Today when I went to see Lindsay she was sitting up in a chair. They have her out of bed in a chair, how amazing is that?! Today she was feeling more pain in her chest, but had plenty of rest. Lindsay was also given apple sauce to take some pills as well as water, jello and ice chips. She was woken up every hour last night so the nurse can issue meds and Lindsay was also requesting meds because she woke up screaming twice in pain. Our 4 o'clock visiting hour was cancelled today, so she can get some sleep. It was a good thing it was cancelled because she got about 3 hours of sleep. She really needed it.
She has a large following in the ICU, so I am sure we really wipe her out too. Her throat still hurts and she doesn't seem to have energy just yet so some times her and I just stare at each other instead of talking so she can be comfortable and not be overwhelmed. Her favorite thing to do is hold our hands. I love the way she reaches out to us to hold her hand. We are all very excited to be there for her and we try to rotate so every one gets a chance to see her, but I can tell she gets tired. By the time her 10 o'clock visiting hour hit she was passed out so we decided to leave and let her rest and recover.
Missy (Lindsay's roommate) and her mother& sister came to visit and brought Lindsay a stuffed, red heart with arms. It is so cute and I am sure she enjoys it. We are being told she is not allowed to accept flowers at this time. So thank you for your kind gestures, but we cannot accept flowers. If you like you can take the money you were going to buy flowers with and possibly donate to Lindsay's fundraising website. Unfortunately, it is not up yet, but I am meeting with the coordinator this Saturday to get more info about the website.
I'll keep you posted.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
*RECOVERY*
What can I say...Lindsay's recovery is going as smooth as it gets. We were able to see her in the ICU about 11:30 a.m. this morning. We held her hands, talked to her and waited patiently for responses. Immediately she was squeezing our hands, nodding and shaking her head yes and no. She had even lifted her eyebrows and the best part is she opened her eyes a few times. That was just our first visit with her. We are only able to see her for a half hour every other hour. Each visit throughout the day was getting better and better as her responses enhanced. Her ventilator was taken out this afternoon and she is breathing all on her own! The nurse wants Lindsay to cough and take deep breaths to get CO2 out of her lungs. If she does not do this they may have to intubate her again. We do not want that so please pray for her. She had also received a blood transfusion today as well. I can't stress enough how well Lindsay is recovering. She has more color to her skin, and her fingers and toes are not blue because she is getting oxygen to them now!
We have been asking Lindsay if she can feel a difference with her new lungs but she tells us she feels some pain, but that she can actually breathe! Praise God! She still has a tube that is in her nose, to the back of her throat, then to her stomach. Towards the end of the night she was able to speak to us, but her reaction time to our questions is a little slow because the tube in her throat is not very comfortable. It is said she will be in ICU until Monday and possibly move out of ICU onto a floor unit for about a week. Of course this depends on her recovery and if she is doing well they will move her to the apartments across the street from Stanford. I will keep you guys updated only if you keep Lindsay in your prayers. Just kidding I will keep you posted.
I will not be posting any pictures on the web of her ICU recovery until she is coherent enough to say so because some of the pictures are pretty graphic and I am not sure if she wants them up yet. Of course this is Lindsay, and she will be happy to show them with you, but I am not comfortable without her knowledge first. Sorry.
We have been asking Lindsay if she can feel a difference with her new lungs but she tells us she feels some pain, but that she can actually breathe! Praise God! She still has a tube that is in her nose, to the back of her throat, then to her stomach. Towards the end of the night she was able to speak to us, but her reaction time to our questions is a little slow because the tube in her throat is not very comfortable. It is said she will be in ICU until Monday and possibly move out of ICU onto a floor unit for about a week. Of course this depends on her recovery and if she is doing well they will move her to the apartments across the street from Stanford. I will keep you guys updated only if you keep Lindsay in your prayers. Just kidding I will keep you posted.
I will not be posting any pictures on the web of her ICU recovery until she is coherent enough to say so because some of the pictures are pretty graphic and I am not sure if she wants them up yet. Of course this is Lindsay, and she will be happy to show them with you, but I am not comfortable without her knowledge first. Sorry.
The new lungs finally came!
