The fact that Dr. Stansbury is also an accomplished orthopedic surgeon with LVPG Orthopedics and Sports Medicine helped in his long recovery after the transplant. He says there’s no playbook for a situation like his, so he relied heavily on his own medical training to recondition himself.
Unlike a typical recovery, a transplanted heart doesn’t reconnect with the body’s nerves, meaning Dr. Stansbury had to relearn how to train and race – without the usual feedback from his body.
“I’m also on medications so I train and race differently than my competition. It’s been a fun experiment learning what I can do to condition myself to win races,” Dr. Stansbury says.
Dr. Stansbury has also been seeking others like him, who have had a heart transplant and are still competing. Through the racing circuit he has found a few others including a man from Illinois who had a heart transplant about a year and a half ago.
There are also competitions specifically for people who have had a transplant, like the World Transplant Games. Two years ago, Dr. Stansbury competed and dethroned an Italian racer who had a liver transplant and had swept the race for the previous five years.
In addition to continuing to cycle and inspire others, Dr. Stansbury gives back every day helping people, including athletes, recover from sore knees, bum shoulders, athletic injuries and more. Two of his daughters now also work in medicine and he serves as the team doctor at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (Velodrome) in Trexlertown, Pa.
The gift of life Dr. Stansbury received is a gift that benefits so many more than just him – his family, his patients and everyone who knows him has benefitted from this selfless gift.
