Carl

 Alpha Angel 3/14/2010

Carl's Obituary

I live in Harlingen, Texas.

I am a retired Foreman in the oil field.

I enjoy crusin' in my classic car.

I have a dog named Jill & her 4 cats.

My favorite music is oldies rock and roll.

My favorite book/movie: The Left Behind Series

My favorite quote: "I thought I was winning the rat race, until the rats got faster"

9/12/2004 I was diagnosed in Jan 1993 after a lengthy URI, that I couldn't shake off by myself again. That's when I found out about Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. By the way it is not a "Death Sentence" that is a lie from hell. The pulmonary doc that dx'ed me was very negative so I got a second opinion and a wonderful pulmonary doc at the same time. My local doc got me started in rehab and Prolastin treatments, which I have faithfully followed until June of this year.

My wife wasn't able to handle my disease, so through worry and poor health I lost her to liver cancer in April of '99. I also had several more exacerbations, and my lung function had dropped to the low 20%. My company asked me to go on LTD (long term disability) which was a true blessing, in Oct of '99. Now came the 2nd life changing adjustment of living on less money and as a disabled person. I had started O2- 2 liters at rest, I continued rehab, made  many life changing adjustments, in eating habits, and my spiritual out look on life in general improved.

April of 2000 my pulmonary doc set me up with an lung evaluation here at Barnes to see if I qualified for a bilateral lung transplant.  My sister flew up with me and after a few days Dr. John Lynch said I was good to go for a transplant, come back in a couple of years. See ya!!  Now I got deadly serious about improving my chances for life and having it more abundantly.  I did so well when I returned in 2002 with a friend from home my PFT's, and ABG's were better than the first evaluation. Dr. Trulock and I agreed that I very well could stay at this level for several years, so I went on inactive status.  Anyway, there were many more lung affected people around sicker than I was, I could wait.

I did take good care of myself, my spiritual connection with God grew beyond belief, and my health stayed pretty much level, until Nov. of 2003, when I got sick.  It took almost 4 months to shake off a mild case of bronchitis.  This was a warning, that it was time to go active again.  All it took was a phone call to Macina, and I was good to move up here April 6th of this year. By this time my FEV1 was down to 12%, I was still living alone,  but now I needed a caregiver. Well after setting  the wheels in motion I allowed God to open doors for me. I found a young man from church to house sit and take care of my critters 1 dog 4 cats. My sister was able to accompany me for almost the whole summer as the  main care giver, of course my brothers, son,  daughter and a couple of friends from Indiana and Texas even filled in a week here and there.

I was really blessed my 1st dry run was two weeks after I moved up here.  I was at a 2ndwind support group meeting and Jan called and said I had some lungs. Well I was here alone so Tom Archer  filled in as caregiver. We went back to my duplex, I change clothes, left valuables there, and Tom took  me back to the 7100 floor. I got entirely prepped but the lungs were compromised so I went home. It was a really good learning experience.  I think about a month later Macina called just before supper saying some lungs were here locally,  so hold off  1 hr for supper she would call me back.  She did and of course the lungs were damaged, 2nd dry run.

My son was here when I got the call on June 12, 04 around 8:20am, from Jan that my lungs were here.  We were to be at the hospital by 10am so I had time for  a fast shower and change into clean clothes.  Well she called back it was rushed forward be there by 9 am.  So Ok a short shower, LOL  The rest as they say is history, my recovery has been text book perfect, nothing out of the ordinary has happened, actually it's been rather uneventful.  It just reassures me that my faith in God has carried me across, a difficult period of my life with no fear.  You may think I'm weird or strange but I prayed specifically that God would pick a donor for me that was nearly a perfect  DNA match to me, and that I would have the bare minimum of immeosupresant drugs, and there would be NO complications in my recovery.  Well, folks I am sitting here as living proof that God answers prayers. 

I am happy to say that I was Txp #739. I have made many lasting friendships and I truly hope each one of us has a very long and prosperous life. Especially the 3 young adults with CF, that had rehab with me. Their youthfulness encouraged me to excel at rehab, and made me want more than ever, a  2nd chance to grab the gold ring of life.  Now when I go home soon, I'll be waiting for God to fulfill my second prayer.  I was married over 30 years, and with His help I think another 30 years is possible, and He can pick this one, to be my wife. LOL

Carl