The Preparation for a Possible Lung Transplant

Within the next few weeks, I find out whether I made it to the Lung Transplant list or not...

It took a lot to get here.

Here was my medical schedule for the last few.

Use your mouse to scroll to see the full schedule.

Medical exams and interviews

Countless objects inserted into various parts of my body. Intrusions, intrusions, intrusions! But I am getting help from a number of disciplines in preparation for my possible surgery.

• Pulmonologists, Transplant infection specialists, Immunologists, Psychiatrists, Transplantation nurses, a Nutritionist, Speech Pathology, Social work, Financial coordinators to name a few.

If you look at my schedule above and go to Thursday 6/06/19, you will see what might have been the most important day of the process.

Ensuring support during the transplant process

Knowing that the transplant staff is concerned with the level of support and care you have and will receive, you are encouraged to bring your caretakers, friends, or anyone who will be involved in your recovery.

My son, daughter, and wife came with me to meet the members of their team while I introduced the members of mine.

We were walked through each and every step of the transplant process.

At each step, the staff clearly explained what would happen and answered all our questions.

Are lung transplants worth it?

And why go through all this? Are transplants worth it? The operation itself takes 12 hours and recovery is 2 and ½ weeks in the hospital, most of it in Intensive Care.

In a recent, informative article about transplants in The New York Times, written by Dr. Daniela J. Lamas, Ms. Sheila Favazza was interviewed about her experience in receiving a transplant and the subsequent impact on her life.¹

“Prior to the lung transplant she said, it seemed as though she spent all her time returning to the hospital for a clinic visit, a new scan or a procedure. (I know the feeling!)

But (now) she can run her daily errands without carting around her oxygen.

She no longer needs to worry when she can’t find a parking spot near a store entrance. After years without travel, she is planning a trip to Florida.”

‘It’s about being able to breathe and to do what you need to do,” she told me. Then she paused. “No — not just what you need to do, but what you want to do. Being able to do the little things, kids’ birthday parties, Easter. For me, it’s being able to do all of that again.’”

I know exactly what she’s saying.

A walk on the beach with my family, riding a bicycle...just walking into town without having to drag oxygen with me – that would make it all worthwhile.