ut southwestern lung transplants Archives

Zale Lipshy University Hospital is one of the world’s premier neurological diagnostic and treatment centers. Randy was moved there today! One step closer to home. We are so excited that he has come so far! He was being tremendously hard on himself, but he now has more understanding of how terribly ill he was, and how far he has advanced. I haven’t been to Zale yet, but plan to go tomorrow. I don’t know what his schedule will be like yet, but I imagine he will be very busy. I am in the process of scheduling the remainder of the transplant classes, pharmacy classes and nutrition classes that we both need to attend.

The house is really coming together: I have gone through every cabinet, every drawer in the kitchen, laundry room, garage, living room and master bedroom….I am culling ruthlessly, and everything looks almost empty. The new gas logs went into the fireplaces today, so we have beautiful fires (which Randy and I both love) with no smoke. Clean burning so no worries for Randy, but they are a surprise for him so shhhh! I have purchased battery operated candles as well (they look pretty realistic and have timers). New floors, garage cleaned out, new drywall, fresh paint, and will be scrubbed spotless. New blinds installed on Thursday, everything designed to lessen the amount of dust in the house. Wes and Carisa leave for Austin (their intended home) on Wednesday morning, so the house will down to me, Luke, Lucy, and during the day, Remy, Ally’s dog. And of course, all the people working on the house!

376832_4402132535504_511398844_n — Randy and I with Lyn and Mark

I have been exhausted. My friend Lyn and I went to our joint birthday dinner Friday night, to RISE no. 1, a fabulous souffle restaurant off of Lover’s Lane, and I could barely stay awake long enough to get home (my artichoke, Nicoise Salad and Pumpkin souffle were amazing). The next morning I had to go to the bank with my brother to do some business for my mom’s estate, and I was almost afraid to drive home, the exhaustion was so pervasive. I haven’t made myself slow down….I did have a massage, but I have been so focused on getting the house ready for Randy to come home I haven’t taken enough time for myself or for my emotions. I’ve had a few cry sessions, but I could use a couple more.

So, Sunday I rested, and at 430p-630p I did a yoga class at The Mat, in Dallas, a special class to deepen one’s practice. It also includes basic yoga philosophy. The teachers, Samantha Martin and Becky Strahan, are incredible people. Gentle, thoughtful, and as we say in “yogi”, mindful. I have done yoga since the 90s, when my back started to become worse and worse, and I was more and more limited as to my usual activities. It has been my Physical Therapy and in no small part, my emotional therapy as well. I have long studied yogi philosophy and sought to apply it to my life, and I have studied in some depth the first four of the eight limbs of yoga. Samantha and Becky went over 3 of the Yamas last night: ahimsa (non-violence, or do no harm), Astaya (non stealing), and Satya (truth). After all these years they pointed something out right away that I had never even considered: doing myself no harm, not stealing from myself. Seems obvious now, but I have never thought of applying these things to me. Novel concept, not to hurt myself! In terms of yoga practice, it would mean not to overextend, not to do too much, to treat myself gently…but it also means that in life as well. I have to take better care of myself, and now that I consider it in a personal light, it makes complete sense. So, my new goal for just myself, is to do myself no harm…get enough sleep, eat right, and learn to say no. And yoga, of course, plenty of yoga!

61771_1624946907599_3093264_n — Our family in Arizona, 95 or 96

Last night and today have seen extraordinary Randy events! His tube came out yesterday around lunch time, and when I returned last night, he had enough of a whisper that I could mostly understand him. The first thing he wanted to know is what I was going to do for dinner (in our house, where neither of us cook much, we always ask each what we are doing for dinner, in case it’s something we both might want). He said, “no more wasabi. no sushi”. I said, that is correct, and no more rare meat. To that, he said “that blows.” Then he wanted to know if I wanted Mexican or Indian food (Randy hates Indian food). I told him we could not go out to eat. This poor guy is starving. Just think, no solid food for 2 and a half weeks. Before he can eat though, he has to pass a “swallow” test. As far as food goes, since Randy will be on immuno-suppressants for the rest of his life, he has to avoid as much bacteria as possible…and raw fish or meat has plenty of it. His foods will have to be cooked fully, and even fruits and vegetables have to be washed with anti bacterial stuff. Looks like I’ll be learning to do some cooking.

He was even better this morning. The whisper has some sound to it now. He asks questions about what has happened….it must be incredible to wake up with new lungs and 2 weeks of your life lost due to all of the brain fogging drugs he has been on. He did tell me he has seen some weird stuff this last month. For instance, a “Catholic bachelor” had been around….I finally figured that one out, I said, “a priest?”. Yes. Randy was in a metal enclosure. He saw where we were buried, together with the priest. I said, were you afraid you were dying? He said yes. Apparently if he was going to be buried he was taking me with him! And of course we talk about his illness, the miracle of new lungs, how much we missed each other, and other “love stuff”. His eyes look so teal…darker than usual, and he has a very sweet, concentrated look as he figures things out.

He is hungry, he wants a milkshake or coffee and donuts. Still can’t have them, that makes him sad. It’s so hard to talk much without nurses, PTs, respiratory therapists, doctors coming in and out. Everyone says his recovery is phenomenal. His lungs are doing great….he is on no oxygen, and his oxygen SAT is around 94. That will just keep getting better. Two chest tubes came out today. They plan to move him out of ICU in a day or two…and then he will go to Zale Lipshy University Hospital for rehabilitation for a month, though I don’t think it will take a month. Once Randy is up and going, he will be unstoppable. He is already moving so much better…he’ll be ready to feed himself tomorrow, I’m betting. When I left, he requested that Ally bring his dop kit and backpack to him….I said, you cannot have that stuff here in the ICU in isolation…plus, you don’t have enough strength to shave or brush your own teeth yet. Like I said, I’m betting he will be doing that tomorrow.

I also heard from the Lung Transplant coordinator who will be handling our education….I have already started to prepare the house, I have done the big things: cleaned and sanitized ducts and vents, checked for mold or any other irritant in the house or crawl space, taken out all carpet and replaced it with hardwood floors, gotten rid of all chemicals in the garage, and put all of Wes and Carisa’s stuff, and my mother’s belongings, in storage. Still….lots to do to make our home Zen. There is also pharmacy class…to learn all about the zillions of drugs he will be on….and food class.

I am so overjoyed to have him awake and able to communicate. It has been one week since his transplant. I told him he had a second chance, that we had a second chance at life, that it is truly miraculous. And it is.

Another miracle happened on September 17th, 1990, the birth of my most wonderful son, Wes. Happy birthday baby! We are going out to dinner tomorrow night. So….we have blessings everywhere this glorious September!

A Bright new day: Move to Zale Lipshy!

Randy is (mostly) Baaack!!!

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