Patiently Waiting for a Call

mag6125

New member
That's great to hear she's moving back in the right direction! I may not know her or you but you have both definitely been in my thoughts and sending positive vibes your way. Tell her to keep fighting and hanging in there!
 

azdesertrat

New member
John, your posts brought me back to June of '05 & my trans experience. I'm alot like Heather in that I have a beautiful special woman that endured the whole prcess with me. I thank God for her every day.
My experience was alot like Heather's; I had to be hospitalized for a bit over a month post-trans.
I had 4 chest tubes & they were in for almost the whole month post-trans.
I hope you will stay in touch with Heather. It sounds like you & her have a bit more than a caregiver/patient relationship going on here. We wish you both all the best.
Please tell Heather she is in our thoughts & prayers. There's always room for one more on that list!
Take care, all our best to you & Heather.
Please keep us updated...
 

azdesertrat

New member
John, your posts brought me back to June of '05 & my trans experience. I'm alot like Heather in that I have a beautiful special woman that endured the whole prcess with me. I thank God for her every day.
My experience was alot like Heather's; I had to be hospitalized for a bit over a month post-trans.
I had 4 chest tubes & they were in for almost the whole month post-trans.
I hope you will stay in touch with Heather. It sounds like you & her have a bit more than a caregiver/patient relationship going on here. We wish you both all the best.
Please tell Heather she is in our thoughts & prayers. There's always room for one more on that list!
Take care, all our best to you & Heather.
Please keep us updated...
 

azdesertrat

New member
John, your posts brought me back to June of '05 & my trans experience. I'm alot like Heather in that I have a beautiful special woman that endured the whole prcess with me. I thank God for her every day.
<br />My experience was alot like Heather's; I had to be hospitalized for a bit over a month post-trans.
<br />I had 4 chest tubes & they were in for almost the whole month post-trans.
<br />I hope you will stay in touch with Heather. It sounds like you & her have a bit more than a caregiver/patient relationship going on here. We wish you both all the best.
<br />Please tell Heather she is in our thoughts & prayers. There's always room for one more on that list!
<br />Take care, all our best to you & Heather.
<br />Please keep us updated...
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Time for an update. VERY up and down experience so far. Heather has been in and out of the hospital while doing rehab. She needed some albumin, and then turned out to be one in a million who is allergic to it. Her breathing ran into trouble, she lost her blood pressure, and had to go back on the ventilator for a few days. I saw her just after the breathing tube had come out, and she had gained over 50# in water weight as the doctors had to pump her up with fluids to save her blood pressure. She got all that peed off, then had to come in for a day or two again for possible infections. Back out to the rehab apartment, and the chance to do things with her daughter.

Somehow in there, she found time to get engaged to a nice guy she has been seeing. I don't know how she squeezed all that romance in, but it happened, and she has a ring on her finger and is with a nice guy she knew in high school. No moss growing on her shoes!

Sadly though, I must report that as of a day ago she is back on the ventilator in ICU with the possibility of rejection and ARDS, adult respiratory distress syndrome. This is not good, and as an RT, I am sick to my stomach to hear this. I still want to dance with her at her wedding, but ARDS complicates things a lot. There are a number of new meds out there that we can use, but the mortality rate is still daunting, and has not improved despite all the treatment options. Her transplant was three months ago, and she has had some setbacks and come through, so I am hoping that she will be tough enough to beat this one too. It is much more a problem to have the ARDS and rejection setting in.

And so, I am still waiting for a call, but am scared of what it might say...
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Time for an update. VERY up and down experience so far. Heather has been in and out of the hospital while doing rehab. She needed some albumin, and then turned out to be one in a million who is allergic to it. Her breathing ran into trouble, she lost her blood pressure, and had to go back on the ventilator for a few days. I saw her just after the breathing tube had come out, and she had gained over 50# in water weight as the doctors had to pump her up with fluids to save her blood pressure. She got all that peed off, then had to come in for a day or two again for possible infections. Back out to the rehab apartment, and the chance to do things with her daughter.

Somehow in there, she found time to get engaged to a nice guy she has been seeing. I don't know how she squeezed all that romance in, but it happened, and she has a ring on her finger and is with a nice guy she knew in high school. No moss growing on her shoes!

Sadly though, I must report that as of a day ago she is back on the ventilator in ICU with the possibility of rejection and ARDS, adult respiratory distress syndrome. This is not good, and as an RT, I am sick to my stomach to hear this. I still want to dance with her at her wedding, but ARDS complicates things a lot. There are a number of new meds out there that we can use, but the mortality rate is still daunting, and has not improved despite all the treatment options. Her transplant was three months ago, and she has had some setbacks and come through, so I am hoping that she will be tough enough to beat this one too. It is much more a problem to have the ARDS and rejection setting in.

