This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first successful lung transplant!
In 1983, Toronto General Hospital had its first long-term single lung transplant. It was the 45th transplant attempt at the hospital and the first to be a real success as the man (known forever as 'patient 45') lived for 6 years post-transplant compared to the 44 previous counterparts who only lived for than a few days or weeks.
I am beyond thankful that I live at a time and place where lung transplants are an actual possibility. There have been so many advances in medicine and science in the last 30 years that it is incredible the difference in the level of care one receives today compared to 30 years ago. Not even just for transplants, care has improved for people with CF or diabetes or heart conditions or cancer or pretty much everything.
Thirty years ago, lung transplants were still an experiment that were tried on a few people who were gutsy enough to try a breakthrough procedure. It is hard to say whether or not I would have been able to commit to that kind of procedure 30 years ago. I like having stats with the odds to be in my favor too much to imagine being confident in trying something completely new. At the same time, if I was facing my impending death and had no other choice, I might go for it. If someone offered me a chance to 3D print myself new lungs today, I would be all over that in a heartbeat.
It makes me wonder what incredible technology and medicine they will have 30 years from now. Obviously they should have perfected 3D organ printing that they will be able to print new organs (They have successfully printed a kidney). But will gene therapy be advanced to the point where it can eliminate the symptoms of CF? Will people with CF even need lung transplants anymore? Or will they have some new technology that I can't even fathom?
I have moments where I wish that science could hurry up and make their discoveries faster so I can take advantage of them while I have the chance. Then I feel bad for having a pity part because I'm sure the 44 people before 'patient 45' felt the same way or much worse. I can't complain when the first month post-transplant survival rate has gone from 50% in the 90's to 95% today. That is pretty damn good when you consider how hard it is to transplant lungs. We hear about transplants so much now that we barely think about
how amazing it is that we have the capability to take the incredibly
fragile delicate lungs out of one person and put them in the body of a
second person and have that person live for many years afterwards. Science is awesome.
So Happy 30th Anniversary lung transplants!
Here is the CBC article about Patient 45.
Read more about the history of the lung transplant
Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
Waiting Game: 1 Month.
I have been on the transplant list for 1 month today. I didn't think I was going to be counting the days but seeing as it is such a big part of my life, it is hard not to notice how much time has passed.
Here is a summation what is has been like on the transplant list in the last month:
- I have started wearing my oxygen when I go places. My oxygen saturation levels are still ok when I'm sitting around the house so I'm not on it 24/7 but if I am doing anything active (like walking around) than I should be wearing it. I've actually had a few people give me or offer to give me their seat on the bus which was excellent. What was not excellent was when some guy started smoking beside me while I was waiting for the bus as I have a (I feel rational) fear of oxygen + fire.
- While I realistically don't expect the call to happen for at least another few months, I am pretty obsessive about having my phone within reach at all times because you just never know. I realize this is partly irrational as the person making the call will also call Isaiah's phone and the pager but despite rationally knowing that, I still can't shake my panic every time I misplace my phone (which happens more than one would think).
- The first few nights I was listed, I woke up panicked every few hours that I had missed the call and had to check my phone before I could get back to sleep. I rarely do that anymore but I have had a few dreams about missing the call so obviously my subconscious is still worried.
- I still have a small adrenaline rush every time I get a call from a blocked or unknown number. I'm not sure if that will ever stop. The worse part is when they don't introduce themselves right away and have no idea that I am mildly freaking out on my end. The whole 'Hello?' 'Hello, is this Allison?', 'Yes', 'Hi Allison, how are you doing today?', 'Fine!...WHAT DO YOU WANT? ARE GIVING ME NEW LUNGS!?' conversation is frustrating every single time. They are always calling about something stupid too. Like a new credit card or bank loan they want to give me.
