Much to our surprise and delight, the wait for a donor lung magically appeared on Sunday July 3rd, 2011. I got the call that we had expected to wait at least months for and maybe years. A donor was identified; head to the UW Medical Center immediately; less than 4 weeks after I made the wait list.
On July 4, 2011, I received a left lung transplant and I am currently recovering at the hospital. The recovery road has been rocky so fair. An elevated white blood cell count is the current challenge, along with an oddity called subcutaneous emphysema. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subcutaneous_emphysema). This little gem is a air leak likely in the transplant site somewhere, that allows air to build up behind the skin. In my case, this caused my face and neck to swell to monsterous proportions. It's not life threatening into itself, but does indicate a complication the surgery team is trying to resolve.
I'm on strong antibiotics, immunosuppressives of all sorts, antifunguls, vitamins and other drugs to offset the side effects of the other drugs. My spirits are good, but I'm looking forward to going home, once we get past the current batch of challenges.
I'll will continue to blog as energy levels permit. I'm worn out right now and need a nap. ;-)
