My new lungs help me breathe easier, but now I need a hat and coat in winter
Before my double-lung transplant, I used to run hot all the time
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One of the biggest changes between my life before my lung transplant and my post-transplant life has been with my body temperature.
Before my double-lung transplant, I ran hot all the time. I remember a night I was being transported from my home hospital to a transplant hospital for evaluation and medical intervention after my health had tanked rapidly and sent me into respiratory failure. It was winter and about 20 F (-6 C), but I was so uncomfortable and sweaty. I was on high-flow supplemental oxygen that came with a hot mist so that my lungs didn’t dry out. It was like my own personal sauna getting blown in my face, which made me sweat something fierce.
I rejected the jacket and warm blankets that I was offered, and didn’t even want to put pants on, just my signature flip-flops.
Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) caused my body to work overtime as my lungs fought to breathe through mucus-clogged airways, germ permeation, and scarring from frequent respiratory infections. Just breathing was like running a marathon. It was exhausting, and I couldn’t keep up.
Cold all the time
In fact, I can’t remember a time that I didn’t run hot. Inside, I lived in T-shirts and shorts year-round, and burned calories faster than I could take them in because it was so hard to take a breath. I felt like I was on fire all the time.
Now with new lungs, my body isn’t working overtime to breathe. I’m no longer producing continuous heat, but breathe easily without congestion.
But I get cold easily now. With the slightest chill in the air, I reach for my hoodie and sweatpants, and I’ve become best friends with my cozy blankets, often wrapping up like a burrito. I had to invest in heavier jackets, snow pants just for walks outside, and thicker winter hats. My tolerance for cold weather changed overnight, and it’s been a huge adjustment. Who would have thought it could change dramatically after surgery? Not me, apparently.
In some ways, I’m still adjusting to my new body, and it’s been fascinating to witness the many ways my body has changed from living with CF lungs to now, nearly nine years later, with transplanted lungs. In many ways I have adapted, but every now and again I run out of the house without a jacket and promptly turn around to get one. Having to wear a coat in the winter is not a bad tradeoff for breathing strongly with new lungs, though.
Note: Cystic Fibrosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cystic Fibrosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to cystic fibrosis.
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