Off to Denver

It's outrageously early to be up, but it's for good reason. A few hours from now I'll be winging my way out to Denver for an incredibly short, but highly anticipated, visit with my older brother John.

Regular readers of THG: The Zine may be familiar with JT as he has written pieces for the newsletter on occasion. These days, though, he's writing an entirely new story as he recuperates from a life-saving, double-lung transplant.

After suffering with the effects of Alpha-1 Anti-Trypsin Deficiency for several years, the condition worsened and in 2005 he was placed on a transplant list. After a couple false alarms – including a November 2007 trip all the way to Denver for surgery, only to find out there was an infection in the donor lungs – the call came on January 2 that lungs were ready and waiting for him in Denver.

One month after the surgery and he's doing better than even the most sunny-dispositioned optimist would have imagined. Lab results have been positive, there has been no sign of rejection, his medications are getting managed, and other than one scary episode of increased heart rate and low blood pressure his recovery has been smooth sailing.

So that's why I'm up at this ungodly hour, having my coffee and posting away rather than sleeping. I can't wait to get to Denver and see him with my own eyes. Plans for my all-too-brief trip include a stop at the Taste of Philly chessesteak restaurant run by former PA residents who fly in Amoroso's rolls for their sandwiches.