My Miracle Transplant Journey, Pt. 2
Thanks to all who helped me become a one-in-a-million survivor!
One year ago I received a phone call at 10pm requesting that I come to Tampa General Hospital immediately for my double-lung transplant.
This sounded crazy, since I was only placed on the UNOS transplant list 4 days prior and told to expect the wait time could be months or over a year!
Why did I urgently need a double-lung transplant? In April 2021, Covid-19 brought on pulmonary fibrosis, which transformed me from an active 68-year-old to a couch potato who required oxygen to walk across the room.
Part One of my miraculous double-lung transplant story explains my near-death encounter in the middle of the heroic 18-hour surgery and the details of my experience at TGH during the 36-day hospital stay.
Then came the amazing TGH outpatient care team — each one gracious, patient and cheerful — lovingly urging me to follow the all-important post-transplant survival protocol and make the best of the challenges I faced.
Recently I was curious. So I researched how many of 334 million total U.S. population caught COVID-19. The WHO reports 103 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S. And how cases many required a lung transplant?
According to UNOS, which reports data on transplant volumes in the U.S., “Since October 2020 a total of 364 lung transplants for COVID-19 have been reported…almost 10% of the entire U.S. lung transplant volume.”
So I’m 1-in-a-million total Americans… and 1 in 282,967 Americans that caught COVID-19 who required a lung transplant. How very blessed I am NOT be one of the 1.1 million U.S. COVID-19 deaths! (7 million worldwide!)
Yes indeed, I am SO grateful to everyone who helped me along my road to recovery this past year — doctors, nurses, family, friends, co-workers and most of all, the donor family and our gracious, loving God.
Since last August my recovery has been steady and gradual. My daughter Grace has been my primary caregiver — cooking countless meals, doing errands, helping transport me to the hospital weekly and encouraging me to do daily exercises to get back in shape. I’m now walking 2–4 miles a day, swimming laps daily and plan to resume biking and kayaking this year.
Also offering great moral support in my new life in Sarasota has been my granddaughter Bella and husband Cody, who together successfully launched Bella’s Pet Grooming salon last August, which is now thriving.
My other three daughters Jen, Beth and Braida have all been a great inspiration as well. In fact, several of my girls, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are now planning to relocate to Florida this next year! I can hardly wait!
Swiss America, the investment firm I’ve consulted with since 1986, has also been amazingly supportive this past year, shifting most of my writing responsibilities to others within the firm, allowing me time to heal, write new stories and becoming involved in several volunteering efforts in 2023.
In January 2023, I began teaching at a local senior center a class on Telling Your Life Story and was able to complete my own autobiography in just eight weeks! (free workbook). I am currently teaching a this class at a local church and Independent Living facility and will begin teaching classes at a local A.C.E. college this Fall.
All in all, it has been a very transformational year! I can hardly keep my enthusiasm contained for this new season of life, so I also enjoy visiting local coffee houses and open mic night’s in the area frequently to share my humble Blissful Ballads songs, as well as writing a few new songs this year.
Wherever I go, I am both mindful and prayerful of those facing major health challenges and the dedicated healthcare professionals who serve.
There is a ever-growing need for more transplant donors, so I’ve also become a volunteer Ambassador for UNOS, the non-profit national transplant facilitating agency, to help get the word out.
Thankfully, my doctors tell me my transplant could extend my life by 10–20 years, although the national average is about 6.6 years. If you or a loved one are considering becoming an organ donor or transplant recipient, go for it!
