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Health Update: First transplant appointment

This week I had my first appointment at the transplant center. I was so nervous! I don’t know why as I knew it was pretty much a meet-and-greet and all they would do was a six-minute walk and pulmonary function tests – but still, there’s a lot riding on this!

I think the appointment went as well as it could have! My pulmonary function tests were unchanged. Actually the numbers were up a tad, but within the margin of error so officially it is unchanged. Still, I like being on the upper end of that margin more than being at the lower end. My six-minute-walk was pretty much what I knew it would be. I just did one for pulmonary rehab and I walk all the time, so wasn’t expecting any major issues there.

I was thrilled that I got to see Dr. Nathan. He runs the lung transplant program, and I know him from the American Thoracic Society. I’ve taken his class on diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis (not for CMEs since I’m not a doctor) several times. I’ve been joking with him for years that I was coming his direction and I would be his patient one day. Grin!

I have my next appointment with the transplant center in three months. In the meantime, I have a LOT of tests and specialist appointments to get done – about 17 assuming no new issues arise.

I was thrilled that they are willing to start the work up because I haven’t met my weight loss goal yet. Often centers want you to be at least closer to the goal before they start doing all of these tests.

I think that is as well as the appointment could have gone. It was exhausting even though mostly we sat in waiting rooms. It did give Ryan and I a chance to talk a lot. Ryan even got to come home with me and play with Finley a little bit. I was really happy about that. I want Finley to know who he is just in case Ryan needs to let someone in to take care of him etc.

The crazy thing is that when Dr. Nathan told me I was in the range of test results that they do consider for lung transplant, it sort of hit me between the eyes. I guess it just makes it more real. Still, that is the reason I’ve moved and the reason I’m there. I know I’m in that range. I wasn’t even thinking that I hoped he’d say I’m not there yet because I know I am, and I know how quickly things can change. I wasn’t expecting to react like that.



Please keep us in your prayers. This process is going to be very hard on my family as well as me.
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