Just a heads-up: This is a paste from my You are a Treasure because it technically belongs over here and I wrote it in the wrong place. So if you happen to follow both blogs, well, lucky you! You get the info twice! ;)

When Sci-Fi Becomes Reality

English: Still from Sci-Fi short film “The Scanner”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Science fiction. What is it, really? One person’s wild imagination? A couple of authors bent on imposing their wild viewpoints on aliens and monsters and end-of-earth stories?

Ray Bradbury was a leading Sci-Fi author. Personally, I enjoyed Fahrenheit 451, about book banning (which leads to another post entirely!). But what about Star Trek‘s communicator that Captain Kirk always used? Would you see it like today’s cell phones? Listosaur.com does. Check out their neat list (and yes, they mention Ray Bradbury)! I remember when there were no computers. I remember hearing about the very first computer, and how it was so large it took up an entire (large) room. It seems that technology plays a very large part in sci-fi venues – or at least if not official sci-fi venues, then what some naysayers might consider that – and it seems that some of that has actually come to pass.

For example, do you remember anyone that was skeptical about the idea of the human race shooting up to the moon, much less walking on it? The moon was made of cheese, right? And, uhm, wasn’t the earth flat, at some point, too? Sci-fi. Too hard to believe. Ridiculous.

And who takes an organ out of a human body and puts into another human body, for goodness’ sake? And on top of that, expects that person to live?? Or, even more fantastically, expects BOTH of them to live??? Well, that’s exactly what science is doing today, thanks to the “Father of Transplantation,” Dr. Thomas Starzl. How do I know this? My father donated his kidney to me in 1993. He is still alive and well. Also, I have talked to Dr. Starzl via email. My nephrologist used to work with him.

Kidney (Photo credit: Joshua Schwimmer)

The following article is dear to me because since that transplant I have needed 2 more, and they have had to come from cadaver donors. I count myself among the extra fortunate to have been able to acquire these in lieu of dying while on dialysis, as so many have, and continue to do. I have read other articles about science experimenting with creating kidneys from cell tissue, which I think is also amazing.
Science can sound far-fetched, and even like science fiction. I experienced it first-hand with each of my transplants. But since I was ‘out’ during the surgeries, of course, it didn’t have as much of an impact as it could have! What really impacted me as a Sci-Fi moment was feeling my baby grow within, and then watching him ‘pop’ out. Totally freaky. And I can hardly wrap my head around how that type of thing is not
science fiction!! lol

Thanks for reading. Thank you for considering, again, being an organ donor. And for discussing it with your friends and family. I don’t mean to harp. But it truly could be you or yours one day. No one knew I was on the road to the grave until I had one week “till death do us part.”

Doctors can’t always catch things like this without you doing your part and telling him/her any unusual symptoms like fatigue, swelling, unusual weight gain/loss that you can’t explain… taking your blood pressure only on doctor’s visits is not an accurate representation of what is going on with your body. When you go to the pharmacy, use their blood pressure machine there (typically there is one nearby, where you pick up) and keep track of it. Eat healthy and try to splurge only 1-2x/week. Be a good role model for your kids. Drink lots of water. Don’t worry, I’m preaching to myself as I write – it’s not like I do all these things regularly. Well, I do take my vitals twice a day everyday.

Rat Kidneys Made in Lab Seen as Step to Human Transplants – NYTimes.com.

Related articles

• Searching for a sci-fi short story I saw here once (ask.metafilter.com)
• Authors Read from Phantom Sense and Analog (marcellathegroom.wordpress.com)
• Dystopia vs. Sci Fi (yadystopiafiction.wordpress.com)
• Take Your Seashells Out of Your Ears! (nomediakings.org)
• Technobabble (kenlizzi.wordpress.com)

HONORING, REMEMBERING, ENCOURGING

April 19 is National Blue & Green Day. What does this mean, you ask? It's your opportunity to "give HOPE to the more than 117,000 people on the organ transplant waiting list; HONOR organ, eye and tissue donors;
REMEMBER those that died waiting for their second chance at life; and CELEBRATE the
patients who received the gift of life through transplantation."

You might not realize it at first thought, but chance are good that you know someone first or second or third hand that has had a transplant or is need of one. And there may come a day that you - yes, you - may be in need of one yourself. 

According to the Donate Life America site:

Statistics

Currently, nearly 120,000 men, women and children are awaiting organ transplants in the United States. For specific numbers visit unos.org
65,991 Multicultural Patients*
1,760 Pediatric Patients*
28,052 Organ Transplants Performed in 2011
14,013 Organ Donors in 2012
More than 46,000 corneas were transplanted in 2012
More than 1 million tissue transplants are done each year and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising
*as of March 2013

 Even if you keep your body healthy and keep the toxins out, life has a way of changing your circumstances.

Please think about those wonderful, selfless people who have donated in either life or death as well as those people who have so gratefully received those needed transplants to save or greatly improve their lives and have fun on April 19th: Have a blue & green party! Make a blue & green cake! Wear blue & green!

Thank you, organ donors and families who have made it possible for myself and others like me to live our lives fully.