I didn't know until date four that my future wife had cystic fibrosis and was a lung transplant recipient. She was too wonderful for me to care.
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When I met my husband, who has cystic fibrosis, he was listed for a double-lung transplant. I thought I was prepared for that. I wasn't.
Although they have been full of physical and emotional challenges, as well as life interruptions, multiple transplants have helped me become the person I am.
Deciding to get on the double-lung transplant waiting list was a very difficult decision, emotionally. I was lucky my care team recommended early referral. It gave me the time to process my emotions about transplant and make an educated decision.
Since starting the transplant journey, I have learned many things, run into many roadblocks, and been left shocked by other issues.
After my social media post went viral, I finally found my lung donor's family. The emotional meeting with them brought a confusing mix of happiness, grief, gratitude, and survivor's guilt. I received lungs because my donor was killed in a shooting.
Although I went through a lung transplant evaluation, I decided not to be listed.
Because of the medications I must take as a result of my lung transplant, I thought it might be too difficult to conceive a baby through in vitro fertilization. I was wrong. I'm expecting a son in November.
After discussing it with my family and giving it a lot of thought, I decided not to pursue a lung transplant.
My relationship with the idea of a lung transplant has changed over time. Although I'm approved for transplant now, it is a complicated process with a full range of emotions. Here's what I learned along the way.