LCFC #1: Lamb Chop takes the plunge
Before getting a new heart, I was afraid. Not anymore.
Judge the scars on my chest not by the way they look, but the story of courage they tell.
Last week, as I wiggled into my swimsuit for the first time in months and looked in the mirror, tears collected on my eyelashes. The scar that sliced the length of my chest and the one cut perpendicularly below it were . . . ugly. Flaming red and bumpy, they looked completely alien on my freckled skin.
I yanked up my suit, wrapped myself in a bath sheet and scurried to the pool. A lifelong swimmer, I craved the anonymity that comes with slipping beneath the water’s surface. No one can see your scars there. And they can’t see your tears, either.
But, what if I didn’t hide my scars? Or my tears? What if talking about what happened to me could help others?
Welcome to the Lamb Chop Fan Club.
Some of you are already a part of the club and have been for months. Thank you!
To newcomers, here’s a bit of backstory. The LCFC started in October 2022 when my husband and I got the startling* news that I’d need a new heart. Because I didn’t want to send pictures of myself, we’d update friends and family regularly with news and cute snapshots of my hospital companion, a stuffed Lamb Chop toy, to let them know I was ok.
This newsletter is an extension of those messages, a way to share with the wider world what I’ve learned about the heart, how it works and why sometimes seemingly healthy people need new ones. I’m a reporter by day, so what I write will include the latest research on heart disease, treatments, and transplantation.
Of course, like hesitating to slip into a swimsuit, I hesitate to send my thoughts into the void.
I hope by being truly transparent — explaining the good, the bad and the ugly of needing and getting a new heart — I can provide a gripping, well-researched take on what scientists know about heart disease and transplantation, answer questions about the nitty-gritty science and ethical issues of organ donation, and offer courage and inspiration to others.
Every other week, I’ll share a new anecdote tied to some research tidbit, and weave in questions and feedback from you all, my Lamb Chop fans. Please reach out if something I share stirs your thoughts or emotions. I look forward to hearing from you!
*I could have used the word shocking here, but that is a loaded word for me. I’ll explain why later.