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On July 28th, 2000 I had a liver transplant at the University
Hospital in Denver, Colorado. I was diagnosed nine years earlier
with PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitits), a rare degenerative
bile duct condition which required a transplant. Dr. Greg
Everson and his team took great care of me leading up to the
transplant. Dr. Igal Kam performed a perfect surgery and I
was back doing what I love less than two months later. I'm
so grateful to all the professionals at Denver's University
Hospital!
I'm lucky to be alive today. It was truly an amazing experience
for me and for my family. To receive the gift of life is
a humbling experience. I will forever be grateful for my
second chance. Everyday I thank God and I thank the individual's
family for the decision to donate.
The hardest part of the transplant was the waiting game leading
up to my transplant. It's not like an orthopedic injury. You
can't just get the MRI or X-Ray, find out what's up and get
it fixed. You're life is put on hold; you hope and pray daily
for a second chance. I wore a pager every minute of the day
and carried a cell phone as a back up in anticipation of
receiving
a call from the University Hospital Transplant Team informing
me that a liver was available that matched my blood type,
age and size. Three months after being upgraded on the list
to a more critical stage, I was attempting to work out at
the Aspen Club & Spa with my bro Jason, my girlfriend Missy and my buddy Marco and my phone rang. When I finally
got the call I was relieved that the wait was finally over, but
scared to death of the prospect of possibly not surviving the surgery.I
was extremely fortunate. I received a perfect match and had the
best team of doctors around performing the operation. I was pretty
fit going into the surgery, which helped me bounce back quickly.
I worked hard preparing for the surgery both mentally and physically.
I was out of the hospital in record time, four days, and back in
the gym lightly riding a stationary bike and lifting my arms within
a week. I really had to listen to my body and to my doctors and
go easy for the first month. The risk of an insertional hernia was
high, so I took it easy. We stayed in Downtown Denver at the Magnolia
Hotel for the first month following my transplant in Denver. The
doctors told us the best thing I could do was walk, so I that's
what we did. We walked to Broncos Games, Rockies Games, the new
aquarium, and shops all over the city. I even walked a round of
golf, following Greg Norma, Sergio Garcia, and Phil Mickelson at
the International at Castle Rock. Man, was I spent after that. I
remember sitting on the eighteenth green in the shade, after the
event for about a half hour catching m breath and trying to muster
the energy to make it back to the car.
I returned to Aspen a month after my transplant to begin my rehab
with my trainer Bill Babrocini at the Aspen Club Sports Performance
Center. Bill got a kick out of receiving his first script for "Liver
transplant physical therapy." We eased back into strength work
and did regular abdominal massage and soft tissue work. My abs had
been sliced through, so it took quite a while for them to come back
and it left a "Bad" new tattoo. I still get curious looks
at the pool or lake when I lose my shirt for a dip. I've come up
with some pretty good stories explaining my scar. The shark attack
tale actually works!I was back on my road bike about four and a
half weeks post-surgery, riding with my friends Gary and Marco up
Ashcroft outside Aspen. I was sucking wind on that first ride. It
took a while for my red blood cell count to return from the low
twenties at surgery to normal. I wasn't transporting oxygen like
I was used to so my lungs were working overtime at nine thousand
feet above Aspen. Seven weeks after my surgery, I began light abdominal
strengthening. A week later I headed to Mt. Hood, Oregon for my
first runs back on my snowboard. It was pretty special. I remember
being so excited to be back on-snow and with my friends. I never
take a day of riding with my buddies or a single turn for granted
any longer.
I was back on the World Cup Circuit four months after my surgery.
Six months later I stood atop the podium in Olang, Italy for the
first time. That winter was one of my best seasons ever. I attribute
that to a new perspective on life and feeling lucky to be doing
what I love again after running the "Race for my Life."
A year and a half later I had the opportunity to represent our country
in my second Olympic Games where I won a Bronze Medal and fulfilled
a life-long dream!
