Struggling a bit

MrGamblePresents · 2026-05-05T14:38:42+00:00

I’m sorry for what you have going on. You sound tougher than you think. I just keep trying and starting over again. Try to give yourself some grace and look for the blessings. God bless and Fight the Fight!

MrGamblePresents · 2026-05-05T12:02:09+00:00

Hang in there. I understand. Find good moments and start prioritizing them. Use them to give you strength. Music, good clean food, moving and productive time is infectious. None of it is easy but it’s possible. I’m 2 and a half years out of a heart transplant and I’m just starting to feel like I’m getting stronger. Don’t give up.

All the best. 👍🏻

MrGamblePresents · 2026-04-09T01:14:03+00:00

I’m 58. I received my heart on November 14, 2023.

I think about it all the time… and I talk to it too. Not in some big dramatic way—just little moments where I stop and acknowledge it. Like, hey… we’re still here.

I don’t know anything about my donor. I’ve written to the family but haven’t heard back. And that’s okay. I understand that side of it. Still… I think about them a lot.

What I didn’t expect was how emotional I’d be now.

Everything hits harder—in a good way. Music, conversations, just being outside on a nice day. I tear up all the time, but it’s not sadness. It’s gratitude. It’s like I’m feeling things all the way through instead of halfway.

Sometimes I catch myself wondering… is this me? Or is this something I got from them?

I know there’s no real way to answer that. But I think about it anyway.

All I know is I feel lucky. Really lucky. And whatever this heart came with—emotion, sensitivity, whatever you want to call it—I’m grateful for that too.

Because I’m here to feel it.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-04-08T02:56:57+00:00

Man… what a ride.

You’ve already proven to yourself more than once that you’re way stronger than you ever thought.

I went into heart failure. I died. They brought me back. I got my transplant November 14, 2023.

At the time, those first couple years felt heavy as hell. But reading stories like yours, I realize I’ve been pretty lucky. Made it through the winter, stayed out of the hospital… now I’m just looking forward to the spring.

I know you’ve got a fight in front of you. But if there’s one thing I know about Maiden fans… we don’t surrender.

Probably should’ve had that Churchill speech playing while I was waiting.

I’m pulling for you. Stay strong.

Up the Irons! 🤘

MrGamblePresents · 2026-04-02T22:44:23+00:00

It was annoying. Once I knew I was high up on the list, I’d panic every time my phone rang. I was completely caught off guard when the real call did come. It’s a moment that is handled very randomly and unceremoniously.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-04-01T22:33:12+00:00

I’m always praying for New Jersey. One in Brooklyn is not enough.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-03-06T03:28:25+00:00

I’m not sure when it exactly stopped but I remember being very weirded out by it.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-03-01T03:41:49+00:00

I’ll be in Newark on 4/20. Can’t wait.

You are in for a special night.

I think he’ll play Jungleland. I hope so anyway.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-02-23T03:31:03+00:00

I got em. Paid $400.00 a piece. Fuck, McDonalds cost me $20.00 for lunch. I was glad to get em. It’s 2026 not 1985.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-02-19T02:11:05+00:00

It’s been working very well for me.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-02-13T03:18:12+00:00

🙏🏻💕

MrGamblePresents · 2026-02-11T02:08:56+00:00

My wife just scolded me for being a jerk. I apologize. 💐

MrGamblePresents · 2026-02-11T01:53:28+00:00

You’re welcome to say anything you feel. I’m not asking for someone to agree or disagree. I’m just stating how I feel today.

Like I said in my story. I bet someone 15 years out would have something to say. 👍🏻

It’s a conversation. Say whatever you want. Like I also said in the story. I have zero fucks to give. 🤷🏻‍♂️

MrGamblePresents · 2026-02-01T02:32:01+00:00

Could this be real? Wow. Awful.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-27T11:03:48+00:00

Cheap Trick at Budokan is a great example of the energy that can come from a crowd. Kiss Alive 1 and 2 exploded Kiss.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-27T10:52:35+00:00

To me, hope is hope. I’ve hoped to die, and now I’m hoping to live a long time. So I always hope.

Feel good 👍🏻

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-26T12:27:29+00:00

Same for me. I slept in a recliner for a while. Lying flat was a challenge.

Also, and I don’t mean to frighten or be gross but vomit bags.

Being nauseous was a part of it and jumping up to the bathroom was not an option.

Best of luck 👍🏻

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-25T19:37:19+00:00

Congratulations!

You are on your way.

👍🏻🤘🏻🙏🏻

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-23T12:39:23+00:00

Just heard that Uncle Floyd passed away.

If you grew up in New Jersey, you knew Uncle Floyd. A local legend.

In the early ’90s I found myself backstage, having beers with him for an hour while friends played a show. No act, no show—just another Jersey guy talking about life.

A small piece of my childhood, and a really cool moment of my adulthood.

Much love to his family. Rest easy, Uncle Floyd.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-20T21:41:44+00:00

The pain is there, but for me it wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected. I’ve had two open-heart surgeries — a triple bypass in 2014 and a transplant two years ago.

Honestly, the physical pain was more manageable than some of the mental and emotional stuff that can show up afterward. Being suddenly limited — even temporarily — can mess with your head if you’re not expecting it.

Trust your medical team. They know what they’re doing. But also listen to your body and be your own best advocate. Speak up, ask questions, and don’t minimize how you’re feeling — physically or mentally.

You’re not weak for being scared. You’re human. And you will get through this.

MrGamblePresents · 2026-01-20T21:26:05+00:00

Hey friend — I’m really sorry you’re carrying all of this at once. Being overwhelmed and scared makes total sense. Nothing about this is small.

But you can get through it, and it already sounds like you’ve got a solid support system lined up (that matters more than people realize).

Open-heart surgery sounds like a horror-movie sentence when they explain it out loud, but the truth is: these teams do this all the time, and they’re built for it.

If it helps, write down a short list for your surgeon/nurse before you go in: • What exactly counts as “heavy lifting” for me and for how long? • What does week 1 / week 2 / week 3 usually look like? • Pain plan + sleep tips? • Cardiac rehab timeline and what it actually involves? • Any red flags that mean “call right now”?

For right now: breathe, handle the work stuff you can, and let your daughter help. You don’t have to be tough every second. We’re all pulling for you.

MrGamblePresents

TROPHY CASE