Support Group

Today Lee and I attended our first support group meeting at the Center for the Living.  It was good to be part of the group that was on the recovering side and not on the preparing side.  There were about 6 post-lung transplant people who received their lungs within a week of Lee's surgery.  They all looked so good and were able to sit in class without oxygen and extra tanks.  The classroom is filled with pre-lung transplant, post-lung transplant and caregivers.  There were at least 20 people in the small classroom. 

I was so proud of Lee.  He was called on several times to share his experiences and to allay some of the fears and anxieties that those awaiting the surgery were expressing.  There is such a contrast among the "haves and have nots" in that room. (Meaning those who now have their lung or lungs and those who need new lungs.)  Those who have already undergone surgery and have lungs are more relaxed, chatting easily with one another.  Those who are waiting are anxious, they have their oxygen tanks close by and are either breathing through masks or nasal cannulas.  Their color is pale and gray.  They appear exhausted all the time.  Trying to carry on a conversation with them is difficult.  They do not have any oxygen to spare for conversation because it takes all of it just to try to keep them going.  Lee and I remember those times.  Lee understands very well what they are feeling.  They are like a drowning person trying to tread water.  Those of us who have been fortunte enough to have never experienced that feeling are to count our blessings.

We are amazed at the diversity of the group.  There are currently 5 or 6 young people there, all under the age of 30.  Some have cystic fibrosis and others have pulmonary fibrosis.  They are all struggling.  Of the entire group, the men outnumber the women probably 3 or 4:1.  It does seem to prodominately be a masculine afflication.  We now have a better understanding of the reason this facility is called the Center for the Living.  Those who are able to enter are indeed given an opportunity for living once again. The only way you can become an eligible candidate for lung transplant is to be able to enter through the doors of the Center for the Living...........walking.  You may not enter via walker nor wheelchair.  If you cannot walk, they cannot rehabilitae you enough to endure a procedure as difficult as the lung transplant.

Lee has made some great progress these past two days.  He is now able to shower again.  It is so much easier now that he does not have to shower before his oxygen tank empties!  Now he just enjoys a slow shower.  What a luxury! 

Today for the first time, he was able to walk out of the Center for the Living and walk all the way to the car.  This is a long walk (and it was 100 degrees F).  He usually sits and rests several times along the way, but today he did not have to!  That was progress!

I want to thank you for continuing to be our blog followers.  It helps me to write and know that you are there listening (or reading)....almost like being there talking to you.  We know that your prayers have carried both of us along this journey and that Lee's success stories have occurred because of the power of your prayers. We thank you for that.

More Later.....................................................Brenda