- Physiotherapy is going well, I am still going 3x/week. My intensity has been increased for cardio and I have been given bigger weights (woohoo 5 lb!). I appreciate that they are not letting me wimp out. The frustrating part about exercising is that my oxygen levels tend to drop before my body gets tired. I get super excited when I sweat (which sounds incredibly lame) because it means that my body has gotten tired before my lungs which is excellent as my lungs are pretty horrible.
- I met the transplant care doctor last week at my check-up appointment for the first time. I have appointments with the transplant team roughly every 3 months and with the CF team roughly every 6 weeks. Each appointment has me do a lung function test, weight-in, and blood pressure check. While I appreciate that they are super thorough, the appointments have been super repetitive and boring. Although that is probably a good thing as exciting appointments tend not to be good news.
- Every time I hear about someone who died in hospital or who was taken off life support, I now wonder who, if anyone, has gotten their organs. Then I feel like a horrible person for that being my first thought but I can't seem to help myself.
- While it sucks waiting for an unknown amount of time for a transplant, I am still doing and planning lots for the upcoming months (while knowing it could all be cancelled if I get the call). I'm trying to make the best of my situation by going to see as much as possible before I either a) get too sick to go or b) have the surgery and am stuck in the hospital. We are off to the zoo this weekend!
So pretty much, I'm doing fine and Toronto is treating me well while keeping me entertained (thank you Rob Ford). The weather has been fantastic so I am choosing to remain in denial that it will eventually get cold. All in all, for being stuck in Toronto, the last month has been pretty good.
Here is a summation what is has been like on the transplant list in the last month:
- I have started wearing my oxygen when I go places. My oxygen saturation levels are still ok when I'm sitting around the house so I'm not on it 24/7 but if I am doing anything active (like walking around) than I should be wearing it. I've actually had a few people give me or offer to give me their seat on the bus which was excellent. What was not excellent was when some guy started smoking beside me while I was waiting for the bus as I have a (I feel rational) fear of oxygen + fire.
- While I realistically don't expect the call to happen for at least another few months, I am pretty obsessive about having my phone within reach at all times because you just never know. I realize this is partly irrational as the person making the call will also call Isaiah's phone and the pager but despite rationally knowing that, I still can't shake my panic every time I misplace my phone (which happens more than one would think).
- The first few nights I was listed, I woke up panicked every few hours that I had missed the call and had to check my phone before I could get back to sleep. I rarely do that anymore but I have had a few dreams about missing the call so obviously my subconscious is still worried.
- I still have a small adrenaline rush every time I get a call from a blocked or unknown number. I'm not sure if that will ever stop. The worse part is when they don't introduce themselves right away and have no idea that I am mildly freaking out on my end. The whole 'Hello?' 'Hello, is this Allison?', 'Yes', 'Hi Allison, how are you doing today?', 'Fine!...WHAT DO YOU WANT? ARE GIVING ME NEW LUNGS!?' conversation is frustrating every single time. They are always calling about something stupid too. Like a new credit card or bank loan they want to give me.
- Physiotherapy is going well, I am still going 3x/week. My intensity has been increased for cardio and I have been given bigger weights (woohoo 5 lb!). I appreciate that they are not letting me wimp out. The frustrating part about exercising is that my oxygen levels tend to drop before my body gets tired. I get super excited when I sweat (which sounds incredibly lame) because it means that my body has gotten tired before my lungs which is excellent as my lungs are pretty horrible.
- I met the transplant care doctor last week at my check-up appointment for the first time. I have appointments with the transplant team roughly every 3 months and with the CF team roughly every 6 weeks. Each appointment has me do a lung function test, weight-in, and blood pressure check. While I appreciate that they are super thorough, the appointments have been super repetitive and boring. Although that is probably a good thing as exciting appointments tend not to be good news.
- Every time I hear about someone who died in hospital or who was taken off life support, I now wonder who, if anyone, has gotten their organs. Then I feel like a horrible person for that being my first thought but I can't seem to help myself.
