More of the same, or so I thought…….

Same schedule, different day or so I thought. The only wrinkle today was after my workout I attended two of the required six educational classes about the realities of getting a double lung transplant. Half way through the first class I realized the agenda was to share with everything that could possibly go wrong before, during and after the procedure. It didn’t give me that warm and cuddly feeling, to say the least. I’ve been working hard to keep my attitude positive, but I had my first WTF! moment this afternoon.

After I got home and digested the information I realized they are intentionally trying to manage my expectations downward so when complications occur it will not be a devastating surprise. Everyone has complications to varying degrees. I get it, but in the moment, parts were tough to hear.

There was also lots of good information shared about what to expect in the hospital and when and some of the hurdles one must cross to be discharged.. Some of it is just down right amazing. Like within 24 hours of having my chest peeled open like a tin can, i will be required to get up and walk! I will be holding on to a chassis that holds all of the bags attached to the 9 tubes coming out of my body, Walking apparently is key to healing from this procedure. It gets the lungs working, the blood flowing and prevents atrophy and blood clots. They added “you’re really not going to feel like walking, Your body will feel like it just got run over by a Mack truck but walking is a must”. So much to look forward to!

My workouts continue to go well and they are ramping up in intensity. I handling everything they are throwing at me and trying to do a little more than they ask each day. I’ve been very impressed with the PT staff. Everyone has been very professional, very experienced and very encouraging. Today I got to work with Jennifer.

Smiling Jennifer Bachman, Duke PT extradinaire

There is always a twenty plus minute track walk pulling my oxygen tank. Striding at a lap a minute which is very good so I’m told. Pushing to keep my pace up as they add on more laps, all the while sucking down 15 liters of oxygen!

Spoke yesterday to Dick Hogan. Though I’ve never personally met Dick, we’ve spoken a number of times on the phone. He’s had a profound impact on me. Dick had a double-lung transplant at Duke last year and is absolutely thriving. Dick is 69, and says he feels like he is 30! He couldn’t walk one block without stopping and being totally gassed before his transplant and is now walking 50 miles a week and playing golf again! what an inspiration!

Until I spoke with Dick, I hadn’t heard directly from a bonafide lung transplant success story. All I had heard about was people post transplant that couldn't stay out of the hospital and had no quality of life. That’s not Dick’s experience at all. Looking back on his experience Dick commented “it really was no big deal. There were a few tough days, and the hallucinations were really weird, but don’t hesitate. Go for it!” He has set a high bar, but I’m going to do my damnedest to jump over it!

Durham officially issued a “shelter in place” order so other than heading to the rehab facility I’m totally homebound. Susie is doing all of our grocery shopping and reported this morning that Whole Foods has now gone to a “one out, one in” system of restricting the numbers of customers in the store at a time. They are also enforcing social distancing. Kudos to Whole Foods for handling this so well.. Seems their shelves have returned to being well stocked with the exception of paper towels, aloe vera gel, wipes and items that are Corona specific.

Thanks to Susie for keeping me safe and trapped inside! I owe her such a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Duke Hospital system is the largest employer in the state of North Carolina and a tremendous shout out goes to all of the health care workers here that are now having to work doubly hard because of Covid-19. It has thrown a wrench into everything and procedures are changing daily, but they always put patients first. It amazes me I have not heard a cross word from anyone, yet the stress they are under is intense. What a great espirit de corp they have here.

A huge shout out is also deserved by the thousands of associates at UNFI that are keeping the grocery stores in the the country supplied with inventory! They are working 24/7 to deliver cases of groceries, produce, meats and most of what you find in your grocery store. Thanks for your incredible effort! Full disclosure: I’m on the Board of Directors. (NYSE: UNFI).

An finally, a big shoutout to my “spirit team” pictured below

Molly and Juliana, head of my “spirit team”” are keeping me smiling.

Thank goodness for FaceTime since my family can’t visit, we at least can see each others smiling faces. It always lifts my spirits, as does receiving a Juliana’s original painting which arrived yesterday.

Original art by Juliana Roy Lugo. A keeper!

Emma is in Southern California, and fortunately she’s been able to work at home for the last few weeks. We talk frequently as she is providing me technical support to keep this blog going. Couldn't do it without her and she knows it!

So that’s it for now. I found writing today was really therapeutic. How I feel at the end of this post is quite different than when I started. My head is back in a more positive place. It’s as if writing about ll the scary stuff I heard today released some its energy. An unexpected benefit for me doing this blog. More to come.

Thanks for reading and for your comments. I read every single one of them.