When Genevieve had this great idea to start a blog, what she really meant is that it would be a great idea to start a blog where all of her friends get a chance to be guest bloggers :) My turn! And I apologize in advance for the length – just so much I want to share!
Let me start off by saying that she is doing really well. Brianna previously mentioned that G had a rough weekend, and gave you all of the medical lingo (in case you don't know, it's actually Dr. Brianna, which means we'll leave the medical updates to her)! I won't dwell on details, but those were the hardest few days for G so far, physically as well as mentally. It was bad, really bad, but the bottom-line is that she pulled through, and is back on track.
Michelle and I drove down earrrly Tuesday morning, and when we arrived at the hospital, we were told to put on protective gowns/gloves to prevent infection. Before we walked into the hospital room, I was honestly imagining the worst, but to my surprise, she looked great, even though showering has dropped to the bottom of her list of priorities :) She had just come out of intensive care that morning, and continued to have difficulty talking, due to a surgery she had on her vocal cords last week. Anyway, she welcomed us with big hugs, even though she barely had enough energy to pick up her own chapstick the day before. Her body went through a lot of trauma over the weekend, so she's slowly trying to rebuild her strength and stamina. She compared herself to a baby, who has to learn everything from zero, but she's making progress, even able to stand up on her own now.
G is on more meds than I can count. She has an IV pole with bags and bags of medicines hanging next to her bed. There are huge tubes coming out of her body for all kinds of purposes (ie suction, drainage, etc.). The slightest move in the wrong direction can cause major pain. We saw where the surgeon made his incision across her chest, and the staples he used to close her up. I have visited her in numerous hospitals, but the atmosphere here is very different. It's hectic, and you can feel the sense of urgency in the air. People are constantly coming in and out of the room at all hours – nurses, doctors, physical therapists, stress management coaches, etc. It's overwhelming and stressful, even for a visitor. I may or may not have almost fainted 3 separate times, and G not so subtly reminded me that this is why I switched out of pre-med while we were in college :)
The first highlight of the visit came when her doctors gave her the OK to eat something of honey-like consistency (after not eating or drinking anything for 2 weeks), and like Bri said, for G, this means fancy homemade truffle-infused mashed potatoes made by Claude! If only I could have captured the look on her face!! Pure bliss!!
The second highlight was during her treadmill exercise…it's hard to believe she had been bedridden for the previous 4 days (and constantly connected to an oxygen tank for the past 6? months), because she did the treadmill not once, but twice that day!!! And although I've seen countless people finish all kinds of races, I have NEVER been so proud of someone for walking 15 minutes at a speed of .6 mph (you read that correctly --> .6 mph would equate to 1 mile in 100 minutes). But she did it with her head held high and with a smile on her face. This is somewhat of a personal triumph for me, because she has always been my #1 cheerleader for whatever race I choose to do, whether it's in New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, wherever, she always has her 'Go Deena' placard ready to go! This was the first time the positions were switched, and it was really touching for me to be on the sidelines cheering her on for once…definitely one of the many moments to bring tears to my eyes. Now she's already up to 1.0 mph!! Put the Ethiopians and Kenyans on alert!! ;)
It was an emotional visit for all of us. Lots of tears, good ones and bad ones. She talked to us about moments when she's sad and/or scared. Like when she feels like she is doing everything she is supposed to be doing, everything that is within her control, yet something can and does go wrong. She ends up feeling helpless, anxious, powerless, etc. She also feels a sense of obligation to the previous owner of the lungs to do them justice. And she will. It's just daunting.
There were also lots of laughs, the deep hearty ones that used to make G go into a coughing fit, but during this visit, I don't think I heard her cough even once. In the 16+ years I've known her, not a day has passed without a cough. It's hard to believe this is her new normal. Woo hoo to healthy lungs!
The highlight of the highlights has to be the Post Love Project, organized by Sarah, another childhood friend of G, who collected 'postcards' from friends, and friend of friends, to share memories, stories, pictures, artwork, etc. with G. We were lucky enough to be there when the package arrived. I described the scene as 'Christmas in Durham', and it really was, although in this scenario, I guess Ellie plays Santa :) G had no idea this surprise was coming, and as she opened the package, her expressions went from confusion to excitement to utter joy. There were postcards from childhood friends, with whom she hasn't spoken to since 6th grade, or friends from Gold Key Lake (her cabin in the Poconos), college friends, high school friends, teachers, childhood crushes, and postcards from as far as Uganda, Zimbabwe, London, France, New York, PA, NJ, MA, Miami, New Orleans, and more. There were pictures of her as a little girl in dance class or swim team, and pics from college when she dressed up like a space alien at the Science Museum in Boston to win tix to London (no, she didn't win), pics of her convincing friends to swim across the Gold key Lake in the Poconos and then being 'banned from the beach' for the rest of the summer, drawings from her friends' babies, vacation pics, motivational quotes, and on and on and on. Each story, picture, or card was unique and heartwarming. It was such a special evening, and it really touched her to see how much love and support there is for her.
Although it did break my heart to see her in the hospital, I left there feeling inspired and hopeful. I'm feeling optimistic about her progress. Her attitude is upbeat and positive. She has a wonderful team supporting her, both professional and personal, all wanting her to succeed. The staff at Duke is excellent. Ellie and Claude are the same loving supportive parents that they have always been, continuing to be there day after day, night after night. Ellie is a rock. And Brianna is simply amazing, not only as a childhood bestie, but also has a bright knowledgeable doctor. And of course all of you are constant sources of encouragement as well. She is so grateful for the support. I can't tell you how many times she whispered 'Thank You' to anyone and everyone during our visit. The support is invaluable. When she can't sleep, which is quite often, she will turn on some music and look through the pics on yogi. Hint hint – keep posting to gigistransplant@yogile.com (just send pics to the email address). I will post some pics from the visit as well.
The last good piece of news is that we heard she might be able to see Juju soon!
G – As you prepare to say au revoir to your old lungs and welcome in the new ones, just remember, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."
I'm so excited for you!! Keep up the good work!!
XOXO Deena
