Moving Right Along

Okay, I got a phone call this afternoon that there's a cancellation and I can be assessed next week for transplant. I spent the next hour wandering around the house, pumped full of adrenaline, trying to get used to the idea. See, I was originally told that the next available slot was mid-January. I told the pre-transplant coordinator that I was always available and this is my priority... and voila, here's a short-notice opportunity! It's great to be able to do the assessment while I am feeling good and recently off IVs, but I didn't imagine it would be so soon! I feel like I've been caught off guard, but this is good news and I'm happy about it!

Now to back up a little bit...

My transplant journey started on June 25th when my CF doctor sent a referral letter to the Transplant Centre closest to where I live. Three months later on September 24th was the next step… meeting one of the doctors for my initial appointment. This was an opportunity for my support person (my husband) and I to “discuss the possibility of lung transplantation.”

Before the meeting even started I had low blood sugar, so my husband went to find me a chocolate bar. Of course, that’s when we were called in. Wonderful first impression- me light-headed and my husband gone to find a vending machine.

The meeting started with a brief review of my history, then the doctor talked about the program, and then we had a chance to ask our questions. My CF history is rather boring until this year. Since Christmas I have been treated with IVs five times, went on oxygen, got a port, and saw my PFTs (FEV1) dip under 30%.

My husband and I left the meeting feeling pretty good about things. The doctor spoke highly of the program and their stats are well above the international average. They do 38-47 lung transplants per year, which is quite respectable. The most important tidbit we left with was that this IS the right time for me. I am in the window. My lungs are crappy enough but my body is still healthy enough. If your lungs aren’t bad enough, the surgery is hardly worth the risk. If your lungs are bad and your body is too weak, recovery can be compromised. It was reassuring that other doctors can review my medical records and confirm that this is it. There isn’t time to procrastinate and let more exacerbations take their toll.

Good thing I am moving right along!