May 20, 2005: A story in 5 parts….stay tuned!
MAY 20, 2005: PART I (of 5): BACKGROUND: My husband, Rex, has been on oxygen for 6 years, the result of 35 years of smoking and emphyema. He’s down to 14% of one lung, and he’s been on the list for two months.
7:30 a.m. I’m sound asleep. The phone rings, once, twice. Push Rex, three times. He answers. “Ok, yes, OK.” To me: “Well, hon, we’re going.” OH MY!
We jump: I into shower, he waits by phone for hospital room assignment call back. I pack—glad I had a list but not really caring if I miss something. I throw in, remember books and journal, pedometer, a couple of hospital carry bags, water bottle, address book, 3-day walk labels file, copies of fund-raising notes. I’m ready. Oh, 3 Netflix movies, lap top, a couple of shawls.
Rex showers…asks me to turn up his oxygen to 3. He’s short of breath. He puts on old faded blue shorts and white golf shirt, flip flops, and a pale, unexpressive face.
We work two phones as we drive. Jill and Patrick come for door opener and wave us off. Will do mail, papers, cat. Call Steve, Mom, Shelly, Frances, Peg, Dosters, Pam Driesell, later Wanda, Kathy Farrell…and all will call others. We’re very connected!
9:30 a.m. We arrive at Emory. Marianne and two nurses are jumping up and down for us in the hallway. What a welcome to 595B! JoAnne is our floor nurse.
10ish a.m. Dr. Jones stops in. He’ll pick up two lungs at #### Hospital, and he’ll help Dr. Force with the transplant. Also helping: Andreas Pelaez, new doctor. Dr. Lawrence is out of town.
10:30 a.m. Rex showers, especially scrubbing his chest with brush and special soap.
10:30ish Paige, Dr. Force’s nurse practitioner, takes data and explains what is ahead.
- Rex will go into surgery about 1 or 2.
- Dr. Force will prep him while Dr. Jones runs to #### Hospital to retrieve the lungs. Rex will be gone about 9 hours (it was really 9) and then go to ICU with a ventilator for about 3 days. He’ll be kept asleep for about 36 hours.
- Incision will be like a clam shell
- He’ll have four drain tubes that will be taken out one at a time. These are NOT in the lungs but between them and the chest for drainage.
- JoAnn gives Rex his first small doses of anti-rejection drugs at 10:30 or so. He’ll be on these (and more of them) after surgery.
- Marianne suggests I get a room at Mason House for 10 days, hoping for the best: that we’ll go home by then! I’ll walk (if I can) over to get key between 3 and 9 p.m. Dr. Pelaez insists I need sleep. I’ll wait in surgery waiting room. It’s very crowded right now—Rex is peacefully asleep. Wonder why I can’t wait here in the quiet? (This turns out to be a temporary room for us.)
11:00 a.m. They take 12 viles of blood.
