Just a story I wanted to share and save.

I recently wrote a post about living donors. Today I came across a story of a lovely young lady that has been a living donor not once but twice.  What a blessing she has been to two people that she had never met before.  My hope is to spread awareness of organ donation either living or at death and the great need for organs. Please take time to read the story the link is below. 

https://www.uchealth.org/today/living-donor-when-you-have-something-to-give/?fbclid=IwAR0olt4FvsqPopzkHAmTOQewidQuGNBDoud0tClLOxjH9TNGD-4Csgu-J8A

Stand By again

Last night (about midnight) we were getting ready for bed and received a call that Lee was on stand by for a liver, he was the first back up and would receive a call mid morning to let us know if the liver was placed or if it was Lees.  We went to bed and had a restless night wondering if we would be heading to Murray in the morning for surgery or if it will be wait longer. This morning we received a call that said the liver had been placed. So that means Lee will be waiting for a while longer. 

How organ matching works

When a transplant hospital accepts a person as a transplant candidate, it enters medical data—information such as the person’s blood type and medical urgency and the location of the transplant hospital—about that candidate into UNOS’ computerized network. When an organ procurement organization gets consent for an organ donor, it also enters medical data—information such as the donor’s blood type and body size and the location of the donor hospital—into UNOS’ network.

Using the combination of donor and candidate information, the UNOS computer system generates a “match run,” a rank-order list of candidates to be offered each organ. This match is unique to each donor and each organ. The candidates who will appear highest in the ranking are those who are in most urgent need of the transplant, and/or those most likely to have the best chance of survival if transplanted.

The UNOS Organ Center helps place donated organs for transplantation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Below is the MELD score calculator Lee's current listed MELD is a 21. 

To determine your MELD score, please complete the form below.

 This calculator is recommended for ages 12 and older.

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Let't talk about living donors

Intermountain  healthcare has a wonderful living donor program.  Healthy donors can donate a portion of their liver to a liver failure patient and this greatly decreases wait times for patients on the transplant lists.  https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/transplant-services/become-donor/ this is a link to the Intermountain healthcare living donor web page.  Here also the link to the UNOS web page for donation there is a ton of information on this page. https://transplantliving.org/before-the-transplant/frequently-asked-questions/  .There are two lobes in every liver the right lobe is removed from a healthy donor and transplanted into the recipient.


Both halves of the liver regenerate becoming the size that each person needs. Our bodies are amazing.


A while back a lovely lady named Krystal that I work with asked me what the process and compatibility for liver donations are.  We talked for a while and she said she wanted to check into the process to be a  living donor liver for Lee.  I was blown away at the idea.  Krystal explained to me that she has always been a giver and donates blood as often as she can and a while back wanted to be a living donor for a kidney but did not qualify because she has a history of a kidney stone.  A couple of weeks ago Krystal met with the living donor coordinator and went through the first stages of testing which includes a fibroscan and blood work. 

About FibroScan

FibroScan is a specialized ultrasound machine for your liver. It measures fibrosis (scarring) and steatosis (fatty change) in your liver. Fatty change is when fat builds up in your liver cells.

FibroScan will help your healthcare provider learn more about your liver disease. It can be used alone or with other tests (such as blood tests, imaging scans, or biopsies) that also measure scarring or fatty change in your liver.

Krystal's next step will be a CAT scan to evaluate her liver.  She really likes the living donor coordinator and has learned all about the living donor program.  I am forever grateful there are such loving and caring people in the world that would give so much of themselves to save someone they do not even know. 
Krystal has started a blog of her own if you would like to follow her journey through this process here is a link to her blog.  https://kristalsjourney.blogspot.com/

It been a couple of weeks need an update June activities

June has been a busy month so far.
June 8-9 we took a road trip to Duchesene to help clean out moms house.  It was a very emotional weekend.  We did enjoy visiting with Lee's sisters and brother over the two days that we were able to stay. We drove our truck it is the first time I drove it on any road trips.  We stopped at the newly remodeled rest area just outside of Duchesne. 

