double lung transplant Archives

The Best of 2014

January 1, 2015 By Tam Warner 6 Comments

The last few years have been, for me, at least, a perfect storm. Circumstances have conspired to create the most challenging years of my life. So much so, that there have been times I have almost had to laugh at the continuing onslaught. Although 2014 has been a year of challenge, there have been moments of joy and signs of better times coming. What we learn during the bad times is that there can be no light without the dark, no true happiness without deepest sorrow. As trite as that sounds, it is the truth. I have high hopes for 2015, and plan to do my best in continuing cultivation of a positive, and optimistic, outlook. For now, I wish to share with you the best moments of 2014, it has certainly been one hell of a year!

Randy’s remarkable recovery from a double lung transplant in September 2013 continues! The story is HERE.

In January 2014, friends from around the country came to celebrate Randy's recovery. — In January 2014, friends of Randy’s from around the country came to celebrate Randy’s incredible continuing recovery from a double lung transplant, September 2013.

My cousin Kathy and I took a quick trip to the Exumas to swim with feral swimming pigs!

I took a dive trip to Thailand, and was joined by my daughter! It was an incredible trip for us both.

Engagement! My son, Wes, and his fiance, Carisa, with their animal family!

Randy’s first trip out of Dallas since his transplant, we headed to the Texas Hill Country.

In June of 2014 Randy and I took a glorious drive on the Pacific Coast Highway, all the way north to Shelter Cove, CA. Then we met up with friends in Tahoe. This trip really pushed Randy to a whole new level in his recovery. Since then, he has gone up, up, up.

Incredible view from the hills of Santa Barbara

spending a day with my niece and her children in Santa Barbara

Big Sur's elephant seals! — Big Sur’s elephant seals!

and Lake Tahoe with friends we hadn’t seen in 15 years!

t 14 jill don tam ran — Enjoying good friends.

t 14 emerald bay — Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, has to be one of the most beautiful spots on the face of the planet.

I had a chance to go to Cozumel in August, and met up with an old friend I volunteered with in Mozambique, Leslie. Of course, she’s young enough to be my daughter, and many people thought shewas! A couple of my yoga buddies came along as well!

In August, my daughter, Alexandra, became engaged to be married! She and her fiance, Mike, plan on an October 2015 wedding.

Then, in September, I went on a volunteer science expedition with Marine Megafauna Foundation. Off the coast of Ecuador 3 currents converge at a small island called Isla de la Plata, and with those currents come Giant Manta Rays and other pelagic sea life. I volunteered to dive and photograph the animals. It was a very physically demanding trip, but I loved every minute.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — The wonder of these graceful, beautiful animals is beyond words.

Meeting up with Marine Megafauna and volunteers, some of whom I’d been with in Africa.

Then, a one year “Re-Birthday” celebration for Randy….one year post double lung transplant. An important milestone, and just the first of many I know he will reach!

Next, a wedding and Randy’s 40th High School Reunion. What an incredible night it was, we were all so thankful that he was able to be there.

I visited my family and friends in Ohio in October, which was wonderful, and I even went on a hayride with my sistah Holly’s granddaughter, Becca. Then, off to Kentucky for my cousin Brittane’s wedding!

I hadn't seen an Ohio autumn in 20 years, at least! — I hadn’t seen an Ohio autumn in 20 years, at least!

High school friends meeting for a great dinner!

My daughter, Ally, was Brittane's Maid of Honor — My daughter, Ally, was Brittane’s Maid of Honor, doing the Cotton Eyed Joe!

My cousin Lisa and her daughter Brittane

My son performed the music at the wedding.

A quick, and successful, trip to Vegas!

Then, time spent with family and friends during the holidays.

Ally and Carisa with their dogs at the Turkey Trot 5K

xmas 14 tam bodie sofia — Watching Lyn’s grandchildren opening gifts.

Poker for Christmas, Mintons and Greenbergs — Poker on Christmas Eve with the Mintons and Greenbergs

I do believe the signs for 2015 are looking good! Two weddings coming up should give us plenty to celebrate!

Happy New Year to you and yours! Let’s all look forward with joy.

Philanthropy: 5 Worthy Organizations Who Need Your Help!

