note from Brian

Didn't know this blog thing was such a big deal. I sure have received lots of comments about it.
I tried to enter a note from the hospital one time but didn't know what I was doing so It didn't work. Sorry. Thanks a lot to my daughter Jamie for doing this for me. I am at home and so grateful and healing well now. My new heart was a little stubborn, so we should get along fine. It was wanting to do it's own thing, which was not what all of my doctors wanted so my stay in the hospital was longer than the average. Right now I return to the hospital once every two weeks and then eventually once every three weeks etc, etc, having a heart cath and biopsy done. This tells the doctors how much (or how little) my body is rejecting the new heart. Depending of the results from the biopsy, changes are made in the many medications that I take. Eventually and God willing, I will reach a point where my visits will be once a year to my doctors office.

So the most asked question...Do I feel different?...better?...worse?...

Well yes I do feel different. I can feel the strength of the new heart. I'm not running marathons or anything. But I do have several golf games scheduled on down the road with several doctors that are responsible for me being alive right now, and get this not one of them play golf. They say I'll have to teach them. SCARY HUH.

My work email is working on my computer at home as I am trying to get back involved at Tejas Materials (slowly as I have been threatened by my doctors not to overdue anything just yet) anyway bgilliam@tejasmaterials.com

I thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers, letters, cards, emails, visits, and how you helped me by helping Kim and the girls so many times and so many ways. Thanks to my sisters for helping me at the hospital and taking time away from your family to help mine. Thanks to the flooring company, and crew that layed my floor. How generous and beautiful it is. My brother-in -law and sister for instigating that. All of my family for their support. My girls who shared many smiles and tears with me. GMS, and Tejas Materials Inc. Brian Hughey who wouldn't let me give up through some tough times over the last four years. All of my family and friends at Tejas who I miss very much.

Many more I will try to acknowledge over time.

Everyone at Methodist Hospital, the best hospital in the world. The Houston Texans, Chester Pitts, Kris Brown, Steve Slaton, Kevin Walters and Toro the bull for building my spirits.

My dear wife Kim who I believe has been through more than I and remains so strong when I was so weak. A family that I have yet been able to contact that tragically lost a son whose name I don't know. They spent Thanksgiving and Christmas without their child in 2008. Because of your donation I have been given a second chance on life. My son chad whose spirit is always by my side. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Brian K. Gilliam