Rumbling With the Transplant Decision

It’s been three and a half years since I “chose” life through a double-lung transplant. Life-and-death decisions rarely are black and white. The path to making my decision wasn’t linear; it was a journey to wrestle through, devoid of clear-cut answers. I hope this column will help those on…

Transplant Is Horrendous in the Beginning — You’re Not Abnormal

On the night of Jan. 15, 2016, nurses rolled me in for surgery. I rolled out on Jan. 16 with a donor’s lungs. It’s been two years packed with awe. I love my post-transplant life. I’ve traveled all over, picked up new passions, and…

There’s Jubilant Laughter at the Transplant Games of America

July 28, 1 p.m. We’re laughing. Some of us literally poured blood, sweat, and tears to be there laughing. Transplant recipients, like me. Others thought they’d never see their loved ones laugh again, much less years later. Caregivers. Others doubted they’d ever laugh again after they lost the…

Proof that Mycobacterium Abscessus Doesn’t Always Lead to Transplant Failure

Part two of a series. Read part one. Last week, I wrote about how disheartened I felt that many lung transplant centers refuse to help cystic fibrosis patients with Mycobacterium abscessus complex (Myco Ab), which is a species of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Myco Ab makes transplant…