December 28, 2014 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

These organizations need you! And, hey, just before the end of 2014, which means you can write them off your taxes! These 5 groups, foundations, organizations, are always on my Giving List, and for very good reason!

It is thrilling to go on an MMF Expedition as a volunteer!

1. Marine Megafauna Foundation: “MMF specifically focuses on the research and conservation of threatened marine megafauna species. ‘Marine Megafauna’ are large marine species such as sharks, rays, marine mammals and turtles. These animals are key components of marine ecosystems but, as they are long-lived and have low reproductive rates, their populations are usually the first to be reduced by human pressures. Fortunately, they are also among the most charismatic animals on the planet and engender a high degree of public interest in their biology and conservation, making them useful ambassadors for the whole marine environment”. Adopt a Manta Ray or a Whale Shark! Or give in general, for their research. My favorite way to give? Participate in one of their many “expeditions” and do citizen science! I went to Ecuador this year with MMF and it was such a privilege to participate in their Manta Ray Research! Go here to donate! Join me in becoming a MMF Guardian, or adopt/sponsor an animal…there are many ways to support this group!

Genesis Shelter Donation for the Holidays

2. Give to a Women’s Shelter. I give yearly to Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas, Tx. Help support quality safety and support to battered women and their children, whatever your location! There are shelters everywhere who need your help.

3. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Heart and Lung Transplant Clinic. Our family certainly supports this group of world renowned Doctors and Nurses. My husband benefited from their expertise and world class facilities…he had a double lung transplant in September 2013. They saved his life. I cannot say enough about how incredible UT Southwestern is, they are certainly deserving of giving to support their research.

4. UN World Food Progam: From projects around the world to supporting school lunch programs, the UN’s WFP is attempting to eliminate hunger for the world’s children. A very worthy cause and a very hard fight. We can all help!

5. World Wildlife Fund: WWF works for conservation of our Endangered Species. Did you know we are down to 5 Rare White Rhinos in the entire world? Help fight extinction for these animals…which is being caused by humans. The list goes on and on…there are many people out there who are dedicated to saving lives, human and non-human. Give a little and get a tax break….but mostly give because only Giving (in whatever form you can or want) will change the world.

It was an Epic Christmas/Christmukkah!

December 26, 2014 By Tam Warner 4 Comments

It was truly an epic Christmas.

Christmas Eve was great fun, visiting with friends we regard as family, and playing an utterly crazy poker game until all hours.

15 months from a near death experience and a double lung transplant, my husband Randy is doing incredibly well. Back to his old self!

My two children, Ally and Wes, 27 and 24, were both home with their fiances, Mike and Carisa. I had four kids this year! And four dogs. Chaos! One of my favorite things.

We are missing loved ones, that is true, but such is the tenor and measure of life itself. They are in our hearts and the very air we breathe. We have much to be grateful for.

Life moves on, the moving finger writes, and all that, and we lose touch with some while we strengthen our bonds with others. We are thankful for those we love in our lives, and even though so many very many of our friends and loved ones live at a distance, we know that friendship and family is not about geography. Besides, we love to travel!

I hope you had a holiday of joy and wonder, with many more to come. Season’s Greetings!

Chicago is my kind of town!

October 8, 2014 By Tam Warner 21 Comments

As a native midwesterner, I have to say I LOVE Chicago. What a great city! Fabulous night life, restaurants, art, theater, parks, lake…and so on and so forth. Chicago is a bit different from the other large, popular US cities like New York, Boston, San Francisco….because it is down to earth, and accessible. One doesn’t feel that one cannot drive downtown, one doesn’t fear snobbery (not much, anyway), and anyone on the street will be happy to help. Chicago is the midwestern version of “the big city”. As a midwestern girl (as the Beach Boys would sing) I appreciate frankness with no airs.