- While it sucks waiting for an unknown amount of time for a transplant, I am still doing and planning lots for the upcoming months (while knowing it could all be cancelled if I get the call). I'm trying to make the best of my situation by going to see as much as possible before I either a) get too sick to go or b) have the surgery and am stuck in the hospital. We are off to the zoo this weekend!
So pretty much, I'm doing fine and Toronto is treating me well while keeping me entertained (thank you Rob Ford). The weather has been fantastic so I am choosing to remain in denial that it will eventually get cold. All in all, for being stuck in Toronto, the last month has been pretty good.
Monday, 4 November 2013
Good bye Joey
My sister had to put down her dog today. He was very old and lived a very happy life with her and the family but he will still be missed. I dog-sat him in March when she was on vacation and enjoyed taking him on small walks and cuddling with him while watching TV. I also made some art with him which was a mild disaster but amusing for us all, I'm sure he was especially impressed when I showered him off. (You can read more about it here)
Even though he was old, he still greeted us at the door with a wag of the tail and a little run in circles.He loved going on hikes and was always determined that he was going to keep up with the other dogs. and when he was younger, loved following the horses through the fields whenever we went horseback riding. He would find the best spot to sleep in front of the fire at my parents and every Christmas he would get buried in wrapping paper as he refused to leave his spot. Until he got his pig ear, then he would disappear behind a chair and growl to himself until it was gone. He was also a bed hog and would worm his way up to the pillow through the night subsequently kicking your face until you gave him more space. He may have been my sister's dog but we all loved him as our own.
We will miss you Joey.
Even though he was old, he still greeted us at the door with a wag of the tail and a little run in circles.He loved going on hikes and was always determined that he was going to keep up with the other dogs. and when he was younger, loved following the horses through the fields whenever we went horseback riding. He would find the best spot to sleep in front of the fire at my parents and every Christmas he would get buried in wrapping paper as he refused to leave his spot. Until he got his pig ear, then he would disappear behind a chair and growl to himself until it was gone. He was also a bed hog and would worm his way up to the pillow through the night subsequently kicking your face until you gave him more space. He may have been my sister's dog but we all loved him as our own.
We will miss you Joey.
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| Joey putting up with my nonsense. |
Sunday, 3 November 2013
Cooking: Jalapeno Poppers
As I have blogged very little about food for a blog that has 'Cooking' in the name, I thought I should stop slacking and have another food-themed post. Coincidentally, I actually made something interesting for supper tonight. Jalapeno Poppers! I made a batch last weekend when friends came over for supper and had to use up the jalapenos tonight before they went bad.
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| Step 1: Make delicious drink for energy |
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| Step 2: Cut and seed jalapenos (This takes the most time) |
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| Step 3: Make bread crumbs. I find the bread makes finer crumbs if toasted first. However, burning the bread is not a good method but I did discover that our smoke detector works. I was just testing it... |
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| Mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stuff into the jalapenos halves. |
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| Prepare bowls for batter and batter away! Bowl 1: flour, salt, pepper, garlic. Bowl 2: egg. Bowl 3: bread crumbs, paprika. |
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| Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy! Super delicious. This batch was much less-hot than last weekend. Last weekend almost every single one was crazy spicy. Is it because the peppers were slightly bigger? Or the peppers just wanted to burn people's throats last weekend? I have no idea. |
Friday, 1 November 2013
A musing about bucket lists, also Happy November!
Last night I listed to a documentary podcast about bucket lists. It was about this women who had this crazy untreatable cancer but who was currently in remission so she was feeling well enough to travel around and do all the things on her bucket list. It was super depressing and I only made it through half of it before dissolving into tears and switching to something a bit less death-related. (I really need to start doing a better job of weeding out the 'will in no way help with sleep' podcasts).
