What to do when the call comes....

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Lex

New member
Hi everyone... I'm very excited because I was just actively listed this past week. My LAS was about 38 and that places me at the top of the list for my height and blood type. So like I said....very exciting!

So when the call comes, what did you guys do? I'm thinking I'd take a shower and on the way to the hospital, do a treatment of albuterol.

Are there any tips or things you'd wish you'd done differently? Thanks guys!
 
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cutiepatootie

New member
When I got the call I was in the hospital, so I had to get ready there. I didn't know you had to shave down there before the surgery. I would have definitely did that at home if I would have had that option! I wouldn't do any treatment before I got to the hospital because they may not want anything extra in your system. I would talk to the Tx Dr.'s about that first. I say this because they gave me my morphine at 8:30 am and I got the call at 9:30 and I was told that if they found out before 8:30 they would not have give it to me.
 
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Transplantmommy

New member
Most times, when you get the call, the doctors want you at the hospital immediately! Lungs are only viable for 6 hours outside of the body...they need to transplant them as quick as possible!

Don't worry about taking a shower, it's not going to do you any good at all. They will srcub you down with antiseptics and whatever before they start your surgery (you'll be out of it by then) and you'll look like hell pretty much when you wake up...no sense in showering.

As for treatments, don't worry about that either. They may give you one when you are in the ER/ICU when you get to the hospital.

I was already in the hospital when I got my transplant so I didn't have to rush to get to the hospital. I'm glad that I was already there because I live 6 hours from my transplant hospital and we would have had to try to rush there...Cleveland Clinic would have had to send a medical plane for me and that would have been hard because there was a horrible snowstorm that day. It took my husband 8 hours to get there. He got there 1 hour before I went in for my transplant...which would have not been enough time to get me prepped for the transplant and I may have missed my chance.

If there are any specifics you want to know, just ask. And PS....I wasn't shaved down there. Don't know why others were.
 
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summer732

New member
Lex,

The first thing I did when I got the call was hop in the shower. For me, it wasn't about looking good (cause I know I would wake up lookig like hell), it's that I knew that was the last shower I would take for a while and it just felt good to go to the hospital clean. I lived about 5 minutes away from the hospital and I was already all packed. So I took a 5 minute shower, grabbed my things and headed out.

Remember too to ask the night nurse in the ICU after your transplant if she would wash your hair. My nurse was so nice and after a couple of days of bed baths, I felt okay but my hair was so dirty and greasy. She put some time aside for me in the middle of the night and washed my hair in bed. It made me feel that much more like a human being.

Albuterol is definitely not necessary.
 
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Ready2Dance

New member
The first thing I did when I got the call was shower. I remember feeling this need to have clean hair and shaved legs, LOL. I had already packed my bags, so like Margaret, I showered, grabbed my bags and left. Cleveland gave me 5 hours to get there, so we drove.

I wouldn't worry about the albuterol though.
 
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coltsfan715

New member
I had a semi unusual call experience for my transplant. I was called at 2 am but due to problems with scheduling for the center that was receiving the donors heart I was not told to come to the hospital until around 8am.

I was already awake at 2am - hadn't even gone to sleep. I ended up boxing up some things that I didn't want cluttering up my room when I got back home after the transplant. My mom washed all of my laundry so she wouldn't have to worry about it later and I bathed. I was already on IVs but I was at home. I shaved my legs because it had already been 2 weeks since I had had a good washing with the IVs and all. I washed my hair as best I could because I wanted to be as clean as possible when I wasn't sure how long I would have to wait to bathe again.

One thing I will say is that I disagree I think I looked pretty fantastic when I came out of surgery - I have pictures taken a few hours after I was taken off the vent (I was removed from the vent 3 hours after surgery. All of my friends and even the docs and nurses told me I looked like I came from a day spa. That may be an unique thing though who knows.

I lived at the time about 20 minutes from my center so I was there at around 9am with rush hour traffic it took an hour.

I also packed a bag in preparation for things after I was called. I took all my meds with me but didn't do anything until I got there and asked first.

I arrived at the hospital around 9am and was taken in for surgery around 9pm ... again scheduling issue with the center receiving the heart. My surgery was officially started around 930-10pm and I was out at around 330am.

Lindsey
 
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JoanneS

New member
My suggestion, after going through my lung tx 12 years ago, and my sister 8 years ago, is have a bag packed with not much. Your bag will have no where to go, and you will be wearing hospital garb for awhile, then your family can bring you clothes later. As far as showering...why bother. Treatments, forget it, they may do some. Don't drink or eat. Shaving in pubic area for the catheter??? Never heard of that. Lots of people get catheters, and I can assure you, they are not getting shaved. DO NOT shave yourself. You may cause a cut and infection could take place. And I thought that is why the hospital does not shave you, they don't want you cut or knicked. If you want take a book, if you end up waiting a long time. A cell phone so you can call your friends and family. But be sure your support takes them with them when they leave. Hospitals are sometimes known to be great places to steal items, when someone is out of it.

I was in patient when my call came. My sister was at her apartment near UNC. We both had our tx's at UNC.

Good luck, and hoping you all have a quick, and easy recovery.
Joanne
 
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cutiepatootie

New member
Why did the nurses make me shave then, seriously no joke I had to shave, it was shave my self or they would do it I was told! WTF!!!
 
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cutiepatootie

New member
Why did the nurses make me shave then, seriously no joke I had to shave, it was shave my self or they would do it I was told! WTF!!!
 
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dewgirl

New member
Hey Lex,

How did you figure out where your lung allocation score puts you on the list? I tried to question my coordinator about it but he really didn't give me any insight. I googled it a bit and found out the closer to 100 you are the more serious your health is. I also found out that they look at your FEV score rather than your FEV1 score. My FEV1 is at 20% but my FEV (I think) is around 45% so I should look pretty healthy on the list? This is my guess anyway.
 
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Lex

New member
Dewgirl....

I'm at Columbia Pres. Hospital in NYC. My doc told me that there are "no secrets" here. She told me that my LAS was 38, that they tx usually between 35-45. And that at 38, for my blood type and height, I'm at the top. She sat me down and showed me how they calculate my LAS....she plugged in the numbers as I watched...and then showed me the total.

This info shouldn't be a secret. You need to know. I would call and get answers.
 
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dewgirl

New member
Thanks Lex. I'm going to try and get a more precise answer but at least I have something now to go on. I wonder if all centers usually transplant between 35-45 or if that was more just your center. If it is all I shouldn't have to long of wait.<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
 
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CFcarebear

New member
Lex, how long were you on the waiting list with an LAS of 38? Also, what was your LAS when you received your transplant? Do you remember? I hope you are doing well.
 
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Jane

Digital opinion leader
Carebear, is your husband listed now? My son was just listed at Boston Children's. whole new world huh?
 
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CFcarebear

New member
Hi, Jane, my husband will be actively listed within the next week. He just finished the last 2 steps of the evaluation (bone density and dental check-up) The nurse said his LAS was 32 a couple of weeks ago, even though he was inactive on the list. Good luck to your son! Do you know what his LAS is?
 
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Jane

Digital opinion leader
No I haven't asked. He is stable but has an FEV1 of 21. They said it probably wouldn't be too soon. Where will your husband be listed?
 
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