Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Recovery

Quick update on Natalia's recovery. Natalia is making big strides everyday and getting better each day. Some days are still very tough with setbacks, some big some small, but overall her recovery is moving in the right direction for sure. She struggles physically and emotionally with the scope of the recovery, but the most important part is that the lungs are working great. She breathes the way she hasn't been able to in a very very long time. Physically she lost a huge amount of weight through all this and now is starting to gain that wait back and this will help with getting back on her feet. She does a number of physio sessions a day which include exercises in the bed and also walking around the 7th floor transplant unit with the help of a walker. Each day is better especially when you look at the progress a week at a time.

One of my highschool friends who is a transplant surgeon in the UK describes having a lung transplant as "being hit by a bus", if you survive and the lungs work, all the other parts that were hit to need to recover as well. Emotionally this has been incredibly hard on Natalia. She knew her CF incredibly well, understood how to battle against it, even though it was a battle she couldn't win. This is all new, new medications, new problems, new drug side-effects and getting a handle on all of it will take her some time, but I have no doubt that she will get through it.

For me, this is literally the first time in a very long time where I am not worried about her immediate survival, I can see the lungs working, her not struggling for each and every breath and that is simply incredible.

8 comments:

Sarah Andrews said...

Hi John:

Thank you for the update on Nat. This journey that she has been on has been so physical and emotional. Please tell her to treat herself gently, that every morning is a fresh start and that soon enough, she is going to be feeling like a new version of herself. Season's Greetings to you and your family.

Anonymous said...

Yes, thanks for updating. I think about her all the time. Happy holidays.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update. So glad things are going in the right direction!

Poppy said...

Thanks for the progress report. It's so good to hear about her breathing normally. I can't imagine what it must be like for her.

Happy Holidays to all of you!!

rb said...

Thanks so much John for the update.
It makes me so happy to hear about her breathing with her new lungs. What an amazing miracle!
I can only imagine how hard it must be for her to adapt to the new drugs and side effects, but hopefully it will all settle down.
Sending her love!!
Ramona

OceanDesert said...

Thank you for the update, John. To me, it sort of felt like I lost all my 'years of expertise' with my CF when I received my new lungs... it's very unnerving and you don't know what to expect. It gets easier though and you quickly get to know the new 'new' :)

Thinking of you all! Happiest of holidays to you and your family.

Sara

MyLifeMyWorld said...

Thanks for the update. I think that may be a good analogy, being hit by a bus, though I've never been through it, I can totally see how it takes a toll on you even after transplant in all areas of your life.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with hope, love and peace. You have a lot to celebrate this year with your new baby, Scarlett, and Nats transplant! I'm so happy for all of you and know you will all get through this and one day it will just be a distant memory. The New Year will bring about big changes, and I can't wait to see all that unfolds.

Hugs
Amanda

Alison said...

Hi John,

Thanks very much for the update on Natalia.I check her blog that Myles is doing a great job updating every day as well as your twitter account for updates on her at least twice a day.

What she (and the rest of your family) have gone through is absolutely incredible. As you know with a disease or a disability of this magnitude it really does affect the WHOLE family not just the person who has it directly. I was born with a disability that prevents me from walking so I can understand and sympathize with some of what you're feeling and have gone through with Natalia and what she is going through also with recovery from surgery. Being hit like a bus is a perfect analogy for it.

To see her in the video and looking good so soon after the transplant is wonderful. I think bringing baby Scarlett in to see her was the best medicine for her. The nurses were right to let Scarlett in to see her mom even if she wasn't old enough. That will give her even more motivation to heal and eat to gain the weight she needs to so she can get home sooner to be with Scarlett and Martin (and the rest of you) full time. I'm really looking forward to the day that I can see/read that she's going home. That will be a GREAT day for all of you. Hopefully it won't be too far in the future.

Best wishes to you, Natalia and the rest of your family for a wonderful Christmas. All the best to all of you for 2010.

Alison

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