Andy's Updates - 11/2011
Thanksgiving
At this time last year I did not believe I would be blogging about Thanksgiving in 2011. On November 20th after a busy night of deep-frying 200 turkeys from 11p.m. until dawn at Union Rescue Mission in preparation for our big Thanksgiving event, my kidneys failed and for a few weeks I wasn’t sure I would make it. I certainly believed I would have to retire and go on disability, as I signed up and began the necessary testing process to determine if kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant were options I could consider. My world was turned upside down.
However, with some encouraging words by Dr. Nirmal Kumar that I needed to “work until I dropped”, strong support from my wife and the Board of Directors & team at URM, tripling of my medication, drinking two glasses of water with a tea spoon of baking soda each day, and going on a strict low phosphorous and low potassium diet, mostly made up of vegetables, fruits and water, along with several rounds of shots of Procrit to boost my red blood cells and rid me of dizziness I was experiencing, my kidney function has improved from 15% to 24%, moving me far away from dialysis for the time being.
I’ve not only improved remarkably in kidney function, but I’ve lost 34 lbs, my red blood cell count has improved and my cholesterol is so good that hopefully the blockage in my heart and arteries is being reduced! I’ve tightened the control of my type 1 diabetes to the point that my tests almost ring true of a normal healthy person!
This strict regimen is the only way for me, as I’ve been dropped off the transplant list. It seems that I cannot get a transplant until I have an angioplasty to remove a blockage in my heart, and the dye put into my body for the angioplasty would destroy the rest of my kidney function. So I am stuck in a bit of a quandary, but I’ve decided to stay on the strict diet and regimen, and keep doing this work that I love so much.
I haven’t had a diet soda, chocolate, cheese, dairy of any kind, chips, potatoes, and my favorite sweet potatoes or baked beans in nearly 1 year, but it is easy to follow a diet when it keeps you alive and doing the work that you love!
I lost a dear friend this week, a hero of mine, who fell ill at the same time that I did last year. I don’t fully understand God’s grace to me through this difficult time, but I am so thankful. My wife shared with me last week, “that we have so much to be thankful for!”
So, again this year I will be up with the URM team, strong, and deep-frying 200 turkeys overnight on Friday and early Saturday morning, preparing to feed 4500 precious friends at our big Thanksgiving event at URM. And to top it off, I’m feeling well enough to spend the night on the streets with my precious friends tonight to raise awareness of the plight of our neighbors experiencing homelessness. The honor of serving in this ministry and spending time with my family and friends has driven me to do what it takes to survive, and I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Thanks, again, for your faithful prayers!
My Benefit Plan
When folks think of working at a Rescue Mission on Skid Row, they might first think of the heartbreak involved or the tough environment surrounding us on Skid Row, but I think about the amazing “recession proof benefits” that come with the job. It’s a long list but I think my top three are Life Transformation, Joy and Gratitude…benefits I enjoy each and every day. Let me share just a few examples of what I mean.
On Monday a graduate of our program that had been working/learning as an apprentice in our Development Department for a number of months walked into my office. He’d been hired full-time, and it was his first day. With tears in his eyes and a broad smile, he walked in with a bottle of Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider (non-alcoholic), and asked a co-worker and me to join him in a toast celebrating his first day as a URM staff member. How often do you get that reaction when you hire someone?
Another young man, a graduate of our program, and currently in our post graduate transition stage at URM, who is a straight A student, was hired as a part-time graphic artist. In addition to receiving a badge with his name, photo and the word STAFF on it (standard issue for all URM employees) he was provided with a cubicle in the Development Department to do his work in. Based on the huge smile, his sincere gratitude and genuine excitement over having a work space to make his own, you’d have thought he been given an executive office with an ocean view.
In chapel this week we received a double dose of Joy, Gratitude and Life Transformation! First of all we named one of our EVS guys, a custodian, as the employee of the month at URM. With that, Al received a standing ovation, his picture posted by the HR office, a free parking space next to our elevators, two $20 gift certificates to Subway, his name thrown into a raffle for a 1 week vacation at a nearby resort hotel, and lunch with me the CEO (which according to Al’s boss, is the punishment part of the awardJ). But what touched Al the most was the cheers he received from the men in our program, and the certificate that he received as the Employee of the Month. He carried it around as if it was an Academy Award proudly sharing it with his friends and colleagues.
After celebrating Al, we were blessed by hearing the testimonies of three men preparing for graduation from our Life Transformation Program. Each man shared a bit about what their life was like before coming to Union Rescue Mission, the journey they’ve been on for the last 12-18 months as a resident here at URM and most importantly what their life is like today. It was a solid hour of cheers, tears and inspiration!
It is the thankfulness, gratitude for the little things that we experience every day that makes this such a fulfilling place to work and be involved. And the best part is…you don’t actually have to be on staff to receive these benefits! Please join us for a graduation (we have one this Sunday, November 6th at 3 p.m.) schedule a tour or become a volunteer, to experience the joy that comes from seeing lives transformed every day.
Blessings,
Andy B.