Deja-Vu-09/08/09

I meant to possibly post yesterday, for those that remember September 8, 2009 was when I received my first transplant. Today would be when I woke up. Things are not what they always seem. From the time I awoke until the time I was discharged, everyone told me things were going perfectly. No set backs at all. Despite having my sternum broken and a small infection I was out in 17 days. More then one resident or fellow told me I was the best transplant recipient they had ever seen. I did not always feel this way. I had always had some intuition that something did not quite feel right. I had issues in my lower left side, and they told me that was due to a mis-match in size and should fill in, it did after 3 months. Throughout the 9 months I had some really good times and felt fairly well. I was never able to get my pulmonary function tests past 50% and that was always frustrating. I had serious narrowing issues, but they resolved. Bottom line is I was thankful for my donor and still am, but the match was just not meant to be. I have to move on and I have....

07/21/10-This is my new date. It has been 7 weeks. I am making incredible progress this time, despite how sick I was before and a few complications I had during the hospitalization and surgery. Out in 17 days last time, I was in for a total of 48 days this time. 2 weeks before the word came for a donor. The deja-vu part is being back in chapel hill for another fall. The boys already know so many friends since we are at the same school, our schedules are slowing becoming what they were last fall. Overall,we are settling in.

The difference is in how I feel. These lungs feel like a perfect fit. If not for the weakness of lying in bed for 48 days and having swelling issues, I feel like I could climb a mountain. Which I sort of tried, but my legs turned to rubber after a few steps. I am going to rehab and slowly picking up the pace. I have been having some issues with my feet hurting and burning when walking or on a treadmill for a period of time. When I say burning I mean like in an oven. It is very painful. Sometimes it extends to the night and my feet are just painful and aching all night. The only other issue right now is the continued to damage to my right arm. I saw a Neurologist for a follow-up yesterday, and he basically said nothing. He said it could be permanent damage to my bicep and muskulocutaneous nerve, but it could regenerate over a long period of time. So, although very annoying and at times painful, these side effects I will take for some great lungs that like my body. The next few weeks will really be important as the Campath,the induction therapy protocol we had UNC do, begins to wear off and my t ells come back a bit. More on that in the next post....

-Mitch

ps. Happy new year to those of you.