UW LUNG TRANSPLANT SUPPORT GROUP

What Are YOU Doing These Days?

Keep us Updated as your "new" life unfolds! Almost everyone likes to hear what amazing (or not so amazing) things transplant recipients do with their lives after recieving this wonderful gift. In fact, many donor families enjoy keeping up with you also. Send us pictures and information about you and your family and we'll post them here to let everyone see how you are doing.

My double lung transplant was on Halloween of 2004. Recovery was quite difficult for about a month and a half and then I just seemed to thrive. I was a "meconium baby" and, as a result, suffered with breathing problems my entire life. I'm very blessed and amazed at my "new" normal. Most times when one goes through something traumatic, one's new normal is not as good as one's old, but mine is off the charts. I am able to do things I never dreamed of doing previously. I feel younger now than when I was in high school. I didn't know people breathed like this--I always thought one had to work at it. It is so exciting to me to have this gift of new lungs and so my goal is to really use them to the fullest.

After surgery, at about 6 months out, I competed in my first 5K. In 2009 I joined Team Transplant at the UWMC headed by Coach Alysun Deckert. With this team I have trained and completed two more 5K's (about 3 miles) and three Rock-N-Rolls half-marathons (13.1 miles). At my last 1/2 marathon in June of 2011, I was able to shave 16 minutes off my previous personal best. We are talking about a person who couldn't even walk to the mailbox on oxygen before surgery.

I attribute my doing so well to my faith which allows me to have such a positive attitude and to the great care of Dr. Mark Tonelli and Dr. Michael Mulligan. I am very grateful to my donor, my donor's family, and to God for this second chance, this miracle. Our Lung Transplant Support Group is an important part of my life. As a group, we are all so fortunate to have Angela Wagner as our facilitator, our social worker, our encourager, our advocate, and our friend.

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"I am doing well. My PFT’s are at 120% of expected. I am having some issues with my kidneys probably due to a combination of dehydration and Tacrolimus, as long as I drink a lot of water my kidneys seem to be ok. My lungs are great. I am able ot work in my yard and play with my grandchildren and pets.

If it wasn’t for the lung transplant I would never have met my grandchildren. They are wonderful and my life would be very empty if I didn’t have the ability to hug and run with them. Not that I run a lot, but I do wrestle with them.

Thank you all so much for all the support, and a chance at a new life. Can you add my new picture next to the old one so people can see the difference the transplant has made in my life. The visual is dramatic."

Looking great Jami! Thanks for the update.

Received: 9/9/2010 from Lonye Gwyn:

"I was transplanted on 11-24-07 and I still read this site because I love to see people get such an amazing gift that to me words can’t even explain. I am also encouraged by reading stories of people living with there [sic] new lungs and the length of time they have been blessed with them. I am sadden to see those with a short length of time but never the less what an amazing gift to have received! I guess I just wanted to share with others that I am doing well and that I am almost 3 years post. I have attached a photo of a vacation my wife and little girl took in May of this year. This trip would of never been possible if it wasn’t for my donor and UW."

Sorry Lonye, I had to crop your picture a bit! :-)