On Monday 13th June I went to see my specialist Dr Jeffery regarding my lung condition, Dr Jeffery is usually relaxed and smiling but today he was serious and to the point. He said to me that he had been looking at my notes quite intensely and that since December my condition has deteriated as a fast rate and it has got to the point where he can no longer treat the cause only the symptoms.
As he was talking I noticed an image on his monitor and asked what it was. The image was of my lungs, imagine a plate approx 5" in diameter and place a 10 pence piece on it, this 10 pence piece was all that was left that was healthy, the rest of the lung was damaged, to say I was shocked is an understatelment but it made me realise the extent of how bad my lungs where and why I was having more difficulties.
Dr Jeffery then went on to tell me that my lungs will continue to deteriorate to the point where I will die from the condition, I was then told I could have anything from a few years to 5 or more but he could not give me a a definite time scale.
Dr Jeffery then told me that the only other option was a lung transplant, this could be a single lung or a two. Having a single transplant may not work as the other bad lung could attack the healthy lung and destroy it. I will need a series of tests and once they are completed then the team will decide if I am a suitable for the transplant. They may say I am not ill enough or too ill and to be refered again in 6 months. Otherwise if they give the go ahead then they need to decide on a single or double transplant.
If that is not bad enough then this next news shocked me even more, due to the complexity of my condition the operation give me a 1 in 8 chance of surviving the operation. So basically I die if I don't have the operation and could die if I do. I was told to go and give myself at least a week to think things over. My decision ws to go head as I could always back out later whereas if I don't go on the list and decide to later then I have wasted time.
So now I am waiting to hear when my first tests are to be and currently get around with a wheelchair though for very short distances I can use a cane but I do need oxygen 24/7 which is a pain.
It takes very little for me to get breathless and I have little muscle strength so if I bend down I really struggle to get up, Life has changed so much fo rme in such a short time but I have to get on with it. I have my dogs which give me reason to get up and occasionally I get to see my horses.
I don't ride or do anything with the horses now but hopefully the transplant goes ahead with no complications and I get some quality of life back.
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