My husband and I had a dual purpose in visiting Chicago last week. One of our friends had a daughter getting married at the Westin River North (lovely view of the river!) and Randy had his 40 year high school reunion in La Grange, where he grew up. As a bonus, my hairdresser, Eric, whom I have known since 1990, just moved to Chicago and it was lovely to have dinner and then lunch with him. Eric knows his way around Chicago, and took us to the most wonderful restaurants I’ve ever been to in Chicago. First, he took Randy and I and another (reunion) couple to an Italian eatery called Topo Gigios. Randy and his lifelong friend Murph have been eating and drinking in Chicago for many years, but Murph has decided that Topo Gigios is his new favorite Chicago restaurant. That means it is really good! Strange name, I thought, until my Baby Boomer friends (older baby boomers, I’m on the tail end) informed me that Topo Gigio is a cartoon character who was often on the Ed Sullivan Show. I’ve seen reruns of Ed, but I have no memory of the real show back in the 50’s or 60’s. Well, the mouse character is in the restaurant, and as long as he can cook fine Italian cuisine, I love him!

The next delicious venue was Siena Tavern. Siena Tavern is a contemporary establishment, with modern decor and reservation only seating, even at lunch! Eric and I had lunch at the bar, which was actually fun as we kidded around with the bartenders. The menu changes with the seasons….Eric had Italian ribbon noodles while I enjoyed Mozzarella and walnuts, covered with honey. Sigh. Siena Tavern is having Truffle Tasting through October 12….email events@sienatavern.com. Very tasty!

The gang from Lyons Township High School!

The wedding was fabulous, and most of us danced all night. Well, I danced a few times, but many others truly danced the whole time. Randy and I hung out with the Lyons Township High School reunion crowd, and had a great time. The next night was the reunion, and visiting the places of Randy’s childhood. The 40th reunion was quite emotional as Randy was very lucky to be there at all. One year ago, Randy had a double lung transplant and came very close to death. It made the reunion all the more sweeter for us all. (you can read about that journey HERE). I was unable to visit my students in Chicago….next trip!

Well, I will be off on a nostalgic trip of my own soon, as my cousin’s daughter is getting married on October 25 in Kentucky. I’m going to drive up early, stop at the Clinton Presidential Library, check out Hendrix College (did you know I am a college counselor in private practice? Well, I am!), look at Indiana U in Bloomington, and spend time in Ohio with my “sister” (long story…our parents were best friends and we were raised in each other’s pockets…but she is older and she and my older brother tortured me. Which explains a lot about me, actually!

So safe journeys to you, and I will be checking in along the way!

The Journey Ahead

September 22, 2014 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

September 10th was one year since my husband’s (Randy) shocking double lung transplant. Randy was having some breathing issues, but his respiratory failures from August 2013 were shocking events that rocked our family and friends. He was critical for 3 months, on life support for 12 days. Our gratitude to the donor and his family is boundless. This donor saved many lives, not just Randy’s. His heart and liver were also used as donor organs. (To read about the ordeal, visit the category, An Unexpected Journey, lung transplant, on this blog.) Today we celebrated his one year anniversary as a REBIRTH Day, with a brunch at Lark on the Park. HAPPY REBIRTH DAY TO RANDY!

Our celebration this morning was lovely, and delicious (Lark on the Park is a fabulous restaurant, across from Klyde Warren Park)! While sitting at the table I looked around and felt so fortunate to have my family intact. And not only intact, but growing! Next year BOTH of my children are getting married! It is a joy to realize that next year will be a year of celebration.

The last few years have been so difficult. Not just for me, but for our entire family. The Wheel of Fortune turns, and it seems as though it is turning upwards for us. We all have good times and bad times in our lives, and I fully realize that it is not possible to live in the sunshine all of the time. The warmth of the sun is very welcome.

One year is an important milestone. He’s working out, walking, and even played golf last week! My daughter made a toast this morning, and said that she and Wes (my son) are very glad that tube dad is gone, and their real dad is back. (Tube dad was one week post transplant, and he was angry and frustrated and could not understand why we couldn’t understand what he was saying. He had a tube down his throat, that’s why!)

In two weeks we will be at Randy’s 40th high school reunion (yes, I know he is so old!), and toward the end of the month we’ll be in Kentucky for a family wedding. This will be the year of the wedding bells! My son and his fiance will marry in May, followed by my daughter’s wedding in October.

I know this post is pretty random, but the truth is, I am feeling very hopeful. Hopeful that the wheel is turning toward happier times and good health. It is hard to believe it has only been a year since things were at their lowest ebb. I feel like the sun is coming out after a long, dark winter. Here’s to the Journey Ahead!

Double Lung Transplant, ONE YEAR!

