In last's week's blog, Organ Transplant – Making the List”, I shared Scott's story about being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 9. By the age of 38, and with his kidneys beginning to fail, he was put on the national organ donation list. Here is the rest of his story.

Even though Scott had only been on the list for 2 months, a pancreas and kidney became available and Scott got a call. When organs become available, there are many variables considered when selecting a recipient from the organ donation list, such as: how closely a patient profile matches the organ profile; how urgent the health situation is for the patient; and the logistics of getting the organ to the patient in time before it deteriorates.

A perfect match between a recipient profile and an organ profile is very rare, so when this happens, a person with less time on the list can leap ahead of others who have been on the list longer. Scott was fortunate to be a perfect match to the donor organ profile. When the call came, Scott immediately went to the hospital to begin preparation for the surgery.

Donated organs have a limited period of viability, so timing is critical in the transplant process. If the recipient can not be reached or be ready within the time constraints, the organs will be used for the recipient with the next highest priority. The organs intended for Scott were taken, by courier, to the airport to be flown to Scott's location. Scott was at the hospital being tested and prepared for the surgery. Everything looked like it was a “go.”

Unfortunately there was a delay at the airport as the courier and airport security personnel tried to determine whether it was safe to x-ray the containers carrying the organs. By the time the details were worked out, too much time had elapsed. The flight was missed and the pancreas, which has a shorter window of opportunity to be transplanted, was no longer viable. In a pancreas/kidney transplant, it is important that both organs be transplanted together to increase success. With the pancreas no longer viable, the doctors had to make a tough call, and the still-viable kidney was sent to another recipient.

The surgeon came in with the news that the organs did not make the flight and that Scott would not be getting his transplant, as hoped. With his family gathered around him at the hospital, tears were shed at the realization that there was nothing to do but wait for another opportunity. There were no guarantees that he would get another chance.

Life went on and Scott continued to focus on staying as healthy as he could. His diet and food intake were severely restricted while he continued dialysis 3 times a week. He had to juggle his work schedule to accommodate his increasing physical exhaustion, and he worked hard to keep a positive attitude.

Over a year later, as Scott typed the last sentence, in the last paragraph of a 2-year documentation project he'd been working on, the phone rang. It was a voice he recognized, but not one he expected. The voice asked, “Scott, how are you feeling?” He knew immediately what that question meant. Just after midnight, Scott's wait was over. He received a donated pancreas and kidney. They weren't a perfect match, but they represented a new lease on life for Scott.

Today, Scott takes a variety of medicines and will continue to do so for the rest of his life to prevent his body from rejecting these life-saving organs. He has monthly blood tests and other lab work to monitor his health. Some people would find this monitoring routine to be tiresome, but to Scott, it is a small price to pay for his miracle. Although Scott does not know the details of who gave him these organs, he feels an overwhelming amount of gratitude. Somewhere out there is a family that lost a loved one, and during this family's struggle with grief, they made a decision that not only saved Scott, but potentially other recipients. They gave Scott the greatest gift of all... life.

Eighteen people on the list die everyday. If you are interested in learning more about organ donation and the transplant process, these links are a good place to start:

• Donate Life America
• Healthfinder.gov
• MedlinePlus
• Organ Donor Overview
• OrganDonor.gov
• Teacher's Guide – Allocating Scarce Resources: The Case of Organ Transplantation
• Womenshealth.gov Frequently Asked Question on Organ Donation and Transplantion

Hot dogs are an American pastime. They are front and center at summer barbecues. And who hasn't ordered one at a baseball game?

Stuffed in a bun, slathered in ketchup, mustard, or whatever topping your prefer, they scream American summertime.

But a group of pediatricians wants to fundamentally change the hot dog because they say its shape poses a choking risk to children. Sadly, hot dogs are the cause of 17 percent of asphyxiations in kids under 10.

Now I'm all for protecting children from choking, but try for a minute to picture a less-round hot dog. All I end up picturing is some strange hamburger-like patty.

The group also wants the government to mandate that food manufacturers label products such as hot dogs with a warning label that they pose a choking hazard.

I think with common sense most people know hot dogs are a choking hazard. It's certainly not new information.

Maybe the solution here isn't changing the hot dog itself, but instead educating parents and kids about the choking risks a hot dog poses. Maybe parents need to cut their kids' hot dogs (and all food really) into smaller pieces or just feed them hot dogs less often. Maybe parents should be trained in the Heimlich Maneuver.

Before we all start banging the evil-hot-dog drum, I think we need to step back and look at some educational things we can do to prevent choking.

I am very fortunate that throughout my life I've had many opportunities to travel.

One thing in all my adventures remains consistent. Whether I've gone to the moon, or to the Jersey shore for a few days, my parents ask me the same two questions, without fail, upon my return.

1. What'd you eat?

2. What was the price of gas there?

With summer approaching, gas prices are expected to rise. Experts are saying it will likely go into the $3 - $3.25 range. It's not supposed to be as bad as last year when prices reached over $4 in some parts of the country.

Somewhat relieving is that the price increase is not due to American consumption - it's because of the price of crude oil, for which the demand continues to go up from places like China.

Since our economy is still, well, nothing to brag about, do you think this forecasted price increase will impact you? How will it change your daily life? Or summer vacation plans?

Luckily, there are some tips to save on gas. Check these out.

It’s tax season once again, and time to gather all the forms and tax records you’ll need to file your tax return. One of the most important documents you’ll need is your W-2 form. We always hear from a lot of people who didn’t get their W-2’s and don’t know what to do. So if you haven’t received your W-2 yet, read on.

Your employer is required to give you copies of your W-2 form by January 31. If that didn’t happen, the first thing you should do is contact the employer and see if you can resolve the issue together. If that didn’t work and you still don’t have your W-2, then it’s time to contact the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). They’ll ask you for some information and then they’ll contact the employer and request the form.

Did you know that even if your employer doesn’t provide the W-2 form in time, you’re still required to file forms with the IRS? Yep. Things start to get a little tricky at this point, so if you’re in that position you should check with the IRS to be sure you file the correct forms.

And just so you know, the rules are pretty similar if you did receive a W-2 from your employer, but it was incorrect.

I wish you a happy tax season and a hefty return!

Even though I rarely use credit in the check out line, credit card debt is part of my life. I can't say that I completely understand my monthly statement (I just pay it) but hopefully the next one will make more sense. I'm optimistic because new Federal Reserve Board rules that require credit card companies to be clear with consumers go into effect today.

In May 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009 (also called the Credit CARD Act). The law is considered to provide the most sweeping changes in card protections for consumers since the Truth in Lending Act of 1968. Some of the new law went into effect in August.

Among the rules that start today, credit card companies have to notify you 45 days in advance of increasing your interest rate, changing fees (which now have caps), or whenever they plan to make any other significant changes to your card agreement. Companies cannot increase the interest rate of a new account for the first year and these increased rates can only apply to new charges. There are a few exceptions to these rules, such as introductory interest rates that expire in less than a year and revert to previously disclosed rates. The Federal Reserve Board has set up a website to help consumers choose a new credit card.

What do you think of these new credit card rules?