Tappy needs a new set of lungs

No we’re not packing up and moving to the States to work. We’re just moving into another phase of the transplant process.

During the thirteen-and-a-half months we were on the waiting list for a new lung, exercise was a major part of our preparation for the big day. Three days a week at the hospital treadmill room for a workout that would last about an hour and a half. Everyone on the list is issued a yellow, letter-size card on which you keep track of your oxygen saturation and heart levels during exercise; the speed of the treadmill and bike and how often you did each of the prescribed exercises.

Once you have the operation and are well enough to return to the treadmill room, you are issued a green card, a sort of right of passage… a badge that says I’ve been there. And the conversation usually shifts from “how long have you been waiting?” to “When were you done?.”

So Now we are working on a green card and charting our progress rather than decline. I’m pleased to say that so far things are going really well. I continue to get stronger and I have’nt had to use oxygen since last Thursday. I had been using three litres per minute while walking or exercising but on Wednesday the physiotherapists suggested I drop it to two LPM. Since I did ok at that level Georgie and I thought, what the hell, lets try 1.5 lpm while walking the hallways in our apartment building. So I opened the crank on the oxygen bottle, set the guage to 1.5 and away we went with Georgie keeping a close eye on the heart rate and 02 levels. A few times the saturation level dipped below 90 (they don’t like it below that for very long) but a few deep breaths and it was back up. We completed four trips of the hallways ( that takes about ten minutes) and we came back and parked the walker and closed the crank on the oxygen bottle. It was then I realized the whole time I didn’t have the oxygen tubes in my nose.

On Monday at the treadmill room I did the whole card of exercises without oxygen. And although I like the security of the walker I’ve pretty well stopped using that.

In the meantime the doctors are pleased with the way I am progressing as they continue to juggle medications to see what’s right for me. Taking all those drugs is difficult for a guy who, until age 60, never took more than a few tums, a couple of tylenol and the occassional rum for medicinal purposes.

Had a brief visit with our son Ed. He arrived Sunday afternoon and left Tuesday afternoon. Not much time but we went out for a great buffet and enjoyed having him around for a while. Makes us think that with some luck, seeing Ed and Mike and their kids will soon be as easy as a run to Halifax from home.

Thanks to all of you for your calls, emails and blog comments.

Ed and Geor

A big hello and Happy New Year to you all.  As most of you know I was released from the hospital on Thursday night.   Since that time things seem to be going well.  The new lung is chugging right along and I’m trying to do as much exercise as I can.

Can’t thank you all enough for the well wishes during my adventure and a special thanks to Georgie and the kids for keeping the blog up to date.   Also Georgie was by my side from morning to night every day I was in hospital and in fact has been a rock throughout  my entire illness.  This operation would not have been possible without her love and devotion.  And she did it all with a smile on her face…………what a woman.

I can’t thank you all individually for what you’ve done but you all know who you are and we love you for it.  If you have’nt already, read some of the previous blogs it tells the story better than I can.

I’ll keep you all posted and hopefully we can soon begin the countdown to the Cape.

Love you all

Ed and Geor
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Coming to Toronto, we had full intentions of ringing in the new year with Nan and Tap in their apartment at 11:00PM (Midnight in Atlantic Canada).  We didn’t start to think about a back up plan until New Year’s Eve.  So we decided we would tune in to ASN and watch the celebration from the Maritimes.  At 10:30 we celebrated with our friends from Newfoundland.  At 11:00, we raised our glasses to everyone at home and then started wishing that everyone could be together and how it will be better next year.  We wished that we had thought ahead enough to make our way to the hospital to be with Tap.  That’s when it occured to us that it was only 11:10PM.  We frantically started calling Limo services to see if they could get us there in time.  No Luck.  “The Subway”, Ma said as she raised her hands in excitement.  We quickly grabbed our coats, our cameras and headed to the subway.  At this hour of the night only the Emergency entrance is open.  This would be our first challenge.  Ma explained to the security guard that she and Dad had been together every New Year for 41 years.  He called the 7th floor and we were given permission to move our way through the quiet corridors of the hospital to the seventh floor.  We walked into Tappy’s room at about 8 minutes to midnight.  He was lying there trying to sleep but still awake.  The look on his face was priceless.  We flipped on his TV, watched the countdown and got out of there by 10 minutes past, as promised. 

It was a fun adventure making our way down and back on the very crowded subway.  A power outage on the way back had us questioning how long it would take to get home.  Fortunately, it was only about 5 minutes.