Ok. So this is Brie....Lindsay's super awesome friend :). I wanted to update all of you about Lindsay and her NEW LUNGS from my point of view! Yesterday I was at work and I got a call from Lindsay at 11:49 a.m. and the first thing she said to me was "Brie Allen" and I knew right then that she got the call. She asked me to come get her from work so around 3:15 I picked her up and we drove to Stanford. When we got here they were expecting us and they told her to shower up and scrub real good :) They told us that she would be taken to surgery at around 10 p.m. Friday night (5/1). It was just her and I for a while and so we got to hang out and just spend some quality time together which was so nice! Her spirits were high and we both had a good feeling about these lungs! So while we were waiting so many people came in. First it was nurses, then it was a social worker, then a woman who was doing research, and then 2 very nice doctors came in and talked to us! They told us that the donor was a high risk patient which means that he was under a certain age (I believe 25) and that he was at higher risk for diseases then someone who was older (hence 'high risk') and that they ran a bunch of blood tests and other testing on him that all came back negative! Everyone was very optimistic! At around 7 or so all the other friends and family started trickling in until it got to the point where there were 18 of us!!!!!!!! We were all hanging out having a good time, keeping Lindsay's spirits high and then they came in at 10 and told us it wasn't going to happen until about 12:30. Lindsay was bummed especially because she was STARVING. So after m
ore waiting they came back in at about 12:30 and said it would be another half hour to an hour because there was a trauma.....so more waiting! Then, finally they came (at 2 a.m.!) and wheeled her away! We were all so excited and so our entourage followed her! Through the halls we traveled, up one floor, and through some doors and then came time to say "we'll see you soon and we love you". This was the hardest part :(. We all waited in the waiting room and at approximately 3:15 a.m. Jonathon (the nurse) came in and told us it was a go! We were excited...and exhausted! We all slept for a while and waited....and waited....and waited...and waited some more. We got updates every so often and finally at around 10:30 the doctor came and told us that everything went GREAT! He said her old lungs looked like crap. They were filled with pus, super gross and they said that it was definitely time for new ones. I got to go in and see her and she looks AMAZING! I was so amazed at how responsive she was just 2 hours after surgery. She squeezed my hand, tried to smile, moved her head, opened her eyes.....anything you could think of she did! She truly is a loved girl.Breathe Easy Lindz :) I love you!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
We Got The Call !!!!!!
At 9:48 p.m. (Wednesday-4/29) I received a call from Will from Stanford stating they have lungs for Lindsay and wanted to know if she was with me. I let him I know I wasn't so he said he will call her and call me back if he couldn't get a hold of her. He called me back when he got her voicemail and wanted me to try to get a hold of her. Well let me just express that was a hard task I was ever assigned! I called Lindsay about 10 times before I called others to see if she was with them. After my Dad, Brother, Susan, Sid I had no word of where she is. At this point I was heading over to her house to pick her up and take her to Stanford. When I get to her house I noticed her truck was there and I was a little more calm thinking she was there. Yeah right. No one answered the door, no one answered their phones. I started to panic, but Susan was helping me track down Lindsay.
About an hour later 10:49 p.m. I get a call from Lindsay herself asking what do I want. I let her know we got a call and she needed to get her butt home and then head off to Stanford. At this point there were tears, laughs, fears and relief. We headed to Stanford and arrived at 11:30 p.m. They placed her in a hospital room and ran some tests. With the rest of the gang arriving in her little room, we had to take over the waiting room because when you travel with Lindsay there is a large crowd.
We Finally got word that she will be taken to the O.R. about 3:00 a.m. but as soon as 3 rolled around we were still waiting. 3:30 a.m. or so we got the word we had to get Lindsay ready for transplant. Brie scrubbed her down and we were off. The gentleman rolling her to the O.R. said he has never seen this many people follow a patient to the O.R. (We broke a record!) I knew I couldn't do anything any further so I knew I had to leave it up to God to take over. (Boy did he have some plans.) We all said our 'farewells' and 'see you laters' and we shared some more tears and laughs.
At our surprise, the Dr. came out about 2 hours later to tell us that the right donor lung was perfect, but the left lower lobe was not working properly and he didn't want to go with the transplant. We were warned about 'dry runs' (showing up to the hospital and not going through with the transplant due to many reasons) so we were prepared for that in a way, but we were hoping for the transplant. We now have some practice on how to coordinate phone calls and what to bring. I just hope Lindsay answers her phone on the 1st try! ;) We still had to wait in the waiting room for Lindsay to come off her sedatives and that took another 2 hours. She was released around 7:30 a.m. (Thursday-4/30) and we were all on our way home to get some rest, or for some go to work.
Please keep her in your prayers!
And thank you to all who came and supported. Lindsay can't do this alone and she is thankful God has put you in her life! I loved the snacks in the lobby, they kept me going! Thank You!
About an hour later 10:49 p.m. I get a call from Lindsay herself asking what do I want. I let her know we got a call and she needed to get her butt home and then head off to Stanford. At this point there were tears, laughs, fears and relief. We headed to Stanford and arrived at 11:30 p.m. They placed her in a hospital room and ran some tests. With the rest of the gang arriving in her little room, we had to take over the waiting room because when you travel with Lindsay there is a large crowd.
We Finally got word that she will be taken to the O.R. about 3:00 a.m. but as soon as 3 rolled around we were still waiting. 3:30 a.m. or so we got the word we had to get Lindsay ready for transplant. Brie scrubbed her down and we were off. The gentleman rolling her to the O.R. said he has never seen this many people follow a patient to the O.R. (We broke a record!) I knew I couldn't do anything any further so I knew I had to leave it up to God to take over. (Boy did he have some plans.) We all said our 'farewells' and 'see you laters' and we shared some more tears and laughs.
