Hope and a Visit from Grandpa
Hope is an interesting and powerful thing. When we can be hopeful, in the midst of terrible circumstances, we can be stronger than we ever imagined. This is not about my personal strength. This is about a collective, family strength.
My cousin needs a new liver. She was in a car accident that caused internal damage. She didn't know it at the time, but she started developing symptoms that led her to her doctor. Eventually, after tons of testing, they realized that her liver wasn't functioning properly and that she needs a new one.
She is now at a critical place in this journey. She is number one on the transplant list. However, we all know how people get new livers. Usually, someone else has to die. That person has to be a match for her. It's not just about blood type. It's more complicated than that. There is also a way for a living person to donate part of their liver, but it's a complicated issue. If she can get the right liver soon, then she has a good chance of making a good recovery and living the life she wants to live. She's about the same age as my husband. She has a loving husband, three grown children, two amazing parents, a sister, a brother and an incredibly supportive extended family.
There's nothing I can do to help her right now, except send encouraging thoughts her way. I spoke with her mother, my godmother, yesterday. My Aunt Lynne is my mother's older sister. They live in Texas and we don't talk often, but that doesn't seem to matter. I've always felt very close to her. She is strong. She is positive. She is hopeful, but she is scared.
I don't know how anyone could face this situation and not be terrified. I could hear the worry in her voice, but she was so positive. She was able to talk about fun things, like my boys and her other children. We chatted about dresses, parties, weddings and all kinds of other nice subjects. But, underneath all that stuff, is the real thing. She asked me to pray for my cousin. I do pray, in my own way. For me, it's more about sending love and positive thoughts into the universe.
From a scientific perspective, I don't know if those thoughts do any good. I know kind words, encouragement and support can go a long way for all of us. That is what I offer. That's all I have for them.
I dreamt about my grandfather last night. I was at his house and I was hiding in the bathtub in their bathroom. He opened the bathroom door and I said, 'Who's out there?' He said, 'Oh, it's just me kid. You take your time.' I was a little confused. He's been dead for twenty-one years. I said, 'Oh, hi, Grandpa. I'll be out in a minute. Is everything ok?' He said, 'Everything's fine, kid. I'm right here.'
Then I woke up. This may sound strange, but I woke up because a light went on in our room. I looked over to see my husband turn the light off. I asked him why he turned it on. He said he didn't. He said it just went on by itself and it must have been a power surge or he accidently bumped it, or some other logical explanation.
Yes, it was probably something like that. I wasn't scared or worried. I tried to go back to sleep, but that wasn't possible. I kept hearing my grandfather's words. I never dream about him. He's been gone for so long. I was much closer to my grandmother and I do dream about her. However, my grandfather was a policeman, a WWII veteran and a very good man. If he said everything's fine, then it probably is. I certainly hope so.
My cousin needs a new liver. She was in a car accident that caused internal damage. She didn't know it at the time, but she started developing symptoms that led her to her doctor. Eventually, after tons of testing, they realized that her liver wasn't functioning properly and that she needs a new one.
She is now at a critical place in this journey. She is number one on the transplant list. However, we all know how people get new livers. Usually, someone else has to die. That person has to be a match for her. It's not just about blood type. It's more complicated than that. There is also a way for a living person to donate part of their liver, but it's a complicated issue. If she can get the right liver soon, then she has a good chance of making a good recovery and living the life she wants to live. She's about the same age as my husband. She has a loving husband, three grown children, two amazing parents, a sister, a brother and an incredibly supportive extended family.
There's nothing I can do to help her right now, except send encouraging thoughts her way. I spoke with her mother, my godmother, yesterday. My Aunt Lynne is my mother's older sister. They live in Texas and we don't talk often, but that doesn't seem to matter. I've always felt very close to her. She is strong. She is positive. She is hopeful, but she is scared.
I don't know how anyone could face this situation and not be terrified. I could hear the worry in her voice, but she was so positive. She was able to talk about fun things, like my boys and her other children. We chatted about dresses, parties, weddings and all kinds of other nice subjects. But, underneath all that stuff, is the real thing. She asked me to pray for my cousin. I do pray, in my own way. For me, it's more about sending love and positive thoughts into the universe.
From a scientific perspective, I don't know if those thoughts do any good. I know kind words, encouragement and support can go a long way for all of us. That is what I offer. That's all I have for them.
I dreamt about my grandfather last night. I was at his house and I was hiding in the bathtub in their bathroom. He opened the bathroom door and I said, 'Who's out there?' He said, 'Oh, it's just me kid. You take your time.' I was a little confused. He's been dead for twenty-one years. I said, 'Oh, hi, Grandpa. I'll be out in a minute. Is everything ok?' He said, 'Everything's fine, kid. I'm right here.'
Then I woke up. This may sound strange, but I woke up because a light went on in our room. I looked over to see my husband turn the light off. I asked him why he turned it on. He said he didn't. He said it just went on by itself and it must have been a power surge or he accidently bumped it, or some other logical explanation.
Yes, it was probably something like that. I wasn't scared or worried. I tried to go back to sleep, but that wasn't possible. I kept hearing my grandfather's words. I never dream about him. He's been gone for so long. I was much closer to my grandmother and I do dream about her. However, my grandfather was a policeman, a WWII veteran and a very good man. If he said everything's fine, then it probably is. I certainly hope so.
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