An Almighty Or A Mighty Plan

I wanted to follow up with some additional comments about my post-transplant experience.

It was a very long day I was sedated about 7 AM and my first recall of waking up were somewhere between 6 and 7 PM.

I was very fortunate to wake up with some very near and dear people there.

My loving wife Linda, daughter Shana and son Aaron were by my side as well as my rabbi, Rabbi  Sruli Motzen.

To be honest I don't remember much but I remember everyone's faces were smiling, so I took that as a good sign.

Within hours I was sent from recovery to my room. I guess I was feeling a little confident and definitely I had a lot of energy. Everyone's spirits were suddenly much raised. I wanted to share this uplifting experience. The nurses said I was too weak to walk but I said can I stand. The truth is lying in bed was extremely uncomfortable because of the way my body felt.

So with the nurses help I stood up and I stood up for a while .I just remember that was much more comfortable than lying in bed.

The first morning I recall there is a nurse coming in and asking me what my goals were for the day. As I was recovering from major surgery less than 12 hours ago; I kind of thought that was a ridiculous question. However my ever loving wife and daughter were happy to share in giving her some goals for my day. It was suggested that my first goal should be to walk and to meet Mr. Yossi Burstyn and to not only thank him, but to let him know his kidney had found a new home and is doing well.

What a great idea! Yes that was my goal for the day. With my wife on one side and my daughter and the other nurse, we started our little walk.

Eventually after several bouts of pain and much effort with my family's help I made it to Yossi. I cannot forget the overabundance of different emotions that were going through my head when I came to see Yossi. His loving wife Adina was by his side showering us with her ever beautiful smile.

I wish the whole world could have the joy that I had for Yossi and his wife at that time. I recall my dear nephew Yossi was somewhat sedated, but he still knew the great mitzvah (deed) he had given to another person.

I stayed a short time, Yossi and I spoke of some war stories during the surgery both pre-and post-operation. Then slowly but steadily with my wife and daughter’s help, we walked back to my room.

I was reminded of another incident right after surgery. The nurses at the hospital were very caring and loving. I remember when I went back to my room the nurses wanted to offer me a cup of water asking me if I was thirsty. I was reminded by my children, that I laughed at that saying, “I haven't eaten in two days. Is there anyway I could get some real food?” Apparently that put a huge smile on my wife's face saying her Harry was back.

As the days progressed slowly but surely I was healing.

I am sure with the help of God and many prayers from many friends, I was doing well and within a week I was able to leave the hospital and to go home.

Because of the nature of the illness I still have to go to the hospital at least 2 to 3 times a week for various checkups.

I am overwhelmed by the community’s support for my family and myself as we get through this. My synagogue, Ner Tamid, has been an internal beacon of support for my family and myself. Many of my friends and other members from the synagogue have come to visit me and to bring meals for my family and to just show love in all types of ways. My son who is a junior at Beth Tfiloh High School was also given a tremendous amount of kindness. The school has opened their arms and their heart to my family extending their support in any way they could.

In my closing thoughts, I have to say this was truly an experience of turning lemons into lemonade. I do not wish anyone any type of disease at all, much less kidney disease or going through dialysis or even a kidney transplant. However, take it from someone that's been there and done that! I am very grateful to my ever loving wife, my two children that God blessed me with. Speaking for my wife and myself, our ever-expanding circle of friends that are as supportive as could be. This experience has really showed me that there is true love and goodness in the world, thank you everyone. God bless you all.

The above of course written by the kidney transplant person Harry Burstyn, a 50 year old male who went through all of this a bit over four weeks ago. The weeks go by quickly and it is an ever constant revelation of the success of this operation.

There is a new story on TV and in the newspapers about a lovely, sweet girl of about thirteen who went to a California hospital to have her tonsils and adenoids removed due to problems with sleep apnea. The doctor must have thought the removal of them would help her sleep apnea problem. She awoke and a tiny bit later, she went into a coma and the hospital and doctors say she is brain dead due to a simple operation. The hospital wants to pull the plug and the family says NO. They want her to have a chance to awaken while the medical people there say there is no chance she will awaken. A judge ruled that the hospital has the right to do so even without the parents’ consent.

As of this writing, the parents are trying to get her moved to another facility and they need the hospital to insert feeding tubes be inserted and the hospital says NO again. Some other facilities said they would take her and needed the hospital to cooperate which they will not do. This is a sadness no parent should assume and the outcome will most likely be her being pulled off the life support.

Harry and Yossi too are fortunate everything worked out especially fantastic because of the care and love and competence given to Harry for his long, long operation and Yossi too, because unfortunately medical problems occur which is a tragedy. My own dad did not wake up from a semi-serious operation and we were told that there was good news and bad news. The mean doctor said that the good news was that he did not have cancer and the bad news he had passed on. This was done and said in the nasty manner by the chief doctor in the operating room. That was forty-nine years ago when we mere mortals/family members did not question the holy world of doctors. I think now days almost half a century later, questions are being asked which we did not do and is being asked from this child’s family regarding the simple operation of the removal of tonsils.

In Harry’s case, he had the advantage of the most competent doctors and associates and nurses around and the knowledge now in this century on doing this sort of transplant and the safety of accomplishing it.

Harry had been blessed with his nephew, actually his second cousin, though they felt closer like a nephew and an uncle all these years. The closeness, actually a special love and devotion of these two and when one needed someone, Yossi Burstyn stepped in and he gave a part of his body to save Harry. What better gift can be given in this holiday season from one to another? Harry has a Facebook called Kidney for Harry and he wants others to benefit by it being featured on FB so others may be able to become donors too. You can write him at  kidney4harry@gmail.com

There is a saying “the only difference between goal and success is a mighty plan.”

Harry and Yossi had a mighty plan. Harry would receive the needed healthy kidney and Yossi would be the giver.

May Yossi Burstyn be rewarded with constant good health, happiness and love for his mitzvah (good deed) and also to his wife Adina and their children for giving him the blessing to do this for his cousin who was in dire need. May his divine goodness give others a desire to do the same in an emergency situation and may Harry be blessed with the result of Yossi’s deed and in so doing, he will be an advocate to help others to be a part of this inspiring will for others to do the same. The goal was acquired, the success is everlasting and the hope of this story is for many others to have the idea to someday help another human soul to live and to prosper as Harry Burstyn is doing now.

My late Dad use to say “today is good, tomorrow will be better and the following day will be even greater.”

My wonderful email pal and fellow dancer who is a Wellness Educator in Steilacoom, Washington State always ends his emails to me by saying “have an unbelievable day.” His name is Steven Behr.

Let us all in this new year of 2014 have all unbelievable days.