DRACUT — Mark Miller will be spending this Christmas being thankful to a stranger who gave him one of life’s greatest gifts — life itself.

Miller, 43, received a liver transplant in February. all he knows about the person whose liver saved his life is that he was a 38-year-old man who died of a brain aneurysm at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. But Miller said he thinks about him every day.

“It’s really the ultimate gift you can give,” said Miller, sitting in the kitchen of his Dracut home, with presents arranged under a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the next room. “It’s Christmastime. what better gift could I have gotten this year?”

Last Christmas, Miller’s health suddenly turned for the worse. He had just been diagnosed in November with liver disease after a quick onset of symptoms. the day after Christmas, he was admitted to the hospital, not knowing what was ahead of him.

After a series of tests, it was determined Miller was a candidate for a liver transplant.

He said his brothers, friends and other members of his family said they were willing to be a live donor, but because of the severity of Miller’s condition, live donation wasn’t an option.

Liver transplant candidates are given a score up to 40 based on three laboratory values that determine where they are listed on the recipient list. a score of 40 means there is about a 90 to 95 percent chance that the patient will die in the next three months, according to Dr. Elizabeth Pomfret, chairwoman of the Department of Transplantation at Lahey Clinic in Burlington.

Miller said his score was 40.

He waited three weeks for a match.

Miller said he would love to meet his donor’s family, but understands that it may be difficult for them to meet him.

“I just want to express my gratitude,” he said. “I think of them often.”

The new England Donor Bank ensures that privacy is kept between the donor family and recipients.

Laura Dempsey, a spokeswoman for the donor bank, said sometimes a recipient will meet their donor’s family, but it’s not common.

“The recipient is so thankful and so happy that they’ve had this second chance at life, sometimes they are eager to thank the donor family,” she said. “But you have to keep in mind the donor family is grieving.”

Giving life-saving gifts

A Westford family, whose 14-year-old daughter’s organs were donated after she died in a car accident, will be honoring their daughter on Jan. 2 in Pasedena, Calif., with other organ donors’ families from around the world.

Donate Life sponsors a float at the Rose Bowl Parade. this year, Katie Enos’ image will be part of the float, along with 71 donors who will be honored from all over the U.S., Canada, Japan and Taiwan.

The image was decorated with earthen materials in a ceremony at Westford Academy earlier this month that included Katie’s family and friends.

Katie was killed in June 2010 when she was hit by a car while crossing Carlisle Street in Westford after leaving a soccer camp.

Six months earlier, after watching a television show about organ donation, Katie had told her parents that she wanted her organs to be donated if she died.

That decision has since not only affected the six people who received Katie’s organs, including a 17-year-old boy who has cystic fibrosis and a woman in her 50s, but Edward Enos said his daughter’s decision has impacted her friends.

He said he’s sure some of Katie’s friends have told their parents that they want to be organ donors, a conversation that many of them probably wouldn’t have had.

“It’s really about awareness, that you can impact a lot of lives when you donate your organs,” Enos said.

Even as a young teenager, Katie knew how important it is to become an organ donor.

“This is something that Katie cared about a lot that when you’re gone there is something more that you can give,” Enos said.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, the private, nonprofit organization that manages organ transplants across the country, there are more than 112,000 people in the country awaiting transplants.

On average, 18 people in the U.S. die each day while awaiting a life-saving transplant, according to the network.

In new England, 4,500 people are waiting for an organ transplant, according to the new England Organ Bank.

Last year in new England, there were 817 transplants from 273 donors, according to the new England Organ Bank.

Thirty-six percent of registered drivers in Massachusetts are registered organ donors, according to organ bank.

Pomfret said education and awareness about organ donation is required so that people have conversations with their loved ones and make their wishes known.

Miller said he doesn’t know if his donor was a registered organ donor or his family made that decision for him, but he said he’ll be forever grateful for the gift he received.

“I honestly feel like the luckiest person in the world,” he said.

Question: You recently wrote about a woman who was angry that her body couldn’t do what it used to do. As the younger wife of an 82-year-old man, I can understand her anger. In my husband’s case there is an accompanying depression that was not relieved by a brief attempt at taking antidepressants, which caused a multitude of side effects. how are older people expected to deal with anger and depression? Are there support groups or counseling for them? how do they reach a level of acceptance? Thank you.

- T.R.

Dear T.R.:

You’ve raised an important issue.

Let’s start with the subject of anger. In our younger years, we may have become angry when someone cut us off on the freeway or got a raise when we didn’t. In later life, reasons for anger may be different. often it’s when our bodies betray us and don’t permit us to do what we want to do – in the same ways we have always done it.

It’s easy to get angry.

The aging process is not always idyllic. Late life events such as an inability to participate in once-cherished activities or suffering from chronic debilitating diseases can take a heavy toll on an older person’s emotional well-being – to say the least.

Failing eyesight, health loss and other physical changes can cause sadness, anxiety, loneliness, withdrawal and apathy.

Yet anger is a normal emotion; excessive anger is not.

A more serious outcome of personal loss is chronic depression that can have alarming physical effects on older adults. we know the mortality rate for older men and women suffering from depression and loneliness is higher than for those reporting satisfaction with their lives.

Note that depression is not part of the normal aging process although, according to the nonprofit group Mental Health America, more than half of older Americans think it is. that is one reason it is ignored.

According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), signs of depression are more varied among older adults than among the younger population.

