Submitted by Laura on Mon,
02/11/2013 - 11:15am
Wow, has it been a whole
month since I've blogged?? Sorry, everyone! Let me fill you in.
After the last blog, I was released from the hospital on 1/16. I
went home for 2 days and on my check up appointment 2 days later, I was experiencing
pretty severe shortness of breath at home, and on 1/18, I was re-admitted to
the hospital with Acute Rejection (which can be cured by receiving very high
doses of steroids) and Humoral Rejection, which is kind of rare. Humoral
Rejection means that I received antigens from my donor lungs which prompted my
immune system to create antibodies to attack my new lungs, since they were
foreign in my body. To cure this, I had to receive a central line in my
neck and go through a process called plasmaphoresis. Basically, they hook
me up to a huge machine that filters the plasma out of my blood and it's
replaced by clean albumin. This process is done every other day or every
2 days. I had 6 sessions, plus 2 other injections that help fight the
rejection.
I was in the
hospital for this process for another month and discharged last weekend.
I was in the MICU, which are very small, dark rooms for a whole month.
I didn't go on the computer, I hated watching TV, I was very down...this
is why you guys didn't see a blog - I just was so stir-crazy I couldn't stand
it!!!!! Joe came down every day after work, even just to see me for 2
hours - such a good husband, I can't even express what a support he's been.
Selina came down a few times, which was a joy. No one else could
visit b/c they were all sick! But, I actually didn't want anyone to
visit, I was just so down. It was one of the hardest 2 weeks of my life.
I had so many set backs, I just felt like I couldn't take 1 more!
Well, finally I was
discharged last Saturday. The first couple days home was very hard,
trying to acclimate to my medicine/health schedule. I take upwards of 70 pills
a day, I still have my picc line and I infuse 1 IV antibiotic at home. Last
week, I went to the hospital 3 times for more outpatient plasmaphoresis and
some other injections. They pulled out my neck line on Friday, thank
goodness. First shower in 3 weeks!!!!!!!!! It felt sooooo good!!!!
This week, I have 2 doctors appointments. I feel like my biggest
success is since I was hospitalized my lung function continues to go up, so my
lungs are looking great in that respect. I am focusing now on staying
active at home and sticking to my tight schedule. Some accomplishments
include: cooking dinner, baking muffins, going on my first small outing without
oxygen, eating way better. I continue to look forward to do more and do
my treadmill longer!
I am finally getting a
taste of normalcy and I am loving it. After all I've been through, it
sort of already feels in my distant past. I can't really remember the
pain and suffering - it kind of just dissipates - I can think about it
happening to me, but I can't FEEL it anymore, if that makes any sense? I
see why people can go through 2nd transplants!!!
So that's the latest on
me. I am looking good, I just have a little bit of chipmunk face from the
steroids, but it's kind of cute, I suppose.
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I've already become excited
again for online shopping (eek), so I think that fact screams "I'm
better!" Excited for life again.....
Laura XO
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