Several people have mentioned to me that they thought Shirley is getting a Heart/Lung transplant. While this procedure is done in some circumstances, it’s when someone has a disease that has also adversely affected their heart. In Shirley’s case, this is not an issue as her heart is in great shape.
They do intend to do a double lung transplant. The way the surgeon described it, was that if they did only one lung, the remaining sick one would crowd out the new healthy organ due to inflammation.
We are just returning from Seattle where Shirley had her quarterly visit with the transplant program. Her liaison physician, Dr. Griese, says to not be surprised if the wait is about a year long because in relative terms, Shirley is very healthy. This puts her down near the bottom of the list. Of course, if there isn’t someone above her with the same blood and tissue type and body size, there could always be a call just around the corner.
We also had a chance to meet Kathy Weakly, the pre-Transplant Coordinator. Shirley has had many a conversation with her on the phone over the last eight months, so it was like meeting an old friend for the first time. We got a chance to talk with her about some of the more administrative details, like where to go once we arrive in the hospital and what to bring along.
Meanwhile, back at the Ranch, we have every intention of having the annual Christmas party (first Saturday in December) and are starting a betting pool on what date we receive the call. If you want in on the pool, let me know. We’ll publish official rules in our next posting.