Symptoms can appear as increased tiredness and being grumpy or irritable. Depression also can be manifested as confusion or attention problems that resemble symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or other brain disorders.

The NIA further reports that for most people, depression will get better with treatment: “You do no need to suffer.”

The first step is to get help. In general, men are more reluctant then women to seek professional services.

If you have not already done this, begin with your family doctor. The NIA suggests that a physician should check to determine if the depression is caused by a health issue such as hypothyroidism, a vitamin B-12 deficiency or a medication.

Next, consider speaking with a mental health professional. Doctors who are specially trained to treat depression in older adults are called geriatric psychiatrists.

Antidepressant drugs can help, and yes, there are side effects for some drugs for some people. if one drug creates a problem, it may be worthwhile to try another. It can take up to 12 weeks before it feels like an antidepressant is working.

Physical exercise, to the extent possible, and good nutrition, also play a role.

How to reach a level of acceptance is difficult. One approach is to emphasize what is working well and capitalizing on that. In a deep depression, however, it’s hard to even think about that. but as one feels better, that approach has a good chance to work.

The late Natalie Kaufman, who was legally blind due to macular degeneration and had limited mobility, used her ears, voice and soul extremely well. She listened to NPR, the news, classical music and books on tape. Additionally, each Friday morning she telephoned those facing losses and problems to wish them a good Sabbath.

Kaufman welcomed many people of all ages into her home, especially for her birthday parties.

This is just one example of making the best of what you have.

Support groups can be helpful both for you and your husband. Contact Beach Cities Health District at 310-374-3426, Ext. 155.

For a mental health professional, contact Bridges Psychiatric Services of Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro, at 310-514-5359. Bridges has a list of geriatric psychiatrists who evaluate and treat older adults with depression or other emotional difficulties.

T.R., best wishes in finding some relief for your husband.

Remember the message from the National Institute on Aging – one need not suffer. There are resources available in our community to make life better – even good.

Helen Dennis is a specialist in aging, with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Send her your questions and concerns in care of the Daily Breeze, 21250 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503, or e-mail to helendenn@aol.com.

16 February 2011 last updated at 03:42 ET Share this page

Peter Ball had suffered from stomach ache for a while and at first thought he had pulled a muscle

A surgeon potentially saved the life of an old schoolfriend by diagnosing his symptoms for appendicitis on Facebook.

Rahul Velineni, from the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, saw Peter Ball's status update on his stomach pains and his trouble walking.

He sent the 30-year-old from Cheshire a message telling him he should see a doctor immediately.

He has thanked his old schoolfriend for offering crucial advice at exactly the right time.

Mr Ball had been suffering from stomach ache for a while and at first thought he had pulled a muscle.

As his symptoms became worse, he decided to put himself to bed, posting an update that he was "walking like an old man" on his Facebook page.

He said: "I woke at about half-three in the morning in pain and saw I had a message from Rahul asking me to call him and saying he thought I might have appendicitis.

Peter Ball says he owes his old friend Rahul Velineni a few drinks

"The message really hammered home how important it was that I get this checked out."

Deciding not to disturb Mr Velineni in the early hours, Mr Ball instead took himself to his GP first thing and was referred to Macclesfield General Hospital.

He said: "By 7.30 that night I was in the operating theatre having my appendix out.

"The doctors said it had already ruptured. it was surprisingly serious.

"When I got home I phoned Rahul and thanked him profusely – I definitely owe him a few drinks for this."

Mr Velineni said that appendicitis was often difficult to diagnose, but he had thought his friend's status update sounded "odd".

"At once a light bulb went off in my head and I took the decision to get in touch with him.

"Thankfully he went to see his GP and the cycle started, because he had a nasty appendix and it was taken out."

The surgeon remained modest, however: "I think the people in the operation saved his life – I just gave him a kick in the right direction."

Mr Ball said he generally only used Facebook for staying in touch with friends.

"something like this shows it can be about saving lives too," he said.

I'm a 30 years old man. Since 3 years ago Im dealing with Ulcerative colitis. I have noticed that In the periods that I have sex with my girlfriend I have attacks while all the symptoms disappear when I dont have sexual relationships.
Has anybody seen same signs?

generally, stress & diet can cause the symptoms. perhaps the gf is your source of negative stress. take a break, get some counseling, keep a food diary, and follow up with your GI doctor. continue to drink lotsa water & take probiotics daily.

I have symptoms that sure sound like Cystic Fibrosis. can it be possible for a 49 year old man to develop Cystic Fibrosis earlier in life and not realize it?

What kind of tests do doctors give for Cystic Fibrosis?

no cystic fibrosis is genetic and would have caused you many problems way before now. go see a doctor and stop looking at WebMD.

u can get alot by visiting

this site it will help you for further

information.
mediarticles.com/

Cystic Fibrosis [CF] is genetic disorder that usually manifests itself in early childhood. It's unlikely that you have CF if you haven't had symptoms before your age.
Have you ever smoked? It's possible that you could have COPD [Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease] such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Even if you've only smoked a few times, it is possible you could have developed COPD due to another genetic disorder, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency [trypsin can destroy lung and liver tissues if not kept in check by antitrypsin, which is not adequately supplied]. Definitely a scary prospect, but antitrypsin can be replaced if action is taken early enough. It occurs most often in people of European descent.

You need to be seen by a respiratory specialist for diagnosis.
Best of luck, and health,