In early November 2023, a friend had lung transplants. I met her through this blog and visited her home several times during our many May road trips. We talked a lot before and after her surgery, I tried to share everything I could think of that might help her through the process and recovery. After the surgery, we shared the profound feeling of gratitude for our new lungs.
What shocked me was how the process had changed in just three years since my transplants. The biggest change was when she was finally put on the transplant list, she was guaranteed a transplant in thirty days! Thirty days! I was waiting and waiting on the list for around 168 days, I think.
Also, when I was transplanted, it was required as standard practice to be within a year of death. It was a long recovery to regain my health after being so ill. She, on the other hand, had the surgery, left the hospital in a week, went to a rehab center connected to the hospital and began pulmonary rehab. Within three weeks of her surgery, she was doing 15-minutes on the treadmill, bike and another piece of apparatus. Last week, she just finished her required 90 day stint of post-transplant rehab.
Because she was not as weak going into the surgery, her recovery was much faster. Marvelous. I am looking forward to learning any other new procedures and processes.
I also want to offer to answer any questions you may have, dear reader. I promise to answer honestly, no matter how difficult.
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