At our surprise, the Dr. came out about 2 hours later to tell us that the right donor lung was perfect, but the left lower lobe was not working properly and he didn't want to go with the transplant. We were warned about 'dry runs' (showing up to the hospital and not going through with the transplant due to many reasons) so we were prepared for that in a way, but we were hoping for the transplant. We now have some practice on how to coordinate phone calls and what to bring. I just hope Lindsay answers her phone on the 1st try! ;) We still had to wait in the waiting room for Lindsay to come off her sedatives and that took another 2 hours. She was released around 7:30 a.m. (Thursday-4/30) and we were all on our way home to get some rest, or for some go to work.
Please keep her in your prayers!
And thank you to all who came and supported. Lindsay can't do this alone and she is thankful God has put you in her life! I loved the snacks in the lobby, they kept me going! Thank You!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Right Heart Catherization
There were many test I had to go through and this was the most gut wrenching one...my neck was stiff for hours after this one. This test was to see how well my heart is. Do I need a heart transplant or not? I got to doctors at 10am with Rebecca. They let her stay in with me while they performed this procedure. They laid me down on a bed and began...
The went through my jugular, I thought I was going to pass out. Mind you I was awake this whole time. They laid 3 layers of blankets/sheets over me. I was so hot and needed some air. They gave me a little peep hole and all I could see was Rebecca. I had to hold my neck in this postion for 3 hours. Rebecca told me there was a line of students that showed up while I was under the blankets. After, I felt like I was on an episode of Grey's. Then they began to run their tests. Blowing saline in and out of my heart. Well I have a great one and dont need a heart transplant :) Oh so thrilled.
The went through my jugular, I thought I was going to pass out. Mind you I was awake this whole time. They laid 3 layers of blankets/sheets over me. I was so hot and needed some air. They gave me a little peep hole and all I could see was Rebecca. I had to hold my neck in this postion for 3 hours. Rebecca told me there was a line of students that showed up while I was under the blankets. After, I felt like I was on an episode of Grey's. Then they began to run their tests. Blowing saline in and out of my heart. Well I have a great one and dont need a heart transplant :) Oh so thrilled.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
"This Operation Is Not For Sissies"
As you have read, Lindsay and I went to our 1st transplant support group this week. The title (of this blog) was quoted from an older gentleman who has had a double lung transplant. It made me laugh, but has true meaning to it.
I just wanted to share with you who are interested in donating your organs after you expire. The only way for Lindsay to receive her transplant is if some body passes and the donor & their family have decided to donate their organs/tissue. I know after Lindsay receives her transplant we will be so grateful for the donor's decision, and it would be nice to give some one else life after we are gone. If interested, you need to be registered at the website below. Even if you have a pink dot on your driver's licence, it may not be recorded in the registry. (It wouldn't hurt to register on the website just in case.)
http://www.donatelifecalifornia.org/
I just wanted to share with you who are interested in donating your organs after you expire. The only way for Lindsay to receive her transplant is if some body passes and the donor & their family have decided to donate their organs/tissue. I know after Lindsay receives her transplant we will be so grateful for the donor's decision, and it would be nice to give some one else life after we are gone. If interested, you need to be registered at the website below. Even if you have a pink dot on your driver's licence, it may not be recorded in the registry. (It wouldn't hurt to register on the website just in case.)
http://www.donatelifecalifornia.org/
Friday, April 3, 2009
...Waiting...
Have you ever wanted to something right here and now and so bad? I have and I currently do. This process is going to be long and involved. Many things can and will happen during this time. I will learn a lot to by all the people I talk to. I went to a support group for the first time today. Yeah I felt as if I was in an AA meeting. “Hi I’m Lindsay, and I’m waiting for double lungs.” But then things got better. People began to speak about their transplants and people who are also waiting for one spoke. Each position takes a toll on you mentally and emotionally. That is what I have all of you for. Cause I’m going to need you! The one thing I am waiting for is my PFT’s to be a high number. My current PFT is 26%. Pulmonary function tests measure how well lungs take in and release air, and how well they move oxygen into the blood. Yours is well over 100%. I will get 75% or better of my lung function back… do you know what that means? I can do all things I haven’t been able to do in a while. I can fly in a plane without oxygen, walk up one flight of stairs, take dance classes again, I can go to10,000 feet, Snowboard again, I will be able to walk, skip, and maybe even run a mile and this is all I can’t wait to do. You may not have ever realized how restricted I have been. Once I am well and recovered I may not stop traveling and doing things I haven’t done in a while. I plan to save some money and go to New Zealand and snowboard, all are welcome and my girls better be saving their money!
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