Motivated Motion

WHERE IS HER HEART? WHERE ARE MY LUNGS?

(MY NEW POST IS BELOW THE WEBLOGGERS’ DAY INFO BOX)

Happy International Webloggers' Day!

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Read this blog for information on International Webloggers day chat forum. Register yourself to participate today!
Look for the Weblogger Icon Below to learn more.

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This is the important Weblogger Day information area

Alex and I are participants in the forum for Web Bloggers Day on June 14th.
If you are a Blogger I suggest that you check out this link and register your Blog on it.
What we would like to know is how has Blogging effected you this past year? What have you learned by participating in the Blogging community? What did you find as negative within the blogging community? What direction do you think the Blogging community could aim towards in the next year? Do you like the voice you have in blogging? Are you in an active blogging network? What does your network do that you think is Unique?

These are a few sample questions to get the forum started, but we can talk about anything you want to talk about.

If you have any trouble getting into forum, remember to log in, then if it still isn't working please use the link on the sidebar of this site to email me.

Thanks to RheLynn we now know that the forum is open. Don't be discouraged by the forum locked icon. If you register(have registered) for the forum you can login to participate and you will be able to post and reply to messages.

I would like to invite all who read this blog, whether you are bloggers or blog readers, to take part in my forum for International Webloggers day. You can go to myforum link
and register yourself in the top right area of the site for the forum. You will not be solicited for anything if you register here. You have an option to not show your web address or email address when you register. Registration is only to protect you from being harrassed in the forum, and so we can assure that minors don't take part unless their parents let them. I believe that you will get a notice for 2007 Webloggers Day events if you register for either link.

The chat forum is open for registration now, and will open for chat on Tues June 13 from 01200 (noon) GMT-5 to 01200 (noon) GMT-5 on June 15th.

Please register yourself to be included in the forum and then come and join us for the chat. I will do my best to have myself or Alex Moderate the chat for 18 of the hours involved. If you co-bloggers want to moderate too you can email me.

I am really excited about this forum. We will discuss what we have enjoyed about blogging this year, and what we would like to see change for next year. I am open to all discussion that day though, you dont have to just talk about this subject.


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(new post)WHERE IS HER HEART? WHERE ARE MY LUNGS?

I have shared my feelings on transplants before. My personal experiences with the transplant community have changed my life forever.

In honour of International Webloggers’ Day I want to direct you all to the Blog of my friend Merv Sheppard.

Merv is a Blogger who has an agenda. I believe it is a calling, and all that know him will agree with me for sure. He is well liked within the transplant community. If he has some that are a little put off with him, it is problably from those who’s hands are tied by the privacy laws our Medical community must adhere to, and this is understandable.

All of my references in this post about transplants are dedicated and directed to those within the heart, and lung transplant community in Toronto General Hospital.


Merv is also a transplant recipient. Since his recovery he has dedicated his life to being the communication conduit between Transplantees, their Caregivers, and their Families and the community at large.

Merv spends every moment championing the cause for Organ Donation and Transplant awareness. He does his best to touch by the life of every pre and post operative Transplantee who walks into the doors at Toronto General Hospital. He works hard to chronicle the life and death of each patient on the Transplant floor.

Merv tells their story when they have no voice to tell it themselves, he has opened his heart to share every life passing with each worn Family.

There are days that are so joyful that all want to share. There are celebrations and fundraisers to make all aware. Merv will write about it.

Merv has the utmost respect for all his brothers and sisters in the transplant community and he gives his time for them.

He is not the only person who is dedicated to this cause. He has a ring of other Champions that do their own thing along side him. But all turn to him to make sure everyone has the message we all share. In time I will tell you all about the others as well.

I first met Merv in the spring of 2004. Wendy Olson (my lovely Transplantee friend) and I were sitting and resting in the coffee corral on the main floor of the new wing of Toronto General Hospital. One of our three gruelling days a week (pre-transplant), we were putting in for clinical studies or “Treadmill Room” physiotherapy.

This small, senior man came bouncing into the area and homed in on us. He was making his contact. “Hello. I am Merv Sheppard. I am a Tranplantee and I would like to take your picture, and ask you a few questions. I have a newsletter I write for the lung transplant group.”
AAARG ! How would he know we were in the Transplant unit? Oh……….I guess Wendy walking around with an oxygen tank is pretty obvious. LOL

Perky, smerky man full of life and chitchat. Catches you off guard when you are suffering through another gruelling transplant day, to take your picture. Who was that silver haired mild mannered reporter? Merrrrrrrv Sheppppaaaard!

It wasn’t until that night we realised what Merv capturing us on film meant.
He sent us each an email with our pics in it.
Along with the pics was a brief explanation of Merv’s Newsletter mission.
One quick email reply and we were a part of The Network.

Wow! Suddenly Wendy and I were attached to the info sight we had been looking for.
Routed to every associate that was doing SOMETHING for the transplant cause.
Newsletters, calendars, updates on Transplantees’ conditions, new innovations in transplant care, therapy, treatments, and surgeries.
We have been updated on every situation that has arisen since.

If we needed to tell all the Transplantees about something we could email Merv.
If we want to help yell the transplant message to others, Merv will help us have a voice.

If we hear a rumour we stay tuned to Merv, cuz he will hunt down the truth.
If transplants make news, Merv shares the message.
If a Transplantee or Transplantee Family has an issue that other patients can relate to and maybe help with, Merv informs us.

Not all of the Transplantees are well. Some are just OK. Some can’t get back to Toronto to participate in Tranplant Fundraisers, BBQs, Dinners, Super Fabulous Announcements from the Transplant Doctors, Bake Sales and Marathons. An endless amount of events. Merv works very hard to chronicle these events in photos to share with those who can’t be with everyone. This makes us all feel like we participated.

In June 2004 Wendy Olson received her transplant, and my job as a support person ended with the passing of the torch to her family for Wendy’s recovery. We share our joy for Wendy’s life.
And now, as time passes and Wendy is still with us, we thank God every day that the miracle of life has touched us. Rebirth is Awesome!
But it is really hard to let go the buddies one makes through “The Treadmill Room” and we seek out Merv’s newsletter, and “Carepages” to catch up on our buddie’s health and well being.

When things don’t go so good we also seek out Merv who will stretch his arms out through the email once more to tell our friends what is happening.

It may sound sad and morbid to talk about death so readily, as Transplantees often do…..
But I think that the brave people who go through the steps towards, and receive transplants have earned the right to be as free as they wish about death, for they have touched the edge for many days in a row and have earned that battle stripe.

It is important for Transplantees to share the good and the rough with their brothers and sisters. Knowledge is power, and sharing the hard stories may save a life of a fellow Transplantee going through the same trials. Celebrating the life of a friend gives yours more meaning. And empathy goes very far among these warriors of life and death. Transplantees share a life changing experience that begins with illness and ends with a life of tests that none of them are ever spared from. Merv does an awesome job to help them yell this song the loudest.

Please take a moment now to say a prayer of thanks for people like Merv Sheppard.
Take a few moments from the rest of your day and look at his blog and explore his links.
Learn about things you really never thought of.
Smile, be proud, laugh and cry at what you see.

For He who writes
Writes out of Love
Love is Charity
Charity releases us all from bonds of this crazy world.

Maybe today YOU will see The Other Side.

Thank you Merv.
From the bottom of My Heart, and Her Lungs.

Lynn Tucker

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE MORE:

Merv's Blog

My post on Legistlation to assume we are all donors

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2006/06/where-is-her-heart-where-are-my-lungs.html