June 10th Lee had his 6 minute walk test  he has to do this test every year to stay on the transplant list he walked 350 meters in 6 minutes.  The therapist that was conduction the test stated that this was what the average person doing the test could do.

June 11th Sadie had a vet appointment.  She was acting like she had a urinary tract infection and while we were in Duchesne she got a fox tail in her eye that needed to be checked out.  It took a really long time at the vet office we were there nearly 4 hours between just waiting on the vet to see her and all the things that needed to be looked at she also did not want to urinate for the urinalysis they were going to cath her for a sample and they scared the pee out of her.  We waited outside for the first little while there were so many dogs coming in and out that she was going nuts.  Sadie did not like waiting in that room in the end she had 10 days of antibiotics.

June 12th Was my moms (Jimmie's) birthday in Heaven I thought about her throughout the day as we went to Lees appointment in Murray to see the liver team.  Lee has to see the team every month now that he is closer to transplant.

June 17th was Lee's 52nd birthday he did not feel very good all day he slept in and just rested most of the day.

Later that night Lee was really not doing very well I could not even get him from the bathroom to the bed without a lot of work.  I called EMS and had them come help me get him down stairs and to the hospital.  Lee was admitted and transferred to Murray in the care of the liver team.  

Lee was only there a couple of days just long enough to get him well hydrated and get a unit of blood.  Lee had dehydration, acute renal failure and anemia.  He was able to come home Wednesday the 19th.

Thursday June 20th we drove to Salt Lake international airport to pick up my Aunt Jhonie she came to visit us for a week from Sacramento California. My sister Cathy and her husband Ed also came down for the weekend.

My favorite picture of my Aunt Jhonie and my mom.

Saturday June 22nd we went down and threw hatchets.  A big shout out to Heber Hatchets of Provo we had such a good time we did this to celebrate Lee's birthday.  It is something that none of us had ever done so it was a good outing.  We had a great time but Ed kicked all our butts getting more hatchets to stick then the rest of us.  Lee did really well and was able to stand a throw hatchets it was a little harder sitting in his chair.  They sell all kinds of soda in barrels the mugs are super cool and are only a buck for unlimited refills. 

We had some good food (meatloaf, fried taters, fresh corn on the cob, cowboy burritos and sheet pan pancakes) it was good visit while Cathy and Ed were here.  The dogs played and played and wore themselves out.Cathy and Ed headed to Montana on Monday morning Ed had his second eye surgery scheduled for Tuesday morning. 

Sunday June 23 Lee received a call  to be on stand-by there was a DCD donor that was a potential match.  With DCD doners there is a 50/50 chance the organ will be viable  unfortunate this organ was not viable so we just sat at home and waited for the call to go but it was a call telling us it was a no go.  

According to: www.donors1.org

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a second pathway to organ donation (the first is following the determination of brain death) which can occur when a patient dies from cardiac arrest in the hospital.

A potential DCD donor patient has minimal brain function, no chance of recovery and is on a ventilator.

When your physician determines that your loved one has no chance for recovery, and, as the next of kin you decide to withdraw life-support, you may be offered the opportunity of Donation After Cardiac Death.

Today June 25th is our 25th Wedding anniversary We did not have any big plans we just planned on staying close to home still praying we will get a phone call for a liver.   We did go out to eat at Red Lobster and had a great meal.  

Another call from Doner services

Earlier today we received a call from Donor services.  They were calling to put Lee on stand-by.  Lee was the second in line for a donor liver.  I received a call a call about 2:00.  They informed me that I needed to be ready to get Lee to the hospital they would be calling me back around 5 p.m. to let me know the status of the liver. Here is the donor connect website if anyone is interested to know what there service provides.   https://www.idslife.org/

That was a long 4 hours waiting for a phone call.  Unfortunately when that phone call came it was to let us know the recipient ahead of Lee received the liver.   We are hoping the third time will be the charmed one.  I noticed a pattern the first Liver offer was May 1st, the second offer was June 1st and we can only hope the third offer will be July 1st and it will be the one that is perfect for Lee.  No picture had to find a Meme. 

