Chris Klug Story --- I'm Lucky to be Alive Today
 On
July 28, 2000, I had a liver transplant at University
Hospital in Denver, Colorado. I had been diagnosed 9
years earlier with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a
rare degenerative bile duct condition that required
a liver transplant.
It was truly an amazing experience for me and for
my family. To receive the gift of life is a humbling
experience and I will forever be grateful for my second
chance. Everyday I thank God and I thank the donor's
family for their decision to donate. The doctors and
their team took great care of me leading up to the transplant
and the surgeon performed a perfect surgery. I was back
doing what I love, snowboarding, less than 2 months
later.
The hardest part of the ordeal was the waiting game
leading up to the transplant. 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 backup in anticipation of receiving a call
from the University Hospital transplant team informing
me that a liver matching my blood type, age, and size
was available. Three months after being upgraded on
the waiting list to a more critical stage, my phone
rang. When I finally got the call, I was relieved that
the wait was finally over, but scared to death at the
prospect of possibly not surviving the surgery.
I received a perfectly matched liver and had one of
the best teams of doctors performing the transplant.
Because I was physically fit before the surgery, I bounced
back quickly. I was out of the hospital in record time?four
days?and back in the gym doing light exercise. I had
to listen to my body and to my doctors and go easy for
the first month because the risk of a hernia was high.
The doctors suggested that I walk and so my family and
I walked to Broncos Games, Rockies Games, the new aquarium,
and shops all over the city. I returned to Aspen a month
after my transplant to begin my rehab. I eased back
into strength work and was back on my road bike about
four and a half weeks post-surgery. Three weeks later,
I began light abdominal strengthening and a week after
that I headed to Mt. Hood, Oregon, for my first runs
back on my snowboard. It was pretty special. I remember
being so excited to be back on snow and with my friends.
I never take a day of riding with my buddies or a single
turn for granted any longer.
I was back on the World Cup Circuit 4 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
the United States in my second Olympic Games, where
I won a Bronze Medal in snowboarding and fulfilled a
life-long dream.
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