Author: Stacey

Tuesday night I went to Stanford stadium with Isa and Ana to climb the stairs for the last time this season. I started with Isa, who rushed through 10 sets in about half and hour, and stayed to finish my workout with Ana, who arrived later. As we finished, the sky turned into a beautiful light pink pattern, the stadium quickly grew darker, and the air became crisp and cool. Even in California the seasons change. We will have to find an alternative way to get exercise now. Stacey, from Belmont

CALIFORNIA NEWS : I just signed up on-line to be an organ donor. Here’s some exciting news: SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ — In a history-making move, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 689 — legislation designed to save tens of thousands of lives by calling on the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to partner with the new Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry*. Under the new law, the California DMV will begin on July 1, 2006 to capture donor decisions of licensed drivers on new and renewal license applications, and will electronically share that information with the Donate Life California Registry. Registrants will also be able to make a voluntary contribution of $2.00 or more to the registry and public education about donation. “Never before has the state of California had a registry system accessible to all,” said Jackie Speier, (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), author of the legislation. “By partnering with the DMV, the Donate Life California Registry will provide all 23 million licensed drivers with the opportunity to give life through organ and tissue donation. This law potentially boosts the ranks of those committed to donate life from the tens of thousands to the millions.” Until the law takes effect next July, the Donate Life California Registry will continue to be available only online at www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org Currently in California, nearly 19,000 people wait for a life-saving transplant — 21% of the nation’s total of nearly 90,000 transplant candidates. Tragically, one-third of those waiting will die waiting due to a lack of donors. The numbers demonstrate the need to better identify those willing to give life. Each registrant has the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance another 50 lives through tissue donation. Stacey, from Belmont

Thanks for writing, Felix. That is a funny story. I feel a little bit better! This Saturday, Oct. 29th, there will be a “Kick-a-thon for Hope” sponsored by the Flying Tigers Tae Kwon Do Academy at Twisters Gym in Mountain View. et’s support these good-hearted young athletes! To sponsor an athlete, please contact me at [email protected]. CLIMBING PARTY WITH A BAND! There will also be a band playing for a party at Twisters Climbing Gym to benefit my medical fund. The band will start playing around 1:30 p.m. Climbing is free with a small donation. Come check out the rennovated gym and climb for a cause! All donations are tax-deductible. Medication expenses beyond insurance are approximately $200/month so there is still a great need for fundraising. Many thanks to Twisters owner Ron, and department managers Dustin and Jess for sponsoring these events. Stacey, from Belmont

Felix, thanks for taking care of my website. Nice to hear from you! On Sunday, I played in a badminton doubles tournament at a professional club called the Golden Gate Badminton Club. It was a great event. There were four levels: A,B,C/D (combined.) I entered the lowest flight, but my team was quickly beaten in the first match, 15-2, 15-7, and then we went to the consolation round. Even though I got in some good moves, we lost the first consolation round, too. I had trouble catching my breath, so I played up front while my partner, Anna Dang, ran around in the back. It was tough playing against such good players, and the experience really humbled me. At first I felt disappointed at how far I have to go, but now I am motivated to get stronger and better at the sport. Looking back, I realize that it was an accomplishment to just participate, be able to play the games, and not get sick in the process and have to drop out. Before the competition, I was worried about disappointing my partner. For someone who has excelled at sports in the past, it is a hard reality that my body is not up to competition level among able-bodied athletes. Maybe the Transplant Games will be different. We will see…, Stacey, from Belmont

Felix, thanks for the hint! As usual, Felix has been doing some incredible athletic feats himself, such as climbing the face of Half-Dome and doing 200-mile cycling events. Check out his website blog at w w w. felixwong.com (without the spaces.) At this point in my life, connections with people are very important. I hope it will always be this way, but I know once I get better I will have a job and less time to spend with people. Last week I had the pleasure of going on a memorable picnic to Twin Pines Park with Rhona. It was a happy discovery to find a little park so close to my house. Rhona spread out some towels on the picnic table in the woods and laid out the meal…tofu, sesame green beans, red cabbage and vinnegar, rice cakes, fuji apples, and ginger tea! I was very impressed at her thoughtfulness and good taste in food! Stacey, from Belmont

Exciting news…Beth Rodden and Tommy Caldwell free climbed the Nose, one of the hardest big wall routes in history! Tommy then free climbed the route in 12 hours two days later. Check it out: #@*%!climbing.com/news/thenosefree/ As most of you know, Lynn Hill was the first person to free the Nose in 1993. She returned in 1994 to climb it in a day, a feat so hard that has not been repeated until last week. If you are interested in an autographed copy of Lynn’s video, “Free-climbing the Nose” ($16) or her book, “Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World,” ($20) please e-mail me at [email protected]. All proceeds will go towards the National Transplant Assistance Fund for my medical expenses and will be tax-deductible. Stacey

Abby, it’s great to hear from you! Thank you for stopping by the site. I went to a TRIO (Transplant Recipients International Organization) meeting and there a woman spoke who had a heart/double lung transplant 18 years ago! She is doing quite well and is busy organizing events for the community. I have been very busy with classes and rehab. There are good days and bad days. On the good days, I am making gains and personal bests. I am up to 9′ 11″ in the long jump! On bad days, I am still getting sick in the mornings. Stacey, from Belmont

On Monday, I also attended a support group at Stanford Hospital for patients with LAM. People from all over California attended, since Stanford is one of the few LAM centers in the world. A nutritionist and pulmonologist spoke about strategies for reducing the growth of smooth muscle cells and reducing the amount of fluid build-up in the lungs by taking in certain nutrients and limiting grams of fat. It was encouraging that there is some research happening for LAM and the search for the cure goes on. Stacey, from Belmont