Well, believe it or not, I swam across Lake Gaston! It is hard for me to believe that after 15 years of cardiomyopathy and chronic atrial fibrillation, 2 open heart surgeries, a multitude of shocks from my defibrillator...and now 3 years after my heart transplant, I swam 1 mile across a lake! First, I thank God for the grace to achieve this goal, then to my donor family.
There were about 100 swimmers. It was a staggered start, w/ 10 swimmers on each pontoon boat to a launching platform, the jumping off point. I was on boat #5. There were several folks I recognized, some from the Kerr YMCA, and a few Masters swimmers from Durham. We began at Morningstar Marina (formerly Eaton Ferry Bridge Marina), and ended up at Watersview Restaurant on the other side. The non-motorized vessels (canoes, kayaks, paddleboats) were allowed to enter the lake after all the swimmers were in the water.
The water was murky, and the only thing I could see was my arms. I would lift up my head and tread water, or switch to breastroke, in order to keep as straight as possible. The restaurant had a bold blue roof, which was great to help mark direction. The bridge was on the right, and the Coast Guard was out in several boats, securing the area.
About halfway through the swim, I heard Caroline and the girls calling my name. What a pleasure to hear their voices. It brought some affirmation and encouragement, as I had some anxiety going on. Yes, men can have anxiety. I used all the Total Immersion Swimming techniques I could remember, and finished stronger than I was at the halfway point. So, yes, I plan to swim farther.
What I found myself thinking of during many points of the swim was my donor and his family. I do not know who he was, or what his family makeup is. I do know, he was a 38 yr old man. I still wonder what he was like. Was he funny, nice, sarcastic (like me), rich or poor? Was he a dad, brother, uncle, husband, etc? Maybe someday we will find out. I want to write another letter that Carolina Donor Services can offer to the family.
The identity of my donor is like the water today, very cloudy but refreshing, life-giving, and just what I needed today to keep going forward in life.
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