Chris Klug, Bronze Medalist
Liver Recipient
On July 28th, 2000 I had a liver transplant at the University Hospital in Denver, Colorado. I was diagnosed nine years earlier with PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitits), a rare degenerative bile duct condition which required a transplant.
I'm lucky to be alive today. It was truly an amazing experience for me and for my family. To receive the gift of life is a humbling experience. I will forever be grateful for my second chance. Everyday I thank God and I thank the individual's family for the decision to donate.
The hardest part of the transplant was the waiting game leading up to my transplant. It's not like an orthopedic injury. You can't just get the MRI or X-Ray, find out what's up and get it fixed. You're life is put on hold; you hope and pray daily for a second chance. I wore a pager every minute of the day and carried a cell phone as a back up in anticipation of receiving a call from the University Hospital Transplant Team informing me that a liver was available that matched my blood type, age and size.
When I finally got the call I was relieved that the wait was finally over, but scared to death of the prospect of possibly not surviving the surgery. I was extremely fortunate. I received a perfect match and had the best team of doctors around performing the operation. I was pretty fit going into the surgery, which helped me bounce back quickly. I worked hard preparing for the surgery both mentally and physically. I was out of the hospital in record time, four days, and back in the gym lightly riding a stationary bike and lifting my arms within a week. I really had to listen to my body and to my doctors and go easy for the first month. The risk of an insertional hernia was high, so I took it easy.
I was back on the World Cup Circuit four months after my surgery. Six months later I stood atop the podium in Olang, Italy for the first time. That winter was one of my best seasons ever. I attribute that to a new perspective on life and feeling lucky to be doing what I love again after running the "Race for my Life." A year and a half later I had the opportunity to represent our country in my second Olympic Games where I won a Bronze Medal and fulfilled a life-long dream!
