Bob Johnson's Page
Bob Johnson's Groups
-
Look Beyond The Heart
(19 members)
-
Team Prograf
(53 members)
-
Heart Transplants
(24 members)
Latest Activity
Aug 6
Jun 30
Jun 22
Jun 22
Jun 8
Apr 30
Profile
- What is your city / state and country of residence?
- Cerritos, CA 90703 USA
- How are you touched by transplantation?
- I am a Recipient
- If you are a recipient, what type of transplant did you receive?
- Heart
- Recipients: In this space, feel free to list those you are grateful to for receiving the Gift of LIfe:
- My Heart Donor and Savior was Tim Baptista and his loving family, Father Rick, Mother Colleen and Sister Katie Baptista Millbrae, CA. This young man was just maturing into a wonderful mature & handsome gentleman with the world at his feet. His life was cut short for a reason only know by god and his plans for Tim. By Tim giving of his organs, he saved several lives and their lives were extended of which I am one very grateful person to this young man and his healthy heart. For me, life is fun again, and I'm continuing a long a fruitful life volunteering to assist patients with Heart disease by giving encouragement and support to them with my new found experience of being in their shoes. I know what they are experiencing each and everyday. Their's always hope if we can wait long enough, but the spirit has to be willing. The medical staff is doing all they can, they just need willing donors/donor families to come to terms with their desires to donate, this is sometimes very difficult to do under very stressful times.
Thank You, Timothy Baptista, SHCP Class 1999.
- What is your principal transplant med(s)?
- Prograf, Cellcept, Tiazac, Lanoxin, Divan
- What is your hospital and, or doctor's name, city / state and country?
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Dr. Lawrence, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P.
Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Director of Transplantation Cardiology
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Los Angels, CA 90048 USA
Dr. Ann Hickey MD, Cardiology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA 90048 USA
Dr. Kathy E. Magliato MD Heart Transplant Surgeon; Now at Saint Johns Medical Center, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Dr.Raveen R. Arora MD., FACC Anaheim Memorial Medical Center, Anaheim CA 92801
- What do you do for a living?
- Retirement since 2000, couldn't work because of Heart Failure was too severe for employment.
- About Me: Please use this space to tell the community about yourself and your unique experience with transplantation:
- I had my 1st MI (heart attack) at age 49 one month before my 50th birthday. Was admitted to hospital after being resuscitated from full cardiac arrest. Spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Went home and went to cardiac rehab, not only for physical strength but had to try and remember what happened to me because I had short term memory loss. About 2 months later I resumed working as a Engineering Consultant part time for 2-3 months until I could resume full time activities. Slightly over 2 years later I had another MI but this time I knew what it was and had my wife drive me to the hospital about a half mile from home. Sure enough it was an MI, spent 4-5 days, then I had an angiogram and they found 3 blockages and then underwent by-pass surgery (CABG3X). Was released 5 days later and went home to start recovering by walking the neighborhood. A month of or so later I started Cardiac-rehab in Anaheim and continued working as an Engineering Consultant. During 1995, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. I was told at that time I would need a heart transplant in the near future. Health became a serious issue for my working career where dependability is critical for a self employed person. I continued working but at less hours and only select jobs were ever day requirements were less critical to the company's. After a while, I just had to quit working as a consultant in about 1998. I then started home remodeling jobs around the house secretly preparing for the worst and to have the house ready for the market in case my wife decide to sell. In late 1999, I had to have an AICD implanted. I then went to Cedars Sinai for a transplant evaluation and was accepted in early 2000 for the transplant list. Continued remodeling projects on the house, finished the projects that I could and just started to wait for a call from my pager. That didn't work out for me and April my cardiologist told me it was time for me to go to Cedars, he couldn't do me any more good, he had run out of options. Went to Cedars and got admitted early April and was there 7-10 days and then sent back home for a call. About the 20th of April, my wife took me back to Cedars and I was admitted to wait the duration. Took until May 6, 2001 I was told that they think they found me a heart and I should call me wife. She came up to Cedars about a 38 mile drive through the Los Angeles night mare of traffic and arrive before they took me to surgery. I was lucky as I woke up the next day with this Blondish woman looking at me telling me about my new heart coming from a young man 24 years old. I thought here I am, 61 years old and I have a 24 year old heart, I can live forever or until age115 and possibly up to 125 if I take care of my self. WOW what a deal, how could I go wrong. Today, it's been almost 7 years and I'm still going, trying to help other heart patients through an organization called Mended Hearts Inc. This is an organization that is a non-profit and has over 20,000 members of which only the National office staff of 5 members are paid. The rest of us are in over 280 chapters throughout the USA and Canada. We visit in over 425 hospitals and make more than 225,000 visits to heart patients and their families to bring them encouragement and support tor them and their families and loved ones.
