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Hi all,Just wanted to drop a few lines to let all of you esp those that donated for me that i got my call on July17,09 @430 am.I was transplanted double lung by that night at Emory Hospital in Atlanta,Ga.
  It has been a long haul for me,Im just now really getting back to myself.My donor was a female,18 years old(not easy to think about)but I have this incredible gift of life because of her.
I thank all of you so very much for the help I received.God Bless and hugs.Susan aka dejavu777  

Im going out on a limb here and posting a blog based on emotion,which I do not usually do,however if I do not do it now, I will keep quiet about something that needs to be addressed.
IN writing this please realize I am not asking for pity or any such nonsense, only wondering what other people think or what they would do in the same situation.For those that do not know,I am waiting to be listed for a double lung transplant.Because of libel I will not mention the institution and in all reality it would not matter anyway because if an institution as prestigious as this would ask such of me,any of them would.I am down to 2 things that need to be done in order to be listed.One which is very simple,an eye exam,the other put off because of cost is dental.Without dental insurance the cost can be enormous.Over the last few months since my initial evaluation my health had spiraled down which happens a lot with lung diseases and I was hospitalised for 3 days to build me back up to finish my final things to be listed.I was so weak when hospitalised I could barely walk down my hallway.My pulmonary function was at 13%.After 3 days of iv fluids, antibiotics,and steroids I felt like a new woman ready to get it DONE.My pulmonary function after 2 weeks was at 19-20% which is great for me.My heart soared,I was on my way,I even conned the hospital out of my last hepatitus vaccination shot before being discharged!YOU do what you have to do...I WANT to live!The next week I went and had my last vaccine,a tetanus shot.Oh you would not beleive all the things you have to do and Im not going to bore you with them,but there is so much one has to go through to get listed.
So Im down to the dental which I knew would be costly.I had carefully put back all the money I could and was certain we had it.My lung doc says to have the dentist call him first so they can decide the best way to treat me because of my "condition"YUK.I hate being sick,Ive never been sick in my life until this,anyway,my dentist says"I have to refer you to an oral surgeon,I cant do this its too risky"I said "well ono big money?"he said "ah you can finance it" I say"what are we talking? thousands?mucho money?"I was told that there was a form I could submit to a certain foundation Im involved with.The foundation would inturn offer a list of their payments for services and he could agree or not.THIS is the problem.I am left with a social worker asking if I had any fundraising efforts done yet and how much money was in my account.OH yeah we have fundraisers planned,they have just been slow getting organized but thats not my problem.
My problem is this.....I need lungs and I have these people asking me if I have fundraised yet?
I said "I can barely walk down my hallway and your asking me why I have not fundraised?Basically what your saying is ........IF I have lots of greenbacks and I dont ,that I can have a life?She said "well no,every transplant person goes through this"No No thats not the truth"She is saying IF I have X amount of money in my account then I can get a dental clearance and get listed.What else could it be.NOw I ask YOU?
Rich people get the good treament, red carpet,all the way,stays in hospital until they are well enough to leave.People like me..well we are just like cattleshoved thru the system,and god knows what kind of Rx's we are given that we know nothing of.Drugs bought in China and sold to legitimate Drug stores here,happens all the time,watch dateline,do a search ,KNOW what you might be ingesting.Im sick of the health system,too bad I need lungs huh?have you got any spare parts lying around?Owell got that out of my system.NEXT!

I jusst realized today that its amost a year since I made the decision to do the transplant.I had my first appointment with Emory in august last year.I cancelled that first one,got cold feet.
I finally went in september.What an amazing uplifting place it was,everyone was so positive.They started out taking enough blood to satisfy several hungry vampires LOL.Then I met one of the surgeons,wheww I didnt know they made them like that.My sis and my hubby were with me.She said I was lit up like a christmas tree when they walked in lol.Any woman my age knows what Im talking about.Yes I love my husband,you just forget sometimes after so many years that you still have IT.
Anyway this little guy made me feel so positive about it all.I asked lots of questions like do you get same sex organs.He said "does it matter?" Well I dont know,does it?What do you think?It might,docs dont know it all.Things go on at the cellular level they know little of, Ive read.I just dont want to come out swaggering around feeling all pumped up LOL.
Im writing I think because Im getting closer to being listed finally.I had a brief stay in the hospital recently to get built back up.I had gotten very run down,my pulmonary function had plummeted to 13%.My baseline is 19-20%.I am feeling so much better and have had 2 more vaccinations.I have a little dental work I have to do,an eye exam and voila!I get the beeper. I have to keep bags packed all the time,ready to run when I get the call.The window of time is kind of short between the time it is taken from the donor and then transplanted.They will take blood from the donor and mix with mine to see if there is a reaction,if not its a GO!
Im at the jumping off place so guess as a very good friend who went through the same thing said to me"You will either find your wings or find the ground"Now as I look at those words I wonder.
I think I will just sit back and ride,my creator has it all under control.

