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| Guess who did the calligraphy? ;o) |
This has been a crazy process, filled with meetings with cardiologists, surgeons, social workers, pulmonologists, and others. Yesterday's meeting with the transplant coordinator was pretty scary, because she talked a lot about post-surgical complications that might keep Trish in Houston for longer than the average three months it takes the optimal transplant patient to recover. Today's heart catheterization was the last big test of the week. Afterwards, Trish had to lie on her back for six hours without coughing, which for somebody with CF is a huge challenge. But even as I write this, she's being discharged... and hopefully she'll be home tomorrow afternoon with her darling Kevin and beloved doggies!
Like 95% of other potential transplant patients, Trish will need at least one more test, in addition to all those done in Houston this week. She has a little sinus issue that must be cleared by her ENT, and that will likely be done back in Austin early next week.
The review board, which consists of about 20 doctors and healthcare professionals, will meet next week, probably Tuesday, to discuss her case and test results. At the end of the meeting, they'll contact Trish with one of three decisions:
- YES: If the board decides that Trish is a viable candidate for transplant, we'll relocate to Houston right away. As soon as we move to Houston, Trish will be listed formally, and she will also receive an allocation number, which designates her position on the list of people who are waiting for lungs.
- TABLE: The board might decide to table her transplant at this time, for any one of several reasons -- she could need more testing, for example. Or they might decide she's actually too healthy for a transplant, which seems unlikely, but it's possible.
- NO: Some people are simply rejected as good candidates for lung transplant. Generally, this happens when doctors determine they have serious problems with other organs, or when they're unlikely to survive the transplant surgery or recovery, or to comply with the strict rules for survival that all transplant patients must follow for the rest of their lives. Again, none of this seems to apply to Trish... but it's possible.
Trish's birthday is May 26. Wouldn't it be terrific if she got a new set of lungs, just in time to celebrate? She says that is her wish! The average wait time for donor lungs is three months, though it could be as long as a year. (Or it could be a matter of DAYS. One of her friends got new lungs just nine days after being listed. Let us all hope and pray that it happens quickly for our Trish!)
One more thing, and it's the most important thing. Trish asked me to THANK YOU, all of you, so many of you, for your thoughts and prayers and kindness and financial donations and offers of lodging, airline mileage, and everything else. If you've mailed her a check or made a donation through her YouCaring website, please remember that she might not respond right away, if at all. That does not mean she is ungrateful -- we all know Trish better than that! It simply means she's trying to stay strong and healthy enough to survive the transplant. (For Trish, just staying healthy is a more time-consuming process than you can imagine.) She's also investigating all that she needs to do and learn before and after the surgery. And oh, yes -- she's also getting ready to move to Houston! Please forgive her if she doesn't respond, but know that she is humbly grateful for your friendship and support and love.
Much aloha from Caroline
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| Cousins!!! Caroline on the left, Trish on the right. |
Welcome to Texas, Caroline, and I hope her sinus thing is not a result of the awful spring pollen season we're having in the Houston area (maybe Austin, too?) Crossing my fingers for everything to work out.
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