Another Week

Well, another week has passed and we are still on the list but have not gotten a call. I know, I know, be patient…. and I really am trying to be….. but it is so hard after we have been here so long already.

But I will be patient and wait until they have a good match for me and I am the next in line. I would not want to take lungs from someone who needs them more than I do. There are some folks here who have a much more severe problem than I do.

On another note, we have gotten some much needed rain this week as I hope others have as well. One side affect of one of our rains (a bad storm actually) was a power outage Tuesday that seemed as if it may last a while. Needless to say we got concerned because of my oxygen concentrator. So we went to a hotel for the night just to be safe. Had to find one that was pet friendly but that didn’t take long. There was one right down the road in Chapel Hill that was pretty nice. The fur babies did not know how to act but they were very good. Others in the hotel bragged on how well behaved they were.

I had a very good week at the fitness center. Showing quite a bit of. improvement finally!! And my weight is holding its own at 112.

That is it for this week.Hope everyone has a good weekend!!

Weekly Update

Well, we have not gotten a call yet to go to the hospital. Our coordinator told us that I have one weird antibody that may cause it to take a little longer than usual to get a match for me. I am okay with that as long as I get a match!! But I am ready to go!!

Everyone and I do mean everyone, has been so supportive. It is so hard to put into words how much I appreciate all the kindness and caring that everyone has shown and continues to show. And I know all the prayers will help me get through all of this successfully!!

Hope everyone has had and will continue to have a great weekend! Enjoy and get all rested up for another fun filled week!!

Hurray!! Good News!!

I promised a mid-week blog update if anything changed and it has!!

I am on the list for a double lung transplant – finally – at last!!

No idea how long this part might take. I have an antibody issue that may cause it to take a little longer to find a match, but at least now they are looking out for me.

We promise to keep everyone posted as things change but at the very least I will continue a weekly update for now. Bless you all for the prayers and encouragement and KEEP IT COMING!! I still have to continue working out and keep the weight at 105 or more. So my work is not done….

Again, thank you all!!

Our Weekly Update

This week has gone pretty well. Went to rehab every day that I could. Their air conditioner broke down one day and we were sent home (thank goodness!!). And I had clinic appointments almost all day on Friday. I am improving a lot in most of the exercises. The one thing that is still slow coming back is walking. My breathing is just not strong at all.

One of my appointments was just a follow up from all the pneumonia/infection excitement that we have had. Had a chest xray but do not know the results of that yet. Hope to hear something tomorrow. Doctor indicated that she thought I was doing well. She also indicated that I am discussed at each of their Tuesday committee meetings on who gets listed. That makes me feel that I am not being forgotten or overlooked!

I also had a test Friday afternoon that I have never heard of. It is called an EMG and is a test for your muscle and nerve health. This is the test that was ordered after they saw an abnormality in a blood test for my muscles that one of the doctors ordered a couple of weeks ago. Don’t know the results of that either but the two doctors who conducted the test were surprised at my arm and leg strength. One thing that Charley and I have decided is to not get our hopes up about being listed, but to be surprised when it happens!!

On a happier note, Charley and I went car shopping yesterday and came home with a Honda CR-V. I drove it home and what a smooth ride compared to our Super Duty Ford truck!! It will also get much better fuel mileage driving back and forth to Duke every day and will also be easier to park. We are going to need it after we get through my transplant and get to go back home as well. I will be having to come back to Duke for monthly checkups for a while, then quarterly, etc. We had already decided that we would not drag the 5er back and forth for this. We will also be able to tow it, if we need it for any of our trips later.

Stay tuned everybody and keep those prayers coming!! We will be doing a special post when we do get listed!!

We Get Recognized Almost Everywhere We go!!

You know what? We have been here in Chapel Hill / Durham too long!! We get recognized at the clinic, at restaurants, at grocery stores, at Walmart, etc….. almost everywhere!!! Guess that means we have been here too long. But that is okay, it is fun to be recognized! (They might all have a hard time recognizing me after I get my new lungs!!)

This past week has been a good one. I got out of the hospital on Monday afternoon, feeling pretty good about the progress made on my infection. Started back with the pulmonary rehab group on Tuesday. Did okay. Off Wednesday for the fourth so we tried to get rested up from the hospital stay (no sleep while there to speak of – constantly being waked up). Back with rehab on Thursday and Friday and I improved both days.

Still taking antibiotics and will be for almost 2 more weeks. I am also on increased steroids (prednisone) for a few more days. I hope that this will not impede my rehab progress but so far they do not seem to be having an affect.

I will be going back for a checkup and tests to make sure all is well on Friday, 7/13. My plan is to have a good report from rehab when I go. I seriously doubt that they will list me before I have finished all of these medications (the antibiotics should be finished around the 20th).

So this is where we are with my health situation. I do have to brag on Charley again though. He continues to take very good care of me and our two fur babies every day. I love him with all of my heart and soul. And it goes without saying that Cheyenne and Sadie love him dearly too!!

It would be nice if all you folks out there would add two of our new friends to your prayers. Both had their transplants recently and they are having some issues. Their names are Olin and Lonnie. Lonnie had a double lung transplant plus heart surgery. Olin had a double lung transplant. They both seem to be improving but all those prayers do help!!

Well, that gets us all caught up with the world of Sherry & Charley right now. Thank you for all the great comments you have been sending our way. Prayers, hope, and, encouragement always help keep spirits up and keep us fighting hard to accomplish what we are setting out to do.

Quick Update from Chapel Hill

I am so sorry that I did not have a chance to update our blog over the weekend.

Thursday afternoon my doctors from the transplant team decided that I needed to check in at Duke Hospital’s Emergency Room and possibly be admitted. Trying to diagnose and treat me via emails and called in prescriptions simply was not working. We proved that after two rounds of antibiotics!!

So late Thursday afternoon off we go to the ER!! Well, I was admitted and spent the evening in ER waiting on a room. In the meantime they did a chest xray and CT Scan to get pictures of my current situation. Finally got a room and was moved at 12:30AM.

The team got started fairly early on Friday trying to diagnose and treat my lingering infection. To be honest, on Friday and Saturday I was not sure that there was any improvement. But, Sunday was a different story!! I actually walked 10 laps around the hospital floor (they told us that would be about 1/2 mile). I didn’t do this all at one time but did it in groups of 2, 4, 2 and 2. Then, this morning I walked 5 laps in two sessions.

And when the doctors made their rounds today they decided to let me go home!! Joy!!!!

So I am back at home now and feeling so much better! Will be going to rehab tomorrow, off for the fourth and then back at it on Thursday.

So now I am feeling very much like I can finally get on the road to a full recovery and get my rehab back up to par so that I can get listed. I have not weighed yet but do not feel that I lost very much, if any, weight. They kept up with my feeding tube requirements while I was in the hospital.

So, hopefully within the next 2-3 weeks we will finally see me getting listed for my new lungs!!

Thanks to all of you who keep saying those big and little prayers for me out there. It is helping!!

Stay tuned!!