Looking Both Ways: Backwards and ForwardSat, January 5
2018 was probably the most eventful year of my life. It didn’t start out so well as I was pretty sick from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, but it all turned around starting with St Patrick’s day when I got the call to come in for a liver transplant. With the transplant behind me I returned home on March 25 and the year started an upward trend (we’ll forget about the stock market) that hopefully will carry over into 2019.
My highlights for 2018:
- March: Liver transplant
- August: Decide, with Betsy, to form a non-profit corporation with a mission of increasing public awareness of nonalcoholic liver disease
- August: Develop website for NASH EDUCATION Corporation
- September: Receive IRS approval for tax exempt status
- September: Develop and print brochure for the purpose of increasing awareness
- September: Attend Global Liver Institute Advocacy training in Washington, DC
- September: Sidney Crosby delivers my Penguins season tickets and plays hockey in the driveway with the grandkids
- November: Participate in Intercept Pharma’s patient panel in San Francisco
- November: Receive a very generous donation from a dear friend for the purpose of producing a documentary
- December: Develop more materials for increasing awareness (all contained in the resources section of the website
- December: Revamped website
Quite the year, which included many trips to the local casino (no, not with the foundation’s money)
We have lots planned for 2019 including:
- Start filming the documentary and complete it by April
- Hopefully, have a billboard up to increase public awareness
- Establish partnerships to “spread the word” – – this was the only real disappointment for 2018. We pursued a number of partnerships but none came to fruition. We intend to remedy that in 2019
- Attend health fairs and other events where we can spread the word
- Stay healthy and be very nice to my liver