A breath of fresh air!

[Codz]

Get well soon, and have a good weekend!

 

[n122vu]

Wishing you all the best, David. Hoping you continue to recover quickly & feel better soon!

 

[Aeadar]

You handle adversity with grace and good cheer. More than I could muster, I'm afraid.

Hang in there, Bud!

 

[Ghostrider]

Break a leg!

Someone else's, of course. Oh, wait, I'll do it for you. Where did I put my crowbar...

 

[blixel]

I thought I would drop by this thread again and give another update. Organ transplant is a pretty big deal, so I think a lot of people find this topic interesting.

As dgatsoulis pointed out in post #103, I had to go back for another operation in early February to have part of my right lung removed. When I got the news, I was really bummed out. I mean - I just had new lungs put in 8 months prior, and they were already having to cut part of it out?

However, I'm happy to report that in the 6 weeks since that surgery, I feel more or less completely restored. I had a Pulmonary Fitness Test two weeks ago, and the results were very encouraging. For my height, weight, and gender, some parts of my PFT were actually above normal. (Though other aspects are slightly below normal.) But it was a very positive report over all.

I went in for another bronchoscopy yesterday (at this point, I've lost track of how many of these I've had - at least 8, perhaps 10). There was a bit of discouraging news from the doctor with regards to the diameter of my bronchial tubes. The normal diameter is 8mm, and my bronchial tubes are 4mm on one side, and only 2mm on the other. So it looks like I'll be going back in for another procedure to try and get that resolved. Apparently the way the scar tissue has been healing after transplant is causing the airwaves to collapse, or tighten up and become constricted.

So the road to recovery has not been perfect, but I feel great, and I'm confident that this will all me a memory soon enough.

I went out into my backyard this afternoon and took this picture. Cheers!

 

[Loru]

Hope everything go up from now on.

Best wishes.

 

[JSwift]

I suppose one can expect ongoing issues with something as major as organ transplants but it's still unfortunate to have them come up. It is encouraging to hear your doctors are on top of it, identifying the issues and providing solutions.

Keep up the good spirits; we're all behind you.

 

[Tycho]

Great to hear you're doing well besides a few hangups here and there. In the mean time, playing Orbiter is a great way to pass the time when recovering from a procedure...

I had a leg fracture several years ago that required surgery, which is trivial in comparison to what you've been through; anyway, I learned how to fly to the surface of the Moon and back from start to finish. But, I digress. Good luck with everything and heal up quickly.

 

[Proximus]

Great to hear you are feeling well, I'm sure the only way is up (and out of the atmosphere) from now on. :thumbup:

 

[garyw]

There are a lot of selfies out on the internet but I think this one is a lot more important that those others because of what Blixel has been through and it's great to see you looking so well! Keep us informed of how things go.

 

[Donamy]

Thanks for the update, been praying hard for you.

My wife goes in for more surgery, on April 1st (no joke), All prayers welcome.

 

[garyw]

Thanks for the update, been praying hard for you.

My wife goes in for more surgery, on April 1st (no joke), All prayers welcome.

All the best for you both Donamy.

 

[Interceptor]

Hang in there Buddy,I hope all the best for you,and Donamy.

 

[Koloss]

Good to see that you are well blixel! I hope that the rest of your lung will now be a fixed component in your body! :thumbup:

 

[MattBaker]

"Last time he looked quite skeletal, hope he looks better...Whoa, he looks fine, I would say even normal."

Yeah, congratulations on your (partial) recovery. The changes you witness every day might be minuscule though steady but only following this thread shows huge progress with every update.:thumbup:

 

[Ripley]

Hi David. Always a lesson from you.
It makes me feel so happy to see and read how strong you are.
Really, it is the only way to go when facing life's harshness...there's no choice but to stand tough and say "I'm the strongest".
Besides, it helps doctor's workload big time.

All the best to you and your family.

And Donamy, all the best to you and your wife too.

 

[blixel]

Hello everyone. I'll keep this short, but I wanted to let everyone know that today (June 23rd, 2014) is my 1 year double lung transplant anniversary! It has been quite an experience, but I'm happy to be here 1 year later reporting that everything is going well.

My pulmonary function tests are showing that my lung functions are doing very well. My blood results are showing that my medications are working and are not overloading my kidneys. And otherwise, my own day-to-day experiences are showing that I'm healthy and happy.

I'm also excited to let everyone know that I'm back in school, taking classes full time working toward my degree in Information Technology. I started summer classes on May 14th and have already registered for fall. It's a very long road ahead, but it's a path I'm happy to be on!

1 year photo - feeling healthy!

 

[andochoa]

Hi David, since I log-in sporadically, the news from your transplant went unnoticed to me until today.
I will not miss the occasion and say that does us all good to hear from you and how you feel, and that you've dared to share with us your photos in such a hard time, actually allows us all to support you and be with you (even if only for telepresence) and make you the center of all our collective strength (maybe Eywa Pandora style).
Maybe it's time to consult your physical therapist about running or even swimming, so you can improve the functioning of your lungs.
Giving to you my best wishes, Andres Ochoa.

 

[Swigert]

Best of luck and a quick and flawless recovery man!

 

[Ripley]

Godspeed and Happy Re-Birthday David!
:thumbup: