I am lost now. - TTLG Forums

Shug on 13/6/2006 at 01:13

Hang in there :(

TheAlbaniac on 13/6/2006 at 10:56

I mourn your loss. Hang in there!

Enchantermon on 13/6/2006 at 11:02

Dia.....
Oh, girl, I wish I could give you a huge bear hug right now. I'm so, so sorry. I know you may be tired of hearing this by now, but stay strong. :( You'll be in my prayers.

Quote Posted by Medlar

Say not in grief he is no more but in in thankfulness that he was.

Amen!

Dia on 13/6/2006 at 15:10

Thank you all for your kind words and support. I hope you realize how very much this means to me. The hardest time is when everyone's gone home and I'm alone at night and in the morning. That's when I head for TTLG.

I heard from the coordinator of the organ donor program this morning. He told me that every single one of Bart's organs and a majority of various tissues had been used to save a life. Even though Bart had suffered three major cardiac arrests, the surgeons were able to salvage the valves from his heart and transplant them into a recipient that didn't have long to live because his/her heart valves were defective. One of Bart's kidneys and his liver were transplanted into a person that was also near death. His other kidney was given to a person that had already given up hope, having been on the donor recipient list for five years. Cells from Bart's pancreas were injected into diabetic people for whom insulin injections no longer worked very well. This last is an experimental procedure that is proving effective at giving people who are severe diabetics another chance at life and has so far been quite successful. His skin was used for a young burn patient and even though he smoked from time to time, tissue from his lungs was also successfully transplanted. The coordinator said he'd call me in about a month to let me know how all the recipients were doing; that if they agreed, he'd be able to tell me a little more about them. He also told me that if within a year or so all parties are agreeable, we'll all be given the opportunity to meet. I would like that very, very much.

Bart had the most delightfully irreverant, wicked sense of humor and I know he'd be making some sort of wiseass remark about being spread too thin right now. Bart always teased me that since he was an 'artiste', it was all about him; this time it is. He always made me laugh; I'll miss that.

LesserFollies on 13/6/2006 at 15:49

That's wonderful, Dia. You can see from his pic that he was a man of great spirit and humor, and now he'll be living on in so many. God bless you both.

jstnomega on 13/6/2006 at 16:26

Quote Posted by Dia

I'm not going to pretend to be noble here. Though I am sincerely glad that there are people who have been given a second chance at living, I wish with all my heart my husband was here with me tonight. We'd been married only eleven years and they seem to have gone by in an eyeblink.

I feel so raw and empty and angry and lost right now. I am in more pain than I have ever known in my life. I am despondent and despairing for it was far too soon for something like this to have happened. He said he wanted to grow old with me; he promised me Wednesday morning that he would come home safe to me. He lied.

Condolences & GL to you, Dia. A loss that profound is simply unimaginable to me - and I've buried a few, though never a spouse. It's not much but maybe you can take some comfort in Knowing this: at least he died while engaged in something about which he was passionate. Some of us will always envy those so blessed.

Hier on 13/6/2006 at 16:32

I don't know you Dia, but I'm sorry to hear of this. It's nice that at least you're aware of some good that has come of your loss. I wasn't aware how much information the family members of victims are given about organ transplants.

My wife and I only recently signed our organ donor cards. We talked about it, and it basically came down to the fact that if one of us lost the other, we would want at least some comfort knowing that someone could be helped. I hope you're able to find some comfort knowing the same.

Dia on 13/6/2006 at 16:41

Thank you again. And yes, I never would have believed what a comfort it is knowing that there are people who have a chance at life because of Bart. I am definitely taking consolation from that fact.

And yes, again; Bart had often said that when he 'went' he hoped that it was not only sudden, but on his bike (and that he was in the lead - which he was). Smaller consolation, but a consolation still that he didn't suffer or linger and died doing one of the things he loved best.

I'm a 'racing mom' and was a racer's wife, so I knew the odds. I just never thought it could happen to us. Life is too damn short.

OnionBob on 13/6/2006 at 16:45

Quote Posted by Dia

awesome stuff

This is great, I didn't know things happened that fast and that relatives of the donor were privy to so much information about the recipients. I'm definitely doing this.

Haegan on 13/6/2006 at 17:10

You have made me determined to become a donor Dia. Seeing as I won't need my organs anymore, it'd be nice to know that someone else could use them.