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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1985)
Friday, March 22, 1 Dally Nebrsskan Ja? recoverfa Heart pal 'beg ient JN 73 C3 IS, By Lisa. Uniting Stf Barter "Don't take your crar.s to heaven heaven knows we reed them down here." That's how heart tranrplar.t patient Phillip Jay's new bumper sticker reads. But he hasn't put it cn his car's bumper yet he says he'd like to gee similar ones made for distribution in Lincoh. Jay recently returned to ' Lincoln from Cleveland, with a new heat ar.d ! "9 spfiond chance cf lif 3." His Feb. 7 j operation at Cleveland Clinic was fol ! lowed by a speedy recovery. A crowd cf nearly 100 people greeted rim cna his wife, Harriet, with song and a kazoo band when he walked into tha Lincoln Municipal Alport It wasn't until fter seven "unsatis factory hearts that a goad hert ms found for Jay. Jay said that the many I unsatisfactory hearts hai Mrs. Jay and the doctors worried he wouldn't make it to the operation. When the doctors told the Jays of the seventh unsatisfactory heart, Jay just replied "that wasn't the heart tor him, and turned over ar.d went back to sleep," Mrs. Jay said. Now that the transplant is complete, Jay says he feds better now then he has in five years. It will be one year tMs April since Jay's second massive heart attack left him with three-fourths of his hc.-t damaged and little hops for survive! Doctors told him he "wouldn't have a life," Mrs. Jay said. "When they told me I wouldn't live very long, I told them I wm going to," Jay said. Last fall, the Jays realized he needed a new heart. Through the Lincoln Foundation and ether fund-raising Future fund... Continued Ircia Fsa 1 "It's got good implications for strengthening the state of Nebraska," she said. But LB183, which could establish a work-study program tt Nsbresk&'s pest secondary institutions, 'feeyj'r.t sit"' awhile before the Legiskture discusses it further, she said. Morehe&d ssid hsr priority in the Legislature Uds scscica is to m IMi J3, which would" nqsira the usa of sect belts, approved drives, Jay raised enough money to get the heat transplant. The gr oups raised about $05,000, which will pay for the hospital bills and medication. Medica tion could cost more than $6,000 ayear, Jay said. Jay said he has two rules for recov ery: a positive attitude and listening to his doctors. On Feb. 1 1, four days after his trans plant, Jay began his recovery by walk ing in the hospital halls and riding a stationary bicycle. Wi.en Jay took his first walk outside his room, accompanied by a nurse, hi3 children at home heard about it. Jay. had told the nurse that if she wanted to walk with him, she had to hurry up. "I loved that when you said that 'Hurry up then,' " said his daughter Autumn, 7. Jay still is walking. He walks lVito2 miles, three times a day, he said. His life before the transplant wss quite different. He had two oxygen tanks in his home. One was portable, which he took with him when he left the house. And he got little exercise because he was so weak. "It's just easier to move around new. I don't get tired from moving around and exercise," Jay said. returns home; l live ifiar.q' pf!0 7 i particiDants lor wiiaiiie convention There are some "little" inconven iences that come with a transplant, Jay said. He cannot eat fresh fruit for the next year as a caution against infection and germs. And if he goes fishing with his son Neil, 12, Jay must avoid punc turing his skin with a rusty hook by letting Neil bait the hooks. "But that's not much of a sacrifice for a second chance of life," Jay said. Now that Jay is on the road to recov ery, he hopes to continue his educa tion. He was a graduate agronomy stu dent at UNL when he had his April heart attack, and had to take incom pletes for the semester. He plans to finish each course one at a time, and possibly return to school full-time next January. Jay says that one of the toughest things he has ever done was to write a thank-you letter to the family of the donor. "What to say, how not to say too much, but to say thank you," Jay said. 'That took a long time." The hst scheduled fund-raising dri e u a basketball game between UNL's football team seniors and DeitaUp.ulcn fraternity. Th e gn will be cn April 1 4 at 2 p.m. at Lincoln Hijh School, 2223 J St. Donations will be accepted More than 200 collets students from 10 universities and ens state college were in Lincoln Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for what some consider "the most significant event that has taken place on East Campus thi3 semester." These students, most of them natu ral resource and wildlife scholars, met in the East Union for the 15th Annual North Central Region Student Wildlife Conclave. The conclave featured several speak ers who spoke on important wildlife topics. Speakers included: Carol (Well, founder of the Wildlife Rescue Team; Roger E. Gold, UNL professor cf ento mology; and Eetsy Hancock founder of the Nebraska Raptor Rehabilitation Program. Students participated in a quiz bowl, answering questions that pertained to natural resources and wildlife. They also took Held hips, including one to Grand Island, where they locked tt sand hill cranes. Other activities included a banquet, dance, party and an art and photo contest. Luke Lionberger, chairman of this year's conclave, said the event "was well worth everyone's efforts." "All the hard work really paid off," Lionberger said. "UNL students handled themselves professionally. We presented the university in a positive manner." The 11 schools that participated in this year's evert were UNL, Colorado State University, Purdue University, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, University of Wisconsin at Stev ens Point, the University of Minnesota, University cf Missouri at Columbia, Iowa State University, South Dakota State University, University cf Southern Illinois, Wayne State College. ' . ,1 ia pwZCi CTuJ 1 ,cS - 2.C3 itely. V r J