Today it begins!

Today, Wednesday May 26th, 2010 I begin the next step in my journey. I was officially listed to get a double lung transplant today.

This morning, my dad, younger brother (older brother is sick, so was not able to make it!) and mom went to meet with one of the 5 surgeons who perform the surgery. He was very nice. He spent an hour with us, answered tons of questions. I kept looking at his hands the whole time to see if there were any shakes or twitches! haha (mine were trembling like crazy as I signed the five million places on all the sheets) Thankfully his hands were steady as a rock!

He gave me the odds of my death from this surgery from when i enter the hospital from when the time that I leave, meaning the recovery time, as well as the actual surgery itself. Based on my six minute walk tests, how far I am able to walk, my heart scans, my age, all my other testing etc. I have a 2% chance of death. 98% chance of surviving everything, all the pneumonia, infection, surgery itself, heart attack risks, everything afterward...sooo those are some prettyyyyy good odds my friends. At first I was like BAH in my head...because this surgeon was saying I have a 2% chance of dying...2% is still 2%!! but then you think about it, and really, that's nothing! You probably have a greater chance of getting hit while bicycling down the streets of Toronto then I do dying with this major life saving surgery.

I also signed on board for two research studies taking place. The ex-vivo lung check out the youtube link below! Created at TGH, they put the lungs in and are able to use what they once thought they weren't able to by the 'standard' system. They are even able to make the lungs breathe and cells rejuvenate by putting the lungs at room temperature again...it's still research, but maybe within in the next six months to a year, this ex vivo lung will become the 'standard' way to access lungs! I think I want my lungs to go through this process, rather then the regular way. haha


Another research study I signed the papers for was stem cell research. Them growing us our own lungs from our own stem cells. Hello? Yes please. I signed this thinkin' of my cystic cysta! L keep holdin' on so that they can grow you your OWN lungs one day baby!

How exciting eh? It's so sci-fi. We asked how long in to the future would that be? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 50 years? He said, more then 5...but not too far off. Exciting!

So I am extremly excited and am on pins and needles ALL the time...as essentially my call could come WHENEVER! One of my dear friends was over visiting tonight, (I love you Swin!!) and we are planning a trip to Ireland post transplant! I cannot wait for new lungs. I cannot wait to start re cooperating, and I cannot wait to start living life again!

I am afraid of waiting and getting more sick though.... I want to walk in just as I am right now, so I have the best odds, and the greatest chance of success. It's not fair that people die waiting for new lungs.

Organ donation is soo important. Please talk to your loved ones tonight, ask your co-workers, talk to everyone you know about their wishes for organ donation and send them this link! Why do they have to chose between the sickest people, and the non sick people, everyone should just get organs! It's not fair that we have to wait so long for new lungs, which makes the recovery process that much harder. Organ donation is too important. You can register by clicking here to become an organ donor in the Ontario database. Just download the form, pop in the mail and save a life one day, more then one life!

"Organ donation saves lives and is often the only treatment option for people with organs that are damaged through injury or disease and who would otherwise die.
Eye donation restores sight after disease, injury or congenital blindness.
Bone donation restores mobility and prevents amputation.
Hearts donated for heart valves repair birth defects in children and others.
Skin donation provides life-saving wound covering for burns.

Transplants not only save lives, they recapture productive lives. Outcomes continue to improve each year so more and more transplant patients are living enhanced, productive lives."