Note from Stacey

Miki, great to hear from you again. As much as the reunion sounds like a lot of fun, I already have a daunting amount of trips and goals on my plate related to my health, and visits to those who have sacrificed so much to get me through the Nov. 22 transplant and my two years of illness prior and after. I have been completely humbled, dependent on machines for breathing, the nurses for daily care and later under the full-time personal care of my mother and Dave for four months. Many friends have generously supported me (like yourself) financially and emotionally while I was on the decline and now as I struggle through illness. It has been a complicated challenge in teamwork, and I want to make sure I do my part to show my appreciation when I get better. When my health gets better, I will have to attend to financial challenges of supporting myself and maintaining a lifestyle that is extremely healthy to avoid months in the hospital again. I used to scoff at the doctors who couldn’t believe I was thinking so much about climbing goals, when their goal was “keeping me alive a year from the transplant.” The statistics are 70%…and 50% after five years. I was too brash to believe them but I now know that I’m as mortal as any transplant patient; as much as I’d like to believe otherwise. Of course, I still have my high hopes. My dream is to become strong enough to go ice-climbing with pro Abby Watkins, who just wrote to say she is committed to the trip when I am ready. I was just starting to get back into easy climbing at 3-months post…this set me back another 3 months to be sure. But I have to stay focused, one step at a time, for now. It was an accomplishment to take a shower today, get dressed, and walk down the hall to sit up at the computer. I do want to say I have been very touched by the concern and kindness so many of the class of’85 has shown me since you sent out the notice. I am so glad to hear from everyone even though I have not had the energy to write everyone back. I have many happy memories of high school (even though it might have looked like I was asleep at the parties.) Among my fondest were our walks, talks, gymnastics, track, softball, soccer teams, math team, UW-O classes,and Mrs. V’s class. And our meeting in the cold city of Minneapolis a couple years later! I am truly touched by those of you who remember me 20 years later! Stacey, from Stanford Hospital