I dont know a lot about blogs.I only know that it was my desire to write some here about what its like to be in need of a transplant.I suppose its the same for any organ,I need lungs or "A lung" or 2 lobes even.A person can live with only 2 lobes so I have read.We have 3 on the right side and 2 on the left.Seems the creator knew his stuff,had to leave room for that big old heart.I started down this road nearly 2 years after I was told I would need one.I suppose it was denial,did'nt want to think it was that serious.I now know without a doubt that without it or a miracle,its over.Transplant candidates are people who have an expected survival of 2 years or less.I have very good days where Im high on life and full of grattitude for time.Time seems precious when your uncertain about your future.I also wonder about the procedure itself,will I survive,how painful is it,how have others done,etc.I think I have read all the stories I could find on the net about transplant survivors.I do not like pity,I seek understanding,empathy,and most importantly truthfulness from others.That being said I wanted to be somewhat of a voice for others in need of organs and their plight,what they experience,thoughts,feelings,all of these things.I have been an organ donor since the program began,never knowing I was one day going to be in need.I am so certain nothing is left of the soul/spirit once the flesh dies that it wouldnt be important what was taken from the body.I believe we step right out of this body like stepping out of a suit into eternity, SO it never ocurred to me to do anything but donate.Out of the people on the waiting lists for lungs each year,something like one third receive.Many die waiting,I will not officially go on "THE LIST" until I have finsihed a battery of vaccinations,tests,heart catherization and others.These tests must be done because after transplantation your are put on immunosuppressant drugs to keep your body from rejecting the donated organ as it is perceived foreign to the body.If there were another illness or anything wrong in the body,your immune system could not fight it off.I will be on some form of antirejection drugs the rest of my life but just after the operation is when there will be the highest concentration.I hope I havent bored you to pieces lol but sometimes i just "need" to talk of it.Maybe Im really talking to me,making it more real to me,sometimes it all feels surreal.In my heart I believe I will make it through all the way but sometimes late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, that fear creeps in and uncetainty once again is at the forefront.It is these times that I want to write,maybe its purging.Thanks for your ear and if you arent a donor think about being one.Drop me a line,let me know your thoughts,Im interested in what others think of transplantation.It used to be like science fiction to me until it became a reality in my life.Write ok?Deajvu777

I dont know a lot about blogs.I only know that it was my desire to write some here about what its like to be in need of a transplant.I suppose its the same for any organ,I need lungs or "A lung" or 2 lobes even.A person can live with only 2 lobes so I have read.We have 3 on the right side and 2 on the left.Seems the creator knew his stuff,had to leave room for that big old heart.I started down this road nearly 2 years after I was told I would need one.I suppose it was denial,did'nt want to think it was that serious.I now know without a doubt that without it or a miracle,its over.Transplant candidates are people who have an expected survival of 2 years or less.I have very good days where Im high on life and full of grattitude for time.Time seems precious when your uncertain about your future.I also wonder about the procedure itself,will I survive,how painful is it,how have others done,etc.I think I have read all the stories I could find on the net about transplant survivors.I do not like pity,I seek understanding,empathy,and most importantly truthfulness from others.That being said I wanted to be somewhat of a voice for others in need of organs and their plight,what they experience,thoughts,feelings,all of these things.I have been an organ donor since the program began,never knowing I was one day going to be in need.I am so certain nothing is left of the soul/spirit once the flesh dies that it wouldnt be important what was taken from the body.I believe we step right out of this body like stepping out of a suit into eternity, SO it never ocurred to me to do anything but donate.Out of the people on the waiting lists for lungs each year,something like one third receive.Many die waiting,I will not officially go on "THE LIST" until I have finsihed a battery of vaccinations,tests,heart catherization and others.These tests must be done because after transplantation your are put on immunosuppressant drugs to keep your body from rejecting the donated organ as it is perceived foreign to the body.If there were another illness or anything wrong in the body,your immune system could not fight it off.I will be on some form of antirejection drugs the rest of my life but just after the operation is when there will be the highest concentration.I hope I havent bored you to pieces lol but sometimes i just "need" to talk of it.Maybe Im really talking to me,making it more real to me,sometimes it all feels surreal.In my heart I believe I will make it through all the way but sometimes late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, that fear creeps in and uncetainty once again is at the forefront.It is these times that I want to write,maybe its purging.Thanks for your ear and if you arent a donor think about being one.Drop me a line,let me know your thoughts,Im interested in what others think of transplantation.It used to be like science fiction to me until it became a reality in my life.Write ok?Deajvu777

I mentioned briefy that I am a lung transplant candidate.I was told 2 years ago that my doc had talked to a transplant surgeon about me,I would'nt listen.She totally threw me a out in left field.I had just come home from the hospital on cloud nine because I finally got oxygen and I felt GOOD!No more panic attacks in the middle of something important in my daily life! Wow,I felt so good...how could this woman be telling me I needed new lungs?I was stunned.She must be wrong,she must mean later when I get really bad.And so I went along in my life I suppose in some kind of denial and funny, family follows suit.LOL..why shouldnt they?You tell them your ok and maybe its a future event,a possibility.So I rock along wondering why I had lost my passion for life.It was gone...ZIP it sprouted wings and flew away from me.I pondered life, my past,my future,I watched others live and wondered.I decided I needed a trip to revive me,back to New Orleans,God how that would do it.All my life I was enamoured (sp)of that town and once I went there ,I knew why.I went every chance I had.I went with a childhood friend in Feb of 2005 a week before Fat Tuesday.WRONG...it rained and rained.WE finally made it to the quarter the 4th day.I couldnt take it.I couldnt walk,couldnt breathe.I told my friend to go and walk the shops ,I waited.In short that trip made me realize I was sick.I landed in the hospital about a week after we came home and was there for about 10 days.OK Im more sick than I thought.Hell IM writing a novel STOP! Later ok?