Lisa's Lung Transplant

Hello there all of you wonderful human beings. Some of you may know me and some of you may not so I will give you a quick insight to who I am. My name I Lisa Edwina Andrews, I am 56 years old and I live in Greeley, Colorado. When I was in 7th grade (12/13 years old) I was diagnosed with Wegener's Vasculitis. At the time (early 80's) it was considered a very rare auto-immune disease. The best way I have found to describe this disease is it takes your immune system hostage and makes it turn against your body. My lungs became the prime target for the disease. When I was 15 years old I had a lower lobe lobectomy performed on my right lung due to a cavity that the disease caused. Doctors had told me a number of times that I would not live to a certain age and due to some medications that I took would not be able to have children. I proved them wrong on all of those accounts! In 1989 I met the love of my life, Pat, and much to my shock became pregnant and had our first daughter Melissa in 1991. Our second daughter followed in 1995. Wegener's is now known as GPA, Granulomatosis with polyangiitis. In 2010 I developed a pulmonary embolism in my right lung which caused the lung to be greatly diminished. I had to start wearing oxygen on a daily basis. In 2011 my body could no longer fight off colds or the flu and it was determined that I had to stop working and stay home. I retired on disability in September of 2011 and learned to live with 24hour oxygen and taking precautions with my health.

In late 2022 I began to experience shortness of breath and fatigue to the point of having to increase my oxygen from 3 liters 24/7 to 5 liters 24/7. On March 2023 a trip to the hospital found that a blood clot was taking up the entirety of the remaining right lung. Medications were given and after a week I went home. Sadly, I did not get better and in June of 2023 found myself diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension complicated with heart failure. Doctors asked me at that time if I have ever considered a lung transplant. My case was reviewed but unfortunately I cannot have a lung transplant in Colorado due to several unique factors. I was then referred to Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio who have agreed to review my case. As you may have guessed this will be a costly endeavor.

Pat and I will be traveling to Cleveland Ohio at the end of this month to do a borage of tests and have meetings with my Lung Transplant Team. The costs of this life changing event are over whelming and so I am asking for help financially. Anything you are able to donate will be greatly appreciated. I will post updates and try to keep folks in the know. If you would like to know more of my story please feel free to contact me. God Bless you and thank you so very kindly.