However, it did get me thinking about bucket lists and their purpose in people's lives and if it is really a good thing. I am not sure what I think about bucket lists. The pro-side would be that having a list of activities to accomplish would be helpful for some people to help them create goals in life and might motivate people to get off the couch and start making memories. It would give someone something to plan around or an excuse to take a trip that they have always wanted to take 'before it's too late'.
My concern would be that if a person made a bucket list and then became more ill ( it seems like people only make them when they get a terminal disease or realize they are reaching the end of their life expectancy) and weren't able to physically or financially complete the list , would they feel like they have let themselves down or feel regretful by not finishing the list? I feel like it could add extra stress or guilt to someone's death that no one needs. I hate unfinished lists so having a physical list of stuff I should have done before I died would stress me out. But I would be dead so maybe that is a moot point.
The other problem I have is what happens when you finish the list? Do you then stop trying new experiences and say that you have finished everything you can? I don't really like that either because no one should ever be finished learning or having new experiences.
Part of my problem is that I am partially perplexed by the notion of bucket lists because a) mine would be a mile long and I would have to be either incredibly rich or live a very long life to check everything off the list and b) making a bucket list seems a little redundant. I feel like I have taken many of the opportunities that arisen in my life (not all but many) that I don't know how a list of ideas would have helped.
Maybe it is all about just knowing the importance of living knowing that no one is guaranteed that they will have 'next year' to take that crazy trip or jump out of the plane or try the new restaurant or read that book or learn an instrument or whatever. Although, if everyone lived according to that philosophy, no one would have a savings account or try to better their lives for the future. So maybe that is not a good life philosophy.
Hmmm, I guess the middle ground is that it is good to have goals in life and things you want to achieve which is where a bucket list would help but at the same time, if you die before getting the chance to complete everything you want, that doesn't mean you have failed.
I thought writing out my mixed feelings about bucket lists would help me come to some sort of conclusion but that has proven to not be the case. Maybe that is what I get for not listening to the second part of the podcast. Anyone else have any thoughts about bucket lists?
However, it did get me thinking about bucket lists and their purpose in people's lives and if it is really a good thing. I am not sure what I think about bucket lists. The pro-side would be that having a list of activities to accomplish would be helpful for some people to help them create goals in life and might motivate people to get off the couch and start making memories. It would give someone something to plan around or an excuse to take a trip that they have always wanted to take 'before it's too late'.
My concern would be that if a person made a bucket list and then became more ill ( it seems like people only make them when they get a terminal disease or realize they are reaching the end of their life expectancy) and weren't able to physically or financially complete the list , would they feel like they have let themselves down or feel regretful by not finishing the list? I feel like it could add extra stress or guilt to someone's death that no one needs. I hate unfinished lists so having a physical list of stuff I should have done before I died would stress me out. But I would be dead so maybe that is a moot point.
The other problem I have is what happens when you finish the list? Do you then stop trying new experiences and say that you have finished everything you can? I don't really like that either because no one should ever be finished learning or having new experiences.
Part of my problem is that I am partially perplexed by the notion of bucket lists because a) mine would be a mile long and I would have to be either incredibly rich or live a very long life to check everything off the list and b) making a bucket list seems a little redundant. I feel like I have taken many of the opportunities that arisen in my life (not all but many) that I don't know how a list of ideas would have helped.
Maybe it is all about just knowing the importance of living knowing that no one is guaranteed that they will have 'next year' to take that crazy trip or jump out of the plane or try the new restaurant or read that book or learn an instrument or whatever. Although, if everyone lived according to that philosophy, no one would have a savings account or try to better their lives for the future. So maybe that is not a good life philosophy.
Hmmm, I guess the middle ground is that it is good to have goals in life and things you want to achieve which is where a bucket list would help but at the same time, if you die before getting the chance to complete everything you want, that doesn't mean you have failed.
I thought writing out my mixed feelings about bucket lists would help me come to some sort of conclusion but that has proven to not be the case. Maybe that is what I get for not listening to the second part of the podcast. Anyone else have any thoughts about bucket lists?
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