We would like to wish everyone a very safe, happy and healthy 2008!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas.  In September of this year we realized Mom and Dad would not be home for Christmas…again.  Last year we knew they couldn’t be there but nobody expected another Christmas would lapse before their return.  Their absense really hit home coming into December and the worry escalated when Tap’s condition began to deteriorate at a quicker rate.  The call finally came and we have a new Christmas memory that none of us will ever forget.  We owe this to someone who had the courage and heart to help someone they didn’t know and to their family for following through on their wishes.  

Tappy continues to show improvements everyday.  When he began walking, he was pushing a large walker that he could fully lean on.  He immediately moved to a smaller, more manageable walker and gradually increased his distance.  When I walked with him yesterday, I had to slow him down a couple of times because I felt he was getting a little too quick.  Ma is the regular trainer who knows what he can do and knows when he needs to be stopped.  After his walks, his oxygen saturation is still at very good levels.  At rest, they are better than mine!  I just got a call from ma.  She called to report that Tappy climbed 8 steps with his physical therapist this morning.  Its hard for anyone to understand how big this improvement is. 

The nurse removed every second staple from his incision yesterday.  There were about 50 staples total.  The drainage tube will likely be removed today.  As much as we were looking forward to spending New Year’s in their apartment, I am glad things are going the way they are.  I think he is ready to come home but there are a lot of empty beds in his area and that means alot of attention to him.  Although some people have been released in as little as 8 days, the norm is three weeks even with a good recovery.  The doctors continue to tell him that he is doing extremely well.

I think he will be home later this week.  It will be a nice change for Ma.  She has been at his bedside all day long every day since he was admitted.  Her strength and support is an inspiration to all of us.  During the past year, she has been a workhorse; lifting and hauling everything from the 60 pound oxygen concentrator to the day to day groceries.  Her role in this whole ordeal was as important as the surgeons’.  Thanks Mom, we love you!

Here is the latest picture of Nan and Tap.  As you can see, he looks fantastic.

We were told from the start that no matter how good things are going, to expect some hurdles along the way.  This week Tappy ran into his first one.  There was some fluid between his ribs and his new lung,  keeping the new lung from expanding to its full capacity.  They inserted a chest tube yesterday and drained about a litre of fluid, giving Tap instant relief.  This is not uncommon and all reports from doctors and nurses are VERY positive. Dad expressed some concern that maybe he isn’t doing as good as he should be……that left both the doctor and the nurse laughing.  They reassured him he is doing INCREDIBLY well.   Everyone who sees Dad, says he looks ten years younger…..Ma is starting to get a little ticked off and says if it doesn’t stop, she’ll be putting in for the surgery herself.
Mike, Lisa, Jacob and Amber arrived Christmas night and will be staying until New Years night…..(or maybe Easter, if the airport situation hasn’t improved by then)
It’s great for Mom to have the company.  The hospital has been very accommodating, allowing Dad to sit in a private visitors room with everybody, as opposed to the “two at a time” rule.�
Things are still wonderful.  Dad doesn’t ask about getting out of the hospital because he feels that when he’s ready, the doctor will let him know.  He is quite content to wait it out.

On a sour note, the hospital turkey dinners sucked so Ma is cooking her own today…..yum-yum.
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Well, it looks like Tappy won’t be going home for Christmas after all.  He is still doing great but all of the new meds are still being adjusted daily until they find just the right combonation of each.  The Doctor did offer a day pass for Christmas Day but they prefer to play it safe and not rush things.  AND…….Mom found out she can order a turkey dinner for herself at the hospital for $11 with no clean up…..Tap’s comes with the accomodations….that might have played a small part in the decision making!

So it looks like Wednesday might be the new target date for release but again, they will take caution over speed.

Check out www.capebretonpost.com  Today’s top story is “Christmas Comes Early for Sydney Man”  

Merry Christmas everyone and thank you so much for all of the support.

Sorry for the delay with the updates.  It seems our website has been under attack by “Zombies”  (computer people will know what I mean) and we couldn’t get access.

Everything is going fabulous.  All of Dad’s tubes have been removed and it looks like he’ll be going home to his Toronto Apartment on Christmas Eve.  There isn’t a lot to tell, which is a good thing.  He is healing wonderfully and is ready start a brand new chapter in his life… one without oxygen tubes.

Cape Breton Post is printing a story about Dad and what a wonderful christmas gift we’ve all received.  I think it will be in Christmas Eve’s paper.