Straight from the (new) heart

From David's key board last night:

Dear Family and Friends:

Today is the fourth week anniversary of my transplant, and I wanted to take the occasion to emerge from the cocoon and say a few words to all of you who’ve offered so much love and support throughout this amazing time since I was placed on the transplant list back in November.

All I want to say, of course, is thank you. I am so appreciative of the kind messages, the prayers, the good wishes, the concern, the replies to Suzanne’s e-mails, the comments on her Facebook page, the letters and cards and all the gifts of time and books and food and flowers and gift cards I’ve received. It is a wonderful thing to know that one is held close in the thoughts of others and that one’s health is important to others. It is a feeling of love and connection and family, and I will always be grateful for these things.

I feel amazingly well for four weeks out. I’m still unsteady on my feet, still not thinking quite clearly, still fatigued, still coping with side effects, but every day brings improvement. I have a return visit to my transplant surgeon on April 15^th, and I hope to get back to work part-time after that.

I look forward to thanking the family of my heart donor. Contacting them will be an indirect process (appropriately so), but if they consent to being contacted I hope to learn more about the person whose heart is now beating in my chest. I’ve never been a particularly spiritual person, but I feel something truly profound in the idea that my life is now sustained by a heart that grew and loved and felt in another’s chest.

I want to take this moment, too, to thank Suzanne for keeping everyone updated with her e-mails and her blog. This time has been more stressful for her than for me, and she has handled it all with grace and compassion and love. She is my rock.

I also want to thank my dear Cheshire for being there for me and for being the most extraordinarily wonderful daughter a father could ask for. [getting a bit choked up here] Cheshire slept in a chair next to my hospital bed every night she was in Madison except one. She kept me amused, shared the comedy of my indignities as a patient, and helped me with tubes and wires and getting what I needed. I treasure the time we spent together.

I want to thank Julia, too, for showing me so much love when I came home. She’s been so happy, she’s become my shadow, gazing at me with her mysterious grin, so pleased that we are all together again.

So this will be the final installment. I’m sending this from Suzanne’s e-mail address, but please feel free to contact me at my e-mail address: schanker@sbcglobal.net. Of course, I’ll be in touch with many of you over the next few weeks and months, and I look forward to seeing you and embracing you and thanking you.

With love from my new (strong!) heart –

David