Dry Run

All I can say is that the month of December has flown by so quickly and with it the end of 2010. Wow. It's been a pretty tough month for me when I started my usual tune-up for a CF related exacerbation on December 1st. I went into my usual hospital at UCSD Thornton. Everything was going smoothly until the morning of December 9th. I was just finishing up my CPT and my friend and RT was in the room with me and my phone rang. I said oh I better take that just in case, because it's an LA number. And sure enough it was USC saying that they may have lungs for me! They also said that I am second in line for them, but they still needed me at USC since I lived so far away. I thought to myself, well okay it's just like standby. Everyone on 2 West were so supportive and sweet. I could fee all their love before I was sent off in the ambulance to USC. Nurses, respiratory therapists, doctors and staff were giving me hugs and saying they love me. Their love so moved and touched me. I was so overwhelmed with excitement that my skin was covered in goose flesh for at least an hour. It felt surreal, waving to everyone on the gurney as the EMTs wheeled me away. At the same time it felt like it was meant to be, and I came to the belief that I could very possibly be getting new lungs that very day! It was an emotional roller coaster. It was a three hour drive by ambulance to USC. I was taken immediately to an ICU room where I was assessed and met with several doctors. After some miscommunication, we finally were told by the nurse that I wouldn't be getting the lungs that evening. I was eventfully given a dinner tray and was moved to a regular room. The next day a doctor said that one of the lungs was damaged, so the single healthy lung went to a different patient, as I am waiting for two healthy lungs. Then another doctor came into my room and told me a couple of days later, that the lungs had been my perfect match. You can imagine how I must have felt when the doctors obviously were not communicating well with one another by telling me different things. I was more than a little annoyed and anxious. I also think that it was my first time being there as a patient and getting used to a new hospital system and etc didn't help matters. My blood pressure was sky high and the doctors kept asking me if this was normal for me. I almost wanted to laugh, but I kept saying that it's just situational. And it did eventually get better. Normally the transplant team would have sent me home within 24 hours, but I was already an inpatient at the other hospital for my CF related exacerbation, so that changed things up a bit. I stayed at USC until 14th and went home on IV antibiotics. I was so very happy to be home and be able to sleep in my own bed and before Christmas too! I just finshed those antibiotics a week ago and am still feeling congested and lungs feel tight. Oh well. On a good note, I used the elliptical machine for about five minutes the other day! Yay! Overall I am looking forward to the new year and the promise of new lungs! We're going to spend New Year's Eve at home, maybe some sparkling cider or hot apple cider since it so cold out there right now. That's all the plans we have for now. It could always change of course. Here's to a healthy & happy new year!