What I’m Reading: To The Edge and Back

As Logan and I have talked about before, Chris Klug has been an inspiration since I was diagnosed with PSC. I remember walking into Lahey hospital and meeting with the liver team for the first time. On the wall of the waiting room was a picture of an Olympic Athlete with a handwritten note thanking everyone for a successful transplant. It wasn’t until I did further research did I realize that this athlete, Chris Klug, also suffered from PSC and in 2001 had a successful liver transplant and won bronze in the 2002 Olympics. For me, someone who had just been given horrible news in 2004 that a transplant was inevitable I could latch onto an idea and an idol that was successful in his battle against the disease. In the last few months, Logan and I have been in contact with him – there are very few people that can relate to the experience of a liver transplant, and I reached out for help. Chris has been very supportive, and it now is his mission in life to promote organ donation, which I fully support. When I arrived home from the hospital, a complementary signed copy of his book was waiting for me. I’m not an Olympic athlete (although I’d like to think I am) but I have always been very active and ignored symptoms of the disease for as long as possible. I see some similarities in my approach to the disease as Chris describes in his book. I would suggest picking it up to read. As the back of the book says: “This is a must-read for the millions of people in the organ donor community as well as all Americans looking for a story of an athlete who represents the best of the human spirit.”