It’s the middle of September, and I always get a little sentimental during this time. My mind drifts back five years to September of 2018 when I lived in an apartment in Nashville, Tennessee – alone except for the company of Gidget McFidget. I was listed for a heart transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center,Continue reading “Furry Friday – Blue Steel”
Author Archives: Dawn Levitt Author
Organ Donors Wanted – Dead or Alive
The number of people in need of a life-saving organ transplant is constantly growing with nearly 106,000 people currently waiting for an organ transplant in the United States. Every state has programs dedicated to growing the number of people who are registered organ donors. Many states ask people if they want to register as anContinue reading “Organ Donors Wanted – Dead or Alive”
Furry Friday – The Case of the Speckled Pup
We’re wrapping up a short but busy week. The neighbor’s tree dropped another limb and took out our power once more. This time, tree trimmers chopped away the remaining dead limbs and we hope to be done with yelling “timber” in our own back yard. Bruce Wayne had another round of injections for his heartwormContinue reading “Furry Friday – The Case of the Speckled Pup”
Misdiagnosis – the Hidden Killer
How much harm is caused by misdiagnoses in the Emergency Room and other clinical settings? A recent report from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute Center for Diagnostic Excellence estimates that 795,000 Americans per year die or are permanently disabled after being misdiagnosed (371,000 patients die and 424,000 are permanently disabled). Missed stroke diagnosis is theContinue reading “Misdiagnosis – the Hidden Killer”
Furry Friday – Happy Labor Day!
Welcome to Friday! We made it through another week, and it’s a holiday weekend. Happy Labor Day! I hope you have a lovely time with cookouts and picnics and end-of-summer joys. We’re going to the local Peachfest this weekend. “We” includes my husband and I, not the dogs. The past couple of weeks have beenContinue reading “Furry Friday – Happy Labor Day!”
Furry Friday – Royal Carriage Ride
It’s Furry Friday and I’m sick. But I’m not as sick as I was earlier this week. I finally dragged myself to the doctor and got diagnosed with a sinus infection. Antibiotics are getting rid of the pain and vertigo and exhaustion that made me sleep most of the day for three days straight, butContinue reading “Furry Friday – Royal Carriage Ride”
Furry Friday – Chikkie Slop
When I sat down to write the Furry Friday post today, I knew I had to make it quick because today is the day I make Chikkie Slop for my dogs. And Bruce Wayne is already showing me his lack of patience for my delay in creating his favorite thing in the world. What isContinue reading “Furry Friday – Chikkie Slop”
Xenotransplantation – Solution to Organ Shortage?
A pig-to-human xenotransplant resulted in successful kidney function in a deceased human with chronic kidney disease, possibly offering a future solution to the organ shortage crisis. The subject, a brain-dead 52-year-old man, was transplanted with crossmatch-compatible pig kidneys with ten genetic modifications at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. Other hospitalsContinue reading “Xenotransplantation – Solution to Organ Shortage?”
First Steps in the Reorganization of the U.S. Transplant System
On July 21, 2023, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) held an Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Industry Day meeting. This event was an invitation only meeting for potential vendors for the future administration of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network contract. Objectives of the meeting included: Items covered at the meeting included:Continue reading “First Steps in the Reorganization of the U.S. Transplant System”
Furry Friday – I nailed the curtains to the wall
Bruce Wayne had his first round of heartworm injections on Monday, and the vet emphasized that he must be kept quiet and not allowed to run around after his injection. As the heartworms die off, their bodies break down and may begin to circulate in his blood stream. If Bruce gets too excited and getsContinue reading “Furry Friday – I nailed the curtains to the wall”
Dawn Levitt, Author 