Article

Liver recipient competes in Vancouver Olympics


By Allan Dowd (Reuters)

American snowboarder Chris Klug is more than just happy to be in the Olympics, he is happy to be healthy and alive and is using the Vancouver Games to get out the message on organ donors and recipients.

The 37-year-old Aspen, Colorado resident, who was suffering a rare degenerative condition, received a liver transplant in 2000 and now hopes that adding to his Olympic medal collection will prove a point.

"It is important that other people going through the process that I did almost 10 years ago see what is possible after a transplant," Klug told reporters on Tuesday as he waits to compete in the men's parallel giant slalom on Feb. 27.

"I'm healthier and stronger than I was before my transplant, and people ought to know that."

Klug, who won bronze in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and became the first athlete to win an Olympic medal after having a major organ transplant, is working with health officials in Vancouver to publicize the need for organ donors.

He competed in the 1998 Nagano Games, when snowboarding made its Olympic debut, and acknowledges Vancouver will probably be his last Olympics.

Klug's previous Olympic experiences, both good and bad, have taught him some valuable lessons for how to enjoy his time in Vancouver. He looked relaxed as he chatted to reporters.

"One of my mantras and goals this time is just enjoy the ride. Take it all in."

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5 Month Update

Am I the worst blogger ever? Well yes, I think I just might be! My updates have become few and far between. Normally, I would blame this on the fact that nothing exciting has happened to warrant an update..but this time I can blame it on plain ol' laziness!

So everything seems to be progressing as well as it can be. My sleep pattern has returned to normal, my stomach isn't as growl-y as it was and my scar is fading to a lighter shade of pink and it doesn't look so angry! All that being said, I still have a constant 'stitch' in my side that feels not unlike a runners cramp. Some mornings I have tightness around the incision site near the lower ribs and the core strength still isn't what it used to be, but I've been told all these minor symptoms will go away in due time...as will the numbness that still plagues me. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all here, just stating what is going on is all. What I can complain about however is this stupid cold I picked up last week. Bleh!

Now, I have no idea how my recipient is doing although at my last clinic, they said he was doing very well, so I can only hope he continues to do well. I'll be sure to ask about him the next time I'm at Toronto General.

That's about all I can report about for now. I hate to sound like a broken record here but if you haven't yet done so, sign your donor card and tell your family and friends of your decision to do so.