Happy Thanksgiving

Cathy has been sitting in the high-backed chair, on the trach collar, since 6:30 this morning. The plan is to let her stay on the collar until her blood gas levels start to go bad. So far she is doing great. Today she did three 15 minute sessions in the pneumo vest and three sessions of exercises (leg lifts and marching in place).

Last night Cathy started to produce blood with her lung secretions (quite a bit). The doctors said that this is not a concern. The bleeding is from reprofusion injury. All transplant patients get it. Cathy has a mild case of this injury. This was caused when the blood and oxygen were reintroduced into her new lung after transplant. For some reason, after tissue has sat without blood circulating through it for an extended period of time (like her lung when it was sitting in a bucket of water before transplant) the tissue swells up when it starts to receive blood and oxygen again. It is normal, we were told to expect it, and it is happening.

Today is a Thanksgiving that Cathy and I are not going to forget. No turkey, no cranberries, no gravy or pumpkin pies, just the two of us discussing plans for trips and adventures. Two weeks ago a simple trip out of bed was becoming an impossibility. Today the possibilities are... well you all know... The depths of our thanks to that special family somewhere in Colorado cannot be expressed in words. Our prayers are with them as they pass through this day without their son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin....