Day 2

Well lets rewind a couple days to catch you folks up. Last week I got a call from Michelle the transplant coordinator that they set an appt up for me to meet with the transplant surgeon for Sept 2nd. She said that means Sept 2nd I am officially listed for transplant. To some that would seem scary but to me it was some of the best news ive heard. Ive done alot of work and such to get myself prepared kinda like getting all my ducks in a row as the old saying goes. She said also they had contacted Bell for them to mail out my pager.

I received my pager on Monday August 30. It was already activated, I tried the # but it didn't work for me. I wasn't worrying cause they said to just bring it with me on the 2nd.

So the 2nd came and I headed down to Toronto General with my mom and my good friend/roommate/support person. Traffic was good except for the tiny traffic jam getting off the 400 to the 401 east bound. We thought we were running a little late but even with the traffic we made it there in 2 hours.

We met with Cathy because Michelle was off for the day. She tried my pager and yes it didn't work so she called Bell and apparently the pager is defective so they are mailing me out another one. No biggie cause if I get the call they try my phone first which I always have on me if not my moms number and my roommates cell.

She went thru some more things with me and more stuff I have to look after before transplant which includes a hepatitis shot seeing as I will have to have blood transfusion during the operation. She also asked when was the last time Ive been to the dentist...I was like ummm I think 2 or so years ago to have a tooth pulled. Since then I haven't had any dental coverage so I haven't been, but seeing now as im on ODSP they cover basic dental so she said I had to arrange to have a check up and cleaning. Who knew they would need that for transplant lol. But hey its just another thing on the "to do list" I also have to talk to ODSP on coverage for my micro spyrometer to keep track of my lung capacity before and after transplant. The social worker at TGH says that sometimes ODSP covers it if not its $750 out of my pocket. So fingers crossed that they will cover which I'm pretty sure they will. I cant talk to my worker till next week.

After meeting with cathy we had to meet with the surgeon. We met with him to sign some papers, some for consent for the surgery and if need blood, one for tests and such on my old lungs and to take a bone marrow sample and the final one was for the new ex vivo lung machine they can actually test the lungs before transplanting them into you. I will post a link to the you tube video of it. Toronto general is the first to do it. As for the bone marrow they take is to do research and try growing lungs which they have had some pretty good success at. So one day they would be able to grow you lungs instead of finding a donor and the plus side is to cause its your own marrow there is no rejection at all so I believe you would not have to take all the rejection drugs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXqMsraSb84

The surgeon explained the procedure and then reassured me that according to all my tests I only had a 1% chance of not making it thru the procedure and hospital stay afterwards which was very reassuring.

After the surgeon had to go make an appt with the physio for my 3 days of pre transplant exercise. I am required to do it three times a week pre transplant. For the first month I have to do it all down at TGH then after that I can do 2 days up here and 1 day down at TGH. After transplant I have to do the first 3 months 3 times a week down at TGH which is gonna be alot of driving which I wont be able to do...hope Dans up for it lmao.

So next week I start Tuesday, Thursday and Friday all in the afternoon that way I don't have to get up halfway in the night to get ready for an am appt.

Well that's all for now, I will keep you posted!