Post transplant care for Laura
My name is Scott and I want to tell you about my wife Laura. She is a true superhero and survivor who has been through more than I can possibly put into words. Most of her adult life, she has been fighting with asthma. Back in 2013, she was diagnosed with cancer (Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma) which was devastating to her both mentally and physically. She cried many times that she just wants to “see my grandkids grow up”, so she fought. After six months of chemotherapy, she was clear of all tumors…SHE BEAT CANCER!!!!!
But, because of the high doses of chemo, she now has glaucoma, which is affecting her eyesight. She has gone through five eye surgeries to reduce the pressure in her eyes and still has to go for one more surgery. A couple of years after chemo, she complained of pain in her hips, so she went to the doctor. It turned out that the chemo deteriorated her right hip to the point that she had to have a full hip replacement. I have never seen someone in such pain as she was after the surgery, my heart was broken. But again, Laura fought, and after months of rehabilitation, she was able to walk without so much pain. She concurred a hip replacement…
Then, we were all faced with the COVID virus. She was very careful because of her compromised immune system. As soon as she could, she received both vaccine shots. But COVID was too strong. On Mother’s Day, 2021, she went to the hospital because she was having trouble breathing, thinking it was the asthma. Unfortunately it wasn’t, she had the COVID virus, which turned into pneumonia. She was on such high amounts of oxygen, they moved her into the ICU a couple weeks after arriving at the hospital. The doctor said that the virus had done so much damage to her lungs, he referred to them as”Swiss cheese”. They had pretty much written her off, just trying to make her comfortable, when I asked if she would be a candidate for a lung transplant? The doctor said that she wouldn’t last long enough for that. I didn’t agree with him, so I started pushing the hospital to get her on the transplant list. After a few weeks, we got a call from Northwestern Memorial Hospital! They said that they reviewed her case and they were going to put a team together to see what they can do for her. After a long interview with myself and Laura, we got the call!! She was accepted for a lung transplant!!! And was transferred to Northwestern Hospital. Laura was both happy and very scared, a double lung transplant..
on August 1, 2021, a set of lungs became available and they took her down for the surgery.
Today, she is recovering, the surgery was a success, LAURA SURVIVED A DOUBLE- LUNG TRANSPLANT!!!!!
After being in residential rehab for six weeks, Laura is now home, gone since Mother’s Day. She still has a long way to go with physical therapy, but she is determined to get her body back to the way it was before all of this. This is when we really need your help, I will have to take two months off of work because she will need 24/7 care. Laura will also need special equipment at home until she fully recovers. And then there is the medication, some of which is lifelong.
Laura, our superhero, beat cancer and COVID and she deserves to live a somewhat “normal” life for the first time in a long time. We are asking for your help to cover some of the costs so far and future costs.
Thank you.
