Well, dear readers, today is the first anniversary of my lung transplants. It has been one heck of a year. I am feeling fantastic and remembering that I was so weak after the surgery that I could not roll over onto my side. Today, I can do almost everything.
A year ago, I knew I was not going to see another Christmas. It so was hard to ever decorate the tree. Taking it down was even more difficult. I spent a lot of time on the couch. This Christmas was magical. I over decorated!
Today. I never stop. I do everything I want and need to do. Making sure that we eat well having the food that I need to heal and build muscles, I cook dinner every night and even do the dishes. Michael still makes my coffee each morning and has added making breakfast. He still makes the bed everyday and even knows how to load the dishwasher. He has come a long way!
Still needing a cane, I am close to being able to walk without it. Physical Therapy still happens every week and I work out everyday. It is my goal to walk the coastal trail I used to walk so easily.
My lungs are healthy and good. I had low white blood cell counts and low platelets but that seems to be changing. On January 1, I got Covid. With luck, I was given the new Pfizer drug Paxlovid on the same day. After two days of a low fever, I awoke the third day feeling like my old self. I even tried to get up and pick up a few things. Michael pleaded with me to stay isolated for the 10 days and just cool my jets. I recovered with no issues.
With the Paxlovid, they remove my anti-rejection drug. YIKES! We had to drive to the city for blood tests every two to three days to watch the levels fall slowly. Apparently, the hard part is when the reintroduction of the Prograf happens too quickly, it can damage the kidneys and liver. What I didn't know was that I was the first of the lung transplant patients to receive this drug and so very grateful. Directing this experiment was the head pharmacist whom I later spoke with on the phone.
She chose me because my kidneys and liver were testing well and that I had no other issues other than the transplants. She said when she pulled the Prograf off of me, it was the hardest decision she made in her twenty-years. Lots and lots of stress. It was so successful that she is publishing a paper regarding my specific case and was already getting calls from other transplant clinic around the country for more information prior to the publication.
Michael ended up getting Covid but is now testing negative. The very bad news is that my 93-year old mom also got Covid and was in a hospital from January 3 until she was sent back to her assisted living facility on January 20. She was in total isolation at the hospital and is now in hospice. My sister will be visiting her tomorrow and we will meet afterwards. It is very sad and very difficult.
So, I made it to the first year. I am so grateful to the donor and the family for their very generous gift of life.