September 10, 2014 By Tam Warner 13 Comments

September 10th will be one year since my husband’s (Randy) shocking double lung transplant. Randy was having some breathing issues, but his respiratory failures from August 2013 were shocking events that rocked our family and friends. He was critical for 3 months, on life support for 12 days. Our gratitude to the donor and his family is boundless. This donor saved many lives, not just Randy’s. His heart and liver were also used as donor organs. To read about the ordeal, visit the category, An Unexpected Journey, lung transplant, on this blog. HAPPY REBIRTH DAY TO RANDY!

Great and supportive friends — Some of Randy’s great and supportive friends flew in from around the country the minute they knew he was in danger.

One year! How much can be packed into a single year? Since my mother’s illness and passing in June 2013, the whirlwind has not stopped. As stated above, Randy went into respiratory distress in August 2013, and we came so very close to losing him. A caring donor and donor family, and fabulous doctors at UT Southwestern Lung and Heart Transplant Center saved his life. And friends and family supported my children and I through the entire event. How can anyone be so fortunate? As Rosemary Clooney would say, “I count my blessings instead of sheep.” And they are so numerous.

At Wesley's graduation, March 2013 — At Wesley’s graduation, March 2013

The best Thanksgiving EVER, when Randy walked unaided into the dining room. — The best Thanksgiving EVER, when Randy walked unaided into the dining room, 2013.

The ways of fate are strange….I lost my father to lung disease when I was 25, and my mother also passed from the same lung disease. My children were 22 and 26 when Randy became critically ill from a lung disease that was later diagnosed as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. His last words to me as he was put on life support were, “I’m so sorry I am doing what your dad did to you.” I told him this was different, that HE would live. I never felt like he was going to actually die, though of course the possibility was there and it was strongly probable. I don’t like to tempt fate. I sometimes see “fate” as a mischievous fairy who flits about, causing havoc here and there. I am constantly superstitious about “fate”, as she seems to follow me around a little too much for my comfort. I knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, and try to placate her at all times. I never say “this is the worst that could happen”, because she (“fate”) has taught me that there is always something worse.

In some ways I feared more for my children than for myself. What on earth were the odds that they would lose their father like I did, at a similar age? I don’t know. But there is always the possibility lurking as lung transplant patients have the lowest survival rate of any transplant patients. One of the reasons is the fact that the lungs are the only organs open to the air (except the skin, of course), so the danger of bacteria, germs, and illness is always present. Randy wears a mask to protect himself in large crowds or when near those who are coughing or sniffling. I am very hopeful and confident that Randy will live a long life, but as I said, the fear always lurks in the background. The trick is not to let the fear overtake you…to remain positive and hopeful and enjoy every minute. Don’t wait to do the things you want to do….time is not guaranteed to any of us.

How could I possibly thank our family and dear friends who supported us through the worst experience of our lives? They visited Randy, from Dallas and from around the country. They sent meals, they sat with me, with our family, they prayed, they hoped, they sent their best and most optimistic thoughts. They sent cheerful emails, and loving messages. They came to the hospital with food and friendship and hope. ( I don’t hold my weight gain against them!). I could never, never express my gratitude adequately. I hope they know how much I love and treasure them, and every act of kindess they performed.

Mark, Randy, Lyn and I! Besties in Cozumel!

Greg and Randy, brothas to the bone! Christmas Eve, 2013.

Christmas Eve with Family (our friends are family too!)

Randy with his childhood friends. What a group of guys! — Randy with his childhood friends January 2014. What a group of guys!

Randy continues to gain in strength every day. From not being able to walk or lift an arm 11 months ago he is now lifting weights, walking, and traveling once again. We took an amazing trip up the Pacific Coast Highway and to Lake Tahoe. He has now been cleared for international travel (within reason) and for easy, relaxing scuba diving!

Wes and Carisa's engagment photo! — Wes and Carisa’s engagment photo!

2015 looks to be a year of joy. Both of my children are engaged to be married, and within four months of each other! It will be a busy, but very happy, time in our lives. We move forward with optimism, love, and joy into a bright, promising future.

Thank you all for your love and support. I am in love with the world, and hope that you are all blessed with good health and happiness! Today, life is good!

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