The Dons….and the waiting game

Brian and Tony have already been here, and now it is time for 3 Dons at the same time!  Randy’s best man, Dave, Lil Murph, and Hurst have arrived in Dallas.  Nancy is here too, Lil Murph’s better half, so to speak!  I feel sorry for the hospital, for the staff at the ICU, and for all the other patients.  Ha!  Randy is loving it.  Apparently Murph and Hurst had a bit to drink last night and texted Randy at all hours.  Big Dave surprised me this morning before I had even dressed!  Tonight, Randy’s dad will join Wes, Carisa, Ally, the Dons, and I for dinner.  I feel sure that Rex (Ran’s dad) will enjoy it…he has known these boys since they were kids.

The Dons are an interesting group…and it would take a novel to tell all of the stories. They are childhood and college friends (Tony).  Hurst and Randy roomed together when they went to Arizona State University.  These guys can go years without talking….then get together and it is as if no time has passed, their friendship and love for one another is trumped only by their love for their families (and I’m not sure we rate that high, actually).  What do they have in common besides a lifetime?  Laughter.  These guys are always laughing.  Seeing Brian, Tony, Murph, Hurst and Dave in one week will be the best medicine Randy could have until he gets his lungs.  He has been overwhelmed by the response from his friends, not only in Dallas, but around the country (and world, too).  These guys represent real, true love and friendship.  I am always amazed by the strength of their bond, but it is undeniable.

We all went to dinner tonight…Ran’s dad, our two kids, 3 dons and Nancy. We took this photo and I sent it to Randy at the hospital, saying “We miss YOU”.  He was very emotional about the photo, about the friends who call him, visit him, encourage him and love him.  As I have always said, everybody loves Randy!

So we have Donnies around, and we are still playing The Waiting Game.  And what a strange, weird game it is.  It is sometimes difficult to wrap my brain around the fact that in order for Randy to live, someone will die.  I am glad, and proud, to be an organ donor.  It is difficult for me to understand why anyone would not give an organ to help another life continue.  The process has been explained to us thus:

1.  A call will come in that a suitable donor has been found, one who is brain dead, with the correct blood type, health and lung size.

2.  One of the surgeons from the UT Southwestern Lung Transplant Team will fly to the location in order to harvest the organs.  The surgeon will decide whether they meet the standard needed, and if they do, he will fly to UT Southwestern with the lungs.

3.  As soon as the surgeon determines whether the lungs are appropriate, Randy will be notified and he will be prepped for surgery.

4.  The surgeon from the team waiting in Dallas to perform the surgery will examine the organs to make a final decision about their suitability.  If they are good to go, the surgery will begin.  Then, another waiting game.

I still haven’t fully comprehended this journey….maybe no one could. It still seems impossible to me that Randy, healthy never sick Randy, has declined so quickly that he needs a lung transplant.  A double lung transplant. I mean, what planet are we on?