I fell off the blogging wagon as soon as I got home from my transplant surgery. I apologize for not keeping you updated, but it's been a whirlwind of a time and I'm only now getting my head around it all. Truthfully, I don't know if I will ever get my head around this new life and this whole experience of surgery, recovery and ultimately, a new me. The medical team can only prepare you so much for what is to come. They can't tell you how it will pan out or how you will feel about the experience.
We made it through a wonderful Thanksgiving and my mom, Tom and I were rolling into December with our heads held high. I had finished home IVs and was going to regular clinic appointments, getting blood work and X-rays as ordered by the doctors. I was even given the opportunity to see my old lungs. The hospital keeps the old lungs for a couple of months to do research on them. They also give patients the opportunity to see and inspect their old lungs. It's not something you can do if you have a weak stomach, but I truly loved it. I was able to touch them and even squeeze some mucus out of them. I apologize for the gross nature of that sentence, but I was fascinated my them. They were truly sick lungs and I just kept wondering how any air was getting in and out of them. Each airway was filled with mucus and very thick mucus at that. I will add pictures to the end of this post if you would like to see what my old lungs looked like at the end of their life.
