New Lungs, New Life

Hello everybody

 

Well I got my transplant, at 5.19am last Sunday morning 6 May 2012 I received the call that some donor lungs had been offered, however it was very early in the proceedings and there was a big chance that it would be a false alarm. I was already in hospital with a mild infection so I all I had to do was wait. My gut told me that this was the one, there was no false alarm and this was it so while my family and Brad were nervous wrecks all day, both my mum and I knew this was it and we both felt calm and peaceful all day. In fact I predicted through numerology that I would get my transplant this May. I was given the 'yes its a definite go ahead' at 1.00pm and I then showered and hopped into sterile gowns.

 

I was wheeled into the operating suites at 2.00 and I said my farewells to my family at the doors; I was taken directly into the operating theatre. I spoke with an anestathesists and she agreed to take some pictures of my old lungs for me. The next thing I knew I woke up in Recovery with the intubation tube in and I was gesturing for it to be taken out; when it was I was taken to a private room in ICU and I woke up again the next day. I would like to say that my breathing immediately felt good but it was far, far from it, it still is in fact. I was woken up by the physio whom explained to me how to breath with my new lungs and then asked me to cough. The only word that comes to my mind and it does not even come close to describing the sensation, is PAIN. The pain I experienced was beyond my comprehension and I am still in a great deal of it now when I breathe deeply, which is all the time because I have to do breathing exercises virtually constantly. The physio was wonderfully caring and supportive and had me stand up and then stepping on the spot off the ICU bed, I later walked with huge assistance around the ICU room.

 

The care I received while in ICU was one-on-one, top-notch nursing care and words can't describe the appreciation I feel for them and the job they did. My progress was going extremely well and I could have left ICU a day early however there were no beds available with a 'special care' nurse that day, so I left ICU after 3 days there. I have been on my normal ward for 4 days now and I have received one-on-one care 24/7 the entire time, it has been just one step up from ICU care it is that amazing.

 

I have experienced more pain and physical agony than I knew it was possible for a human being to endure but it gets a little easier each day, not a lot but a little. Medically I am doing incredibly well and all I can do is hope that it will all be worth it in the end. Thats what I'm hoping anyway.

 

love

K