I am now one month post transplant and I have to say it's so totally worth it!! That being said, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I went for my evaluation last June. My FEV1 was roughly 25% give or take but I was on FREQUENT IVs. We're talking I could maybe get a month off the IVs before I would be hacking again and need some more. I wasn't able to tolerate inhaled drugs because I had such a reactive airway and orals just didn't cut it.
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<br />My life was restricted to sitting on a couch with an occasional trip into the outside world, but that was soon with my new best friend, the oxygen tank. I fought going on O2 for a long time. My sats would run 92-94% when I was sitting around but of course they would fall if I did exercise. Eventually they didn't come back up and that progression happened all too quick for me. I wore O2 at night fairly regularly and a few months before tx I even went on Bi-Pap in order to try and save calories while I slept (plus the extra benefit of just feeling like I could breathe helped make that transition easier).
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<br />Everything happened very quick though once I began the process. Not the transplant (well, my wait time was short in comparision, but that's not what I'm referring to) but my decline. I went from not knowing if I wanted a transplant to praying every night that I would be able to make it to transplant and get out healthy. If you are unsure, I suggest going to the evaluation and beginning the process. The center will be able to let you know where you stand regarding your TX status. Plus, the allocation score helps with the "how long you wait" aspect of things. I only waited 2 months and was transplanted with an FEV1 of about 24% I think... I can't remember at this point.
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<br />Best of luck with your decision!! We're all here if you need the support <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
