Things in Erin’s Head

We are officially in the midst of summer. Which for me, means HEAT. 

Living for over fifteen years with the May Grey and June Gloom of Los Angeles, the heat of Texas physically made me ill. We moved there in July 2014 and I was overwhelmed with lethargy simply because I was dehydrated. (REMINDER: Drink water. Lots of water. So much water that you feel like you’re spending half the day peeing).

We chose to move to Florida in the summertime too. I knew what to expect, but the humidity was a game changer. (Again: WATER).

The NEXT time we moved (also in July – July 18 to be exact), it was bloody hot. It was sweaty. It was stinky-sweaty. And Jerry received The Call that a liver had become available for his transplant.

My mantra, “As long as it’s the day after we move, I’ll be fine,” came true. 

On July 19, 2016, the day after our move, Jerry’s sick liver was removed, and Regina (Jerry’s new liver) took up residence. 

Every July we have a Celebration of Life to honor Regina, Jerry’s donor, and the donor’s family. 

While #DonateLife month is technically in April, I like to take the month of July to talk about organ donation and answer everyone’s questions about being on organ donor and liver transplants. I’m planning a Live Video series for July that will air every week, focusing on organ donation and liver transplants. And because we had so much fun last year, Jerry and I are making plans for another session of “Ask Jerry” which we will also do live on Regina’s birthday. 

Because really, when do you think about organ donation? Before Jerry’s transplant I thought about it ONE TIME. It was when I was sixteen I instinctively registered as an organ donor when I got my first driver’s license. After that *POOF* I never thought about it again.

Until the moment someone tells the person you love most in the world, they will die unless someone ELSE makes the choice to #DonateLife. Then it takes up occupancy, rent free, in your brain… forever. 

Jerry’s survival depended on someone else’s choice to make one final gift at the end of their life. 

Full transparency: Do I wish that everyone would make the choice to be an organ donor? Yes. But in my heart of hearts, I believe everyone should be able to CHOOSE for themselves. So what I’m here to do is to help lift the veil and answer any and all questions you may have. Perhaps there’s a “rule” you grew up believing, and maybe you don’t even know the source of that belief, and maybe (just maybe) you’re curious to know if it’s still true. 

Enter Erin.

I will keep all of the questions anonymous unless you tell me otherwise (I’ve got a few good ones already). You can ask ANYTHING you can think of about organ donation and liver transplants including (and certainly not limited to):

AGE
HEALTH
RELIGION
FAMILY
LEGALITIES
DONOR SELECTION PROCESS
MOVING UP ON THE LIST
WHAT PARTS ARE DONATED / USED?

Anything…

I have one final question for you, my dear supporter:

If you’re on social media when do you like to catch live video? Mornings, evenings, weekends? Or are you strictly a #replay viewer? Would you like a link in the Hump Day email to catch the replay on my YouTube channel? (Yes! I’ve been updating and revamping my YouTube channel, so if that’s your jam, subscribe!)

This series is very close to my heart; after all, it’s this journey that led me down the path to create tools and resources to help soften the caregiving journey. So than you, THANK YOU, for sharing the love.

Because it’s all about love…

Did you love this week’s Hump Day Newsletter? Near or far, you now have the option to become a supporter at “Buy Me a Coffee.” Because it’s all about love. xoxo