4 days till i leave for meeting transplant team!

I went and seen my friend Lynette who was down in Newcastle hospital last week to find out more things about what my hospital stay will involve.

Heres what i found out :

When i get there i will get, bloods taken,including blood gas test (blood from artery) very sore, breathing test including the breathing test in a glass box, xray,ultrasound, heart scan, walking test. I will have a convo roughly an hour a day with transplant co-ordinator who will explain transplant procedure, on the waiting list, post transplant care/treatment. I will get told what the transplant ward is like with windows from the roof to the floor with a garden and tv and a fair sized en suite. I will meet psychologist who will find out a bit about me, my family my hobbies etc and how i am coping. I will meet a surgeon who will explain all the RISKS that are involved and how the transplant is carried out. I will also be introduced to my physio. On the last day all the team will have a meeting to discuss if i am suitable for getting a transplant. I may not be i grow bugs in my body that cannot be treated for example. Then my doctor will come to see me and tell me if i am on the list or not. If i am put on the list i have to then sign papers and discuss a will. The papers i sign will be my consent to certain things for example say the operation had complications that left my brain dead i could decide if i would want my life support to be turned off.

Things i found out after transplant :

•  I have increased hair growth
• I cannot eat cranberries as it can inter-fear with anti rejection tablets (immune sup resent)
• I have to eat healthily
• My heart will work harder still thinking i have unhealthy lungs so i have to be given tablets to control that
• After 6 weeks i can go into crowded places
• I will be put on steroids that will make my face swell and body parts which causes high water retention and can cause water leaking from your leg yes water coming out your skin i seen a girls picture that it happened to lol.
• during the operation my feeding tube in my stomach gets taken out and so does my portacath (site where antibiotics are given) as this can be a risk or infection areas and you will no longer need them.
• I will have chest drains, a line in my neck that accesses my jugular vein to give medicines, morphine and dialysis if i get kidney failure which is normal after operation.
• I will have a line in my back that will give me regular epidurals (pain killer woman in labour get) as they will try to keep my torso numb for the first week.
• Once i get home everyday i will have to measure my weight,temperature and do a breathing test to make sure my body is not rejecting lungs, putting on weight is a sign, as is high temperature and decreased lung function.
• If at home i am sick i have to phone hospital as i could have threw up my tablets. If i have cold, aches and pains i also have to phone as i may have an infection or virus that could be fetal.
• I wont be allowed piercings.
• I wont be allowed to get drunk.
• If i start to get slow rejection happening to my lungs i can be put on transplant waiting list again if i want.