The Road to Recovery (Days 10-12)

As evening came we were hopeful like always that he would get some sleep. He finally did! Jed got a decent night of sleep and woke with a renewed spirit. As the day progressed the pain and tension in his back and neck eased as well. Finally, it felt like the road to recovery was picking up pace. Physical therapy and pulmonary rehab started to work with Jed on daily exercises for leg, core, heart, and lung strength. His upper body will still be under restriction for some time due to his incision. Jed’s mom came for a visit during the day and marveled at seeing how well Jed was doing. With Jed turning the corner health wise, we decided it was time I start sleeping at the hotel down the road. It was difficult to leave him, yet a nurse reminded me that once he leaves the hospital he is all mine and there is no nurse button to push for backup.

By Wednesday the Doctors decided to remove another chest tube. With every chest tube removed we are another step closer to Jed being released from the hospital. Two tubes remain. There is still a small leak in the left side so it will be a few more days before the Doctors feel comfortable removing them. The air leak is prolonging Jed’s recovery process in the hospital. Rather than be discouraged, Jed has made the most of it by staying diligent with his therapy, treatments, and striving to be a source of encouragement to the staff.

Part of the recovery process is education. We now have a “medical bible binder” for him. The binder contains all his daily vitals and meds, along with important information. With lung transplant the chance of rejection is greater because the organ has direct access to the outside environment, so there are restrictions we must follow. Such as; wearing a special mask when in crowded areas, construction, healthcare facilities, barns, dust or soil. He is not supposed to ever mow the lawn, garden, rake leaves, vacuum, or clean up animal feces again. This part doesn’t sound too bad, however Jed used to enjoy yard work. He is to never eat uncooked meat, even deli meat must be heated, or unpasteurized dairy. All fruits and vegetables thoroughly washed, and never eat at a buffet or salad bar. No hot tubs, ponds, water parks, or bonfires. No birds, reptiles, or handling cat litter or cleaning aquariums. His chance of getting skin or colon cancer is increased, so he must wear sunscreen and hats. Increased risk of developing diabetes. No flying for a year or driving for 6 weeks. And no being around anyone who is sick. These restrictions are to protect Jed from fungus, bacteria, and viruses entering the new lungs.

Jed will be on certain anti-rejection medications for the rest of his life. These drugs suppress his immune system so that his body does not reject the foreign organ. Like all drugs there will be side effects. He will have routine lab checks and Doctor appointments. He will also be taking anti-viral and anti-fungal  medications to help protect his body since his immune system will be compromised. We did learn that the donor lungs were positive for the CMV virus and Jed’s body is not. For the average person, the CMV virus is harmless. Many people have been exposed and have it. Unfortunately, since Jed has not and now he has a compromised immune system there stands a chance that the virus could affect him at some point. Jed will undergo infusion treatments to boost his body against the virus and be on anti-viral medications. It was disheartening to hear that as we try to protect Jed from viruses and bacteria around him there now is a virus within him that could cause him to become sick. They explained that the risk involved was lesser then the risk of not getting a new lung. We are choosing to again trust God’s hand in this.

Every time Jed was tempted to get discouraged at the list of restrictions and information, he takes a deep breath and remembers the miracle that has been given. 15 days ago, he was restricted to the house on oxygen and unable to walk from one side of the house to the other without being winded and needing to rest. Taking a shower was a chore. The reality was that one more flare up (sickness) and that could have been the end. He will gladly wear a mask and take extra precautions if it means he gets the chance to once again watch his son play ball, take a family bike ride, or share the love of Jesus with someone.