Right Eye Surgery all done

On Tuesday May 28th Lee went in for his right eye cataract removal surgery.  Everything went smooth and he even stayed fairly still during the procedure.  I always think it is freaky when peoples eyes are dilated and when it is just one it super freaky.

Lee is healing up just fine and cannot wait to get some reading glasses so he can start reading again.  This was an important next step in him getting back to the things he loves.  

Dealing with another loss

On Friday May 24th my (Jimmie) dad passed away.  Although my dad and I were not close he was still my dad and I feel his loss.  I have several fond memories of my dad one of my earliest memories of my dad is on either Saturday or Sunday morning after we got up and dressed he would take my sister and I by the hand and walk us down to the convenient store on the corner and let us pick out penny candy. If it was a good payday we got to pick out something bigger,  I always wanted PEZ to this day I still love PEZ and have fun collecting them as  well.

I have many memories of dad in his chocolate brown Trans AM.  It was just like Smokey and the bandit with the T-Top.  boy I loved that car.  Dad would let me sit on his lap and drive when he were on trips to Denver City.  We would go to Denver city most every Sunday for family dinner and to watch the Dallas Cowboys play football.  Yes I am still a Dallas Fan.

I remember when we moved to Elida New Mexico we lived there for one school year before moving back to lovington.  I do not remember much but we did live in a house that had a windmill and I thought that was so cool.  Dad liked to hunt and this was a good opportunity for him to do so.

I have memories of going to the park in Lovington with the whole family.

I loved climbing on the rocket ship with all my cousins and  feeding the ducks although the swans always scared me.  I remember my dad picking me up so that I could feed the swans and not be to scared.



After my parents divorced we spent less and less time with our dad, we did spend one Christmas with him when I was 14.  This was the first time we met his new wife Cheryl.  They were so happy together and I remember felling like he had finally found his mate. I was so happy that he would have Cheryl to spend his life with.

Unfortunately as time went on we had less and less contact.  A few years after I was married Dad and Cheryl made a trip to Wyoming to see us we had a good visit and was able to spend some time together.

 Even though we did not spend much time together and we did not communicate much I though of my dad often and it is painful to know that he is no longer on this earth.  He has left a lasting impression on me as well as many others.  I love you dad even if I did not say it enough.

Obituary of James Edward Dulin

Funeral services for James "Jim" Edward Dulin, 71, of Hobbs, NM will be held on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 3:00 pm at Kirby-Smith-Rogers Chapel with David Stewart officiating. Burial will follow at Lovington Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home. James was born on August 21, 1947 in Seminole, TX to Claudean and Minnie Lou (Milan) Dulin and passed away in Lubbock, TX on May 24, 2019. He was well known as James, Jim, Jimmy or "Manster", depending on which friend or family was talking to him. He married Cheryl Brooks in Denver City, TX on July 13, 1990 and they have shared twenty nine years together. James grew up in Cortez, Co and graduated from high school in Cortez. He served in the US Army for a few years and then was employed running pulling units for several different groups or companies in Texas and New Mexico. He worked for Lucky, R & O, 5 Star, Cobra, Ram and the longest was for Key Energy. His passion was hunting and motorcycles. He was past president of DIMC, being a member since 1985. He was quite a salesman and was known as the person who could sell anything to anyone. He had a great sense of humor, always trying to get something over on someone. His love was his family and friends and he gave 100% of himself as he had the biggest heart of all.

Preceding him in death were his parents and one sister: Jackie Lilly.

Surviving him is his wife Cheryl of the home; two daughters: Cathy Kay and husband Edward Gordon of Farson, WY And Jimmie Lou and husband Lee Ivie of Utah; one brother: Billy Dulin of CA; and two sisters: Vickie and husband Gary MaVeety of Alto, NM and Carolyn and husband Victor Heaverly of Levelland, TX; one grandson: Jesse Reed and a great-grandchild on the way.

Visitation will be on Friday from 11:00 am until service at 3:00 pm.