And so, I am still waiting for a call, but am scared of what it might say...
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Time for an update. VERY up and down experience so far. Heather has been in and out of the hospital while doing rehab. She needed some albumin, and then turned out to be one in a million who is allergic to it. Her breathing ran into trouble, she lost her blood pressure, and had to go back on the ventilator for a few days. I saw her just after the breathing tube had come out, and she had gained over 50# in water weight as the doctors had to pump her up with fluids to save her blood pressure. She got all that peed off, then had to come in for a day or two again for possible infections. Back out to the rehab apartment, and the chance to do things with her daughter.
<br />
<br />Somehow in there, she found time to get engaged to a nice guy she has been seeing. I don't know how she squeezed all that romance in, but it happened, and she has a ring on her finger and is with a nice guy she knew in high school. No moss growing on her shoes!
<br />
<br />Sadly though, I must report that as of a day ago she is back on the ventilator in ICU with the possibility of rejection and ARDS, adult respiratory distress syndrome. This is not good, and as an RT, I am sick to my stomach to hear this. I still want to dance with her at her wedding, but ARDS complicates things a lot. There are a number of new meds out there that we can use, but the mortality rate is still daunting, and has not improved despite all the treatment options. Her transplant was three months ago, and she has had some setbacks and come through, so I am hoping that she will be tough enough to beat this one too. It is much more a problem to have the ARDS and rejection setting in.
<br />
<br />And so, I am still waiting for a call, but am scared of what it might say...
<br />
<br />
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Day 6 in the ICU, and off the vent and breathing on her own. Then later, back on the vent as she tired out. Now Heather's mother says something about an MRI coming to see if there is some toxicity effect of the anti-rejection drugs on her brain. Lungs are working well, although another broncoscopy is on the way to see if there is rejection happening. And my young friend continues to fight onward...
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Day 6 in the ICU, and off the vent and breathing on her own. Then later, back on the vent as she tired out. Now Heather's mother says something about an MRI coming to see if there is some toxicity effect of the anti-rejection drugs on her brain. Lungs are working well, although another broncoscopy is on the way to see if there is rejection happening. And my young friend continues to fight onward...
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Day 6 in the ICU, and off the vent and breathing on her own. Then later, back on the vent as she tired out. Now Heather's mother says something about an MRI coming to see if there is some toxicity effect of the anti-rejection drugs on her brain. Lungs are working well, although another broncoscopy is on the way to see if there is rejection happening. And my young friend continues to fight onward...
 
C

cgcheatham

Guest
Remembering Heather in prayer, along with her family and her friends. Husband had transplant 14 yrs ago. I'll never forget our experience. He remained in/out hospital almost a year. He had acute renal failure and dialysis, but he was a fighter! Now working 40 hours+ a week, kidneys are fine, survived colon cancer/chemo. Daughter just became CRT and working on RRT. God be with you all !
 
C

cgcheatham

Guest
Remembering Heather in prayer, along with her family and her friends. Husband had transplant 14 yrs ago. I'll never forget our experience. He remained in/out hospital almost a year. He had acute renal failure and dialysis, but he was a fighter! Now working 40 hours+ a week, kidneys are fine, survived colon cancer/chemo. Daughter just became CRT and working on RRT. God be with you all !
 
C

cgcheatham

Guest
Remembering Heather in prayer, along with her family and her friends. Husband had transplant 14 yrs ago. I'll never forget our experience. He remained in/out hospital almost a year. He had acute renal failure and dialysis, but he was a fighter! Now working 40 hours+ a week, kidneys are fine, survived colon cancer/chemo. Daughter just became CRT and working on RRT. God be with you all !
<br />
 

lizym

New member
Having just read this historic account of Heather, I wonder how she is now doing? Does anyone know.
 

lizym

New member
Having just read this historic account of Heather, I wonder how she is now doing? Does anyone know.
 

lizym

New member
Having just read this historic account of Heather, I wonder how she is now doing? Does anyone know.
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Still on the vent. She was supposed to have had an MRI last night, but I haven't heard if she did, or the results. Some days are just long waits with a phone that doesn't ring! Thanks to all for concern and prayers - I know her family is grateful for everyone who cares about one sick girl by long-distance, whether they know Heather or not.
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Still on the vent. She was supposed to have had an MRI last night, but I haven't heard if she did, or the results. Some days are just long waits with a phone that doesn't ring! Thanks to all for concern and prayers - I know her family is grateful for everyone who cares about one sick girl by long-distance, whether they know Heather or not.
 

cnsky54RRT

New member
Still on the vent. She was supposed to have had an MRI last night, but I haven't heard if she did, or the results. Some days are just long waits with a phone that doesn't ring! Thanks to all for concern and prayers - I know her family is grateful for everyone who cares about one sick girl by long-distance, whether they know Heather or not.
 

lfhusky93

New member
I've been checking back for any updates on Heather...anyone know how she's doing? She's been in my thoughts and prayers.
 
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