Well, today's kind of a special day for me.
It's been 6 years since my lung transplant.
It's been nothing less then a miracle. 8 years ago, and then 7 years ago, I got the, *get your affairs in order talk*, by the Drs., since they thought I had less then a year to live. Don't think those words, won't ruin you day. Then pre-transplant, they said hopefully, I'd have another 3-5 years (based on my age, and condition). The first couple years were kind of touch and go. Wound up going thur Chemotherapy a few times, and Radiation Therapy, for a couple illnesses, and chronic rejection. It's been just amazing, I'd been in a wheel chair for a few years, and since there just weren't any donors, for what was only several months, but just existing while waiting for a donor, isn't really living.
I was scheduled to go on a ventilator, since my breathing was so bad. The bad thing about the ventilator, is that it takes you off the transplant list. Being on O2, so weak, and scheduled for being taken off the list, and put on a ventilator, was really a bad time. But, things at the last minute, went right. I kind of got ahead of things there, I got a call for getting prepped for surgery, but the tissue was bad, so I just took it as a sign of just being one step closer to the real one. Then the next day, I got another call to get prepped, again, bad tissue. That was a bit tougher, I was still weak from the first prep, and it's arenaline rush. The again a day another dry run, that one was really tough, I was just too worn out. Then would you believe, a day later another call, I don't know if I'd have had enough inside me, to go thur all that again, but luckily, that surgery was a go. When you're really end term, they get alot less fussy about the tissue *fit*, and will do about anything they can to keep you living. Then there were problems during the surgery so I only got one lung, instead of the two they'd planned on, I kept coding during the surgery, so they did the one, and *got out of dodge*. Then in recovery due to the problems, I was told I'd never walk without a crutch, as my right foot had nerve damage from the surgery. Well, a towel, and 16 hrs a day therapy got my foot working.
One thing alot of people don't know, is that when you sign a donor card, not only are you possibly giving the gift of life to someone, but alot of the donated tissues are used for birth defects, and cosmetics (like from burn damage). Prior to surgery I got to see a *scrap book*, of before and after pictures of birth defects that had been cured by donated tissue. It was incredible, there just isn't words to discribe what disfigurements can be cured, by using donated tissue.
My point?, it's about having a positive spirit. No matter how bad things seem to get, you can possibly beat the odds.
That, and there's an incredible amount of good, you can do, even after your own death.
If you're a donor, Thank You, if you're not, please just think about it. It's not for everyone, but, man, for me (and thousands of others), it was truely a God Send.
It's been 6 years since my lung transplant.
It's been nothing less then a miracle. 8 years ago, and then 7 years ago, I got the, *get your affairs in order talk*, by the Drs., since they thought I had less then a year to live. Don't think those words, won't ruin you day. Then pre-transplant, they said hopefully, I'd have another 3-5 years (based on my age, and condition). The first couple years were kind of touch and go. Wound up going thur Chemotherapy a few times, and Radiation Therapy, for a couple illnesses, and chronic rejection. It's been just amazing, I'd been in a wheel chair for a few years, and since there just weren't any donors, for what was only several months, but just existing while waiting for a donor, isn't really living.
I was scheduled to go on a ventilator, since my breathing was so bad. The bad thing about the ventilator, is that it takes you off the transplant list. Being on O2, so weak, and scheduled for being taken off the list, and put on a ventilator, was really a bad time. But, things at the last minute, went right. I kind of got ahead of things there, I got a call for getting prepped for surgery, but the tissue was bad, so I just took it as a sign of just being one step closer to the real one. Then the next day, I got another call to get prepped, again, bad tissue. That was a bit tougher, I was still weak from the first prep, and it's arenaline rush. The again a day another dry run, that one was really tough, I was just too worn out. Then would you believe, a day later another call, I don't know if I'd have had enough inside me, to go thur all that again, but luckily, that surgery was a go. When you're really end term, they get alot less fussy about the tissue *fit*, and will do about anything they can to keep you living. Then there were problems during the surgery so I only got one lung, instead of the two they'd planned on, I kept coding during the surgery, so they did the one, and *got out of dodge*. Then in recovery due to the problems, I was told I'd never walk without a crutch, as my right foot had nerve damage from the surgery. Well, a towel, and 16 hrs a day therapy got my foot working.
One thing alot of people don't know, is that when you sign a donor card, not only are you possibly giving the gift of life to someone, but alot of the donated tissues are used for birth defects, and cosmetics (like from burn damage). Prior to surgery I got to see a *scrap book*, of before and after pictures of birth defects that had been cured by donated tissue. It was incredible, there just isn't words to discribe what disfigurements can be cured, by using donated tissue.
My point?, it's about having a positive spirit. No matter how bad things seem to get, you can possibly beat the odds.
That, and there's an incredible amount of good, you can do, even after your own death.
If you're a donor, Thank You, if you're not, please just think about it. It's not for everyone, but, man, for me (and thousands of others), it was truely a God Send.
