Lisa

I have met a couple of people through this blog who have become lifelong friends. They are people struggling with an ILD and searching for information. One of these people is Lisa. Her horrific story begins with a rash, pneumonia within a week, released on oxygen from the hospital too early, grew sicker, kept seeing the doctor, no x-rays, no saturation levels checks and within the month, she was dying. She had developed Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and spent the next month in a medically induced coma. She awoke with a tracheotomy. Within 10 days, she was off the vent and was told she would make a full recovery. WRONG. Back into the hospital twice, it was discovered through a lung biopsy that the ARDS created scar tissue and permanent damage and she also developed an ILD. She was a very active person in her late 30s.

It has been a struggle but she has a fantastic support group around her.

Since knowing her, she has been in and out of the hospital and very ill. I worried a lot but she always was able to bounce back enough to get home. Due to the prednisone, she gained a lot of weight and could not meet the maximum weight requirements for transplants.

In one conversation, we wrote each other about one of the members of my ILD Support Group who was denied entrance into the transplant program at my university hospital. He applied to UCLA's program, was approved after having some coronary artery disease fixed, sold his house and moved, received a lung and is doing very well. Also, thanks to a male nurse at Stanford University, lungs are more available in California than in other states. He set up a system in all the hospitals and trained the staff to recognize appropriate donors. Lisa lives out of state but her mom lives near LA.

I just received word this morning that the staff at her hospital is working hard to get her a transplant at a hospital in California. There is hope. I am so thrilled for her.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She has been through so much and has such a wonderful spirit. I will keep you, dear Reader, posted on her progress.