An added bonus I received from my Heart transplant, was I was able to meet the Donor family in July, 2004 . This has resulted in seeing them 2 times a year at fund raisers that their family, friends and relatives put on each year for Tims high school Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, in San Francisco. In the last 6 1/2 years they have raised enough money to endow 2 scholarships (for a boy and a girl) and have underwritten the re-construction of an old cafeteria into the "Tim Baptist" Strength Training Room for the entire student body not just the athletes as most schools do. I'll tell you, this training room is state of the art with LCD screen of each piece of equipment so that an instructor can lecture their class subject while the student get their fitness actives accomplished. While my family, the Baptist family and my Transplant team have given me the encouragement by their actions to take care of the precious gift I have received and I will forever be grateful. And that encouragement and support I try to practice ever day with others.
April 17, 2008 I had th pleasure of meeting my Heart Transplant Surgeon, Dr. Kathy E. Magliato, MD. I had contacted her in early January and asked her to speak at our Anaheim Mended Hearts Chapter meeting for National Organ & Tissue Donation Month. She very graciously accepted. It was all I could do was to sit their and listen in aw, as she spoke to us in words that we could understand. She had also brought with her a LVD unit at my request that they were going to implant in me unless I received a heart soon. Check her out on Goggle, lots of info on her as being only one of a hand full of women cardiothoracic surgeons in the world that does both Heart & Lung transplants. Of course "I'm biased", what would you expect me to say? We will be seeing her again later in the year for an encore presentation.
- How did you find out about TransplantCafe.com?
- E-Mail from Nelson Freytes
- What is your relationship status?
- Married
- My Personal (non-commercial) Website, Page, or Blog URL:
- http://jr0537@yahoo.com
Transplant Cafe TV: View Transplant Video Stories from Around the Web!
Forum
Allomap is on the map!! 1 Reply
Started by Jen Lopez in Heart Transplants. Last reply by mark Bethea 2 hours ago.
Anybody else getting a pop-up error? 4 Replies
Started by Mary Jo Lovely in Website Features Support, Feedback & Suggestions. Last reply by mark Bethea 2 hours ago.
Getting Sponosrs and Donations
Started by Mary Jo Lovely in World, Winter and Other International Transplant Games 6 hours ago.
No Discussions yet? 9 Replies
Started by Suzanne Cicchini in On the Transplant Waiting List?. Last reply by Mary Jo Lovely 3 hours ago.
Amusement Park Benefits 1 Reply
Started by Mary Jo Lovely in Fun, Games & Cool Benefits. Last reply by mark Bethea 2 hours ago.
Working Out at the Gym 5 Replies
Started by Mary Jo Lovely in Sports & Fitness. Last reply by mark Bethea 1 hour ago.
Hi everyone 5 Replies
Started by Hari Narayan Sharma in New to the Cafe? Introduce Yourself to the Community!. Last reply by Nelson Freytes 16 hours ago.
mypage bakground 20 Replies
Started by mark Bethea in Website Features Support, Feedback & Suggestions. Last reply by Nelson Freytes 3 hours ago.
Transplant Speakers International 2 Replies
Started by David Lively in New to the Cafe? Introduce Yourself to the Community!. Last reply by David Lively 1 day ago.
ATTN: ALL TC MEMBERS; THE SUPPORT FORUM IS LIVE! 7 Replies
Started by Nelson Freytes in Website Features Support, Feedback & Suggestions. Last reply by Mary Jo Lovely 1 day ago.
Member Blog Posts
Help Us Spread the Word
-
Post this content to popular bookmarking sites:
- Invite anyone who can benefit from being a part of the Transplant Cafe family.
- Get a Transplant Cafe Badge for your website, myspace / facebook page like the one below and other styles to choose from!
Transplant Cafe A-B-C's
A) Before you sign up, please read the Terms of Use.
B) Once you've signed up; Read the First Time Member's Guide.
© 2008 Created by Nelson Freytes
Comment Wall (6 comments)
You need to be a member of TransplantCafe.com - The Gift of E-Life! to add comments!
Join this network
Welcome to the Cafe!
Click Here for some tips on things you can do to get started in the community.
Enjoy the site.
Nelson