CNN iReport

I was born janurary 26th 1962 what a day that must have been for my parents. To have their first born son, born with a uncureable heart condition. The next 5 years would be a trying time for the 3 of us. Being born with 3 holes and two bad heart  valves. This condition is call tetralogy of the flow. This condition made even the most simple task almost impossible to complete. The there was days I didn't feel well. The world seemed like a dark place  all the time like i was not alive and not dead. I guess the hardest part of this heart problem was living  to the 5 years  to have my life saving operation. Many  childern didn't make  the 5 years they just died. I was told i was the first to surive this operation so that means the rest of them died. Today if my parents knew that their baby had a ubcureable problem I might be aborted. I am glad they didn't abort me and so are my two sons and wife. Like with any one that is that sick there are ups and downs. I will try to tell as much of this story as possible here. There are a few things I can never forget. Back in the 1960's all the test they did to you were scary and hurt. It was hard to be brave and act like there was no pain. I was told i had 3 heart caths before the operation all i remember was pain. The heart cath I had before the operation I had a reaction to one of the medicines i was given and suffered a very low o2 levels for a very longtime long enough to cause damage. The thing I remember most was asking for my grand father. Why I don't know but don't all little boys want their favorite person when sometthing is really wrong. I don't know how many times i ask for him but know me it was a 1,000 times I am sure. Sometimes I am too stuipid to give up. Maybe it was just my way of haning on to life at that time. I don't know how many hours i waited the pain was something I will never be able to forget. All I can tell any of you is we all can make a differnce in the life of others. The simplest of act of being unselfish. Not knowing what we might find when we arrive at a hospital with a sick love one. There was no cell phones then. I am not sure how he felt when he arrive at the hospital but I am sure I know how I would have felt. My grand father did what a man does what is needed. This was not about wining a game it was about playing the game of life doing what is expected of us. Sometimes we win and most of the time we lose the fight of life. He took my hand and talked to me amd got me to drink some water. Do I remember what he said no i just remember him saying my name. The world didn't hurt as much any more. I don't how long I laid there but the medicine i needed was there for me it wasn't a pill to make me feel better  it was my hero that came to save me. I lived that day with no long term effects, well depending on whom you ask haha.

Before my operation I would have one more heart cath done but I don;t remember it.

What I do remember is what I call the last supper. It was a mans meal Fried chicken, mashed pototoes,corn and home made noddles. Wow a meal to die for. All of the family was there to wish me luck. I can still taste the meal after 41 years no meal ever tasted so good.

My grand mother bought me a watch and it had the date may 9 1967 on it with my name" Joe" engraved on it. We walked to main street in vincennes indiana and got that watch. Then we walked back to a catholic church and i was baptised there. I didn't understand why at the time but later i understood that was what my mother believed in. Just in case I didn't make it. The next day i was at reily hospital in indy.

THat day was full of test and it was not as scary as some of the other days of my life so far. May the 11th 1967 was my big day. I had all the things I needed my grand parents and my mother and father, also I had my stuffed rabbit and monkey which my grand mother made with her own two hands. This day i had no fear. The operation lasted 11 hours and I don't know how long i was in recoverery. I just remember waking up a lot of times and being sick to my stomach but that didnt last long. In a few hours I was up runing around like a normal 5 year old. The darkness of my life was gone the world seemed like a bright and fun place to be. It was like someone had turned on the lights and I could see for the first time. I didn't tell this story of mine with the detail it earned. I want to thank those that helped me that day and to say thanks for my extra 5 min of life.