all, my apologies for not posting earlier. I just didn't have any real exciting stuff to ramble on about!

Today however, is a banner day! Celebrate and rejoice my friends, for today marks the last of my self administered blood thinner injections! Yaaaaa!!! As a matter of fact, I have recorded the process for prosperity and will post this video here on these very pages so everyone may share in the festivities! There may even be cake!

Before I continue, I must first introduce more Toronto General Hospital Staff and acknowledge a few people.

Dr. Mark Cattral - Surgeon:

This was my surgeon. Not to gloat or anything, but this guy is like one of, if not THE best surgeon in his field! Dr. Cattral is also a Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto, he's the director of the Pancreas Transplantation Program, and he holds the CIHR/Astellas Chair in Transplantation Research. Apart from having the most velvety soft hands of anyone I have ever met, he is a multi organ transplant surgeon with expertise in live-donor liver transplantation and pancreas transplantation. I'm also not ashamed to say Dr. Cattral is freakishly handsome.

Julia Cervenko - TGH Pharmacist:

I only met Julia once, and that was the Friday before I was discharged. It wasn't a long meeting, maybe half an hour or so but I was so impressed! She went over all my medications and how to use them. Never have I spent so much time talking with a woman about pooh, the importance of pooh and the mechanics of discharging said pooh! She even made me a cool instruction-chart to follow with all my new and existing medications on it! She was even ready to show me how to do the injections but didn't have to as the sweet Cailin Macleod already did. Once all was said and done, she made sure all the medications I would need would be ready for pick up at the hospital pharmacy....and it was!

Terri - Nurse:

OMFG! I wish I knew Terri's last name..but I don't. Take no offence, but I can only describe Terri as "The Coolest Chick I Have Ever Met"! I would have stayed in the hospital for another week if I knew Terri would be my nurse. Such a little thing, but just cool as hell...like a buddy. Hard to explain really, easy to talk to, helpful, gentle, cute....love her laugh too. Hey, I'm not the only one, several people on the floor loved Terri!! On the day I went home, Terri dropped by to punish me with the dreaded ''cotton swab'' test! Yes, the same test Olive made me do during my pre-admin tests! Terri wasn't as cavalier as Olive though and I had to do my own swabbing. Truth be known, it was probably better this way....I will say no more.

David Conroy - Liver Donor:

David donated part of his liver to his uncle back in December of 2008. Earlier in my quest, I was trying to connect with other donors to get a feeling of what I was getting myself into. Cailin gave me a few names and I tried contacting them, but none ever got back to me...except for David. He and I met at the Starbucks inside Toronto General one day while I was getting tested. Our chat only lasted about an hour but I learned a ton from him. Nice to hear what to expect from someone who's been through it! Thanks David, I appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend it with me!

Bryan Whitehead - Administrative Assistant:

Bryan's a good boy! A little intense at times but what a hoot he is! As the administrative assistant for the living donor liver program, he is Cailins right-hand man. He scheduled most of my appointments and kept in contact with me through the entire testing process. Got a question? He had an answer! I watched him lovingly carry a coffee from the corridors of the 10th floor down to the blood lab one day and his hand didn't move the entire time. There's a picture of him below.....snappy dresser AND surgeon-ly soft hands!

As I've said before, the great staff at Toronto General are the best-est! If I never run into any of these people again, I hope they all realize what a profound impact they've had on me and my families lives. I will see them again though...they are family!

More to come!