The last 2 weeks

Finally Pete has come to the end of his 3 month recovery program.

The last 2 weeks have been busy ones for us.  Our days began early because we counted on 4 hours of driving back and forth from home to the city. Pete had the regular blood work, chest x-rays, a couple of bronc's, an ECG, spirometry checks, regular clinic visits and the daily physio which continued like clock work.  Then when that was all done we both headed to our work place.  This tends to make one a bit lethargic by evening.......:)!

Pete has been feeling a bit under the weather so they did another bronc to see what's brewing in his lungs and he definitely has a lung infection.  So another antibiotic is added to the concoction of pills, but one of the anti rejection drug doses has been dropped and that is awesome.

This was also the time for Pete to send his letter to the family of the donor.  A difficult, but very grateful letter.

From now on all the blood work is done in Barrhead once a week and the info faxed to the Team and Pete will still be going to the U of A for his clinic visits which will be on Fridays.  We begin with once a week and soon that will taper off to every other week, then once a month, etc..  The four doctors from the transplant team will remain Pete's doctors for everything and we are very thankful for this.

We also went back to the ICU, 3G3 the transplant ward, 5E3 the pulmonary ward, the gym, and to clinic and expressed our thanks for their care and dedication.  I must say that they are pretty excited to see Pete doing so well :) and appreciated us dropping by!

One nice thing about going to clinic is that we will also meet up with our hospital family on a regular bases. The relationships made in gym made the whole time that much more enjoyable and the supportive aspect was and is an important one.  We all have exchanged our contact info just for this very reason.

This will be the last post for now.  The blog will remain open and if anyone wishes to receive an email notice for when there is a new post, then please send me your email address.  I'll post my email address on the blog page.

Now I'm handing this over to Pete to close.  Hugs to all from Margaret.

Hello all. There's not much more I can add to this except to express my thanks to all who supported us in many and various ways. It is very much appreciated. I would especially like to thank Margaret not only for writing this blog but also for being there for me during this entire time. It was a difficult task as for much of the time I was not an easy patient - some of you witnessed that.

Thanks also to the Respirology staff  under whose care I have been for the last 4 1/2 years and also the hospital staff. Their care and dedication to there calling is awesome.

We thank the Lord that he has been with us during this time and allowed success in this endeavor. We pray for His continuing providence. Thanks again to all!   Pete

Home again!

A number of tests have been done this week, starting with the usual chest x-rays.  In clinic Dr. Weinkauf showed us the comparison x-rays of Pete's lungs from before and after surgery and what a difference in size. I was also bold enough to ask for a copy of the pathology report done on the old lungs.  Severe emphysema noted.....and much more (I'm still in the process of googling what most of it means).

A broncoscopy (where a tiny camera is inserted down the trachea to check around all five lobes of the lungs) No more hissing!! :) :).  Dr. Weinkauf was quite impressed with how quickly and how well Pete is healing from the surgery.

CT chest scan (many precise pictures of the structures inside the chest) followed by a 2-part Nuclear VQ chest scan (of the pulmonary air flow and blood flow in the lungs).  We saw the results of this test and it's amazing to see what technology can produce.  There to, all is looking good!

Then Thursday Pete wakes up from a restless night and is breathing like pre-transplant and also quite congested :(  We of course are worried and call transplant and they do a chest x-ray again, we skip physio and then by afternoon Pete is totally okay again.  The doctors don't know why, but it's not an uncommon hiccup!

So after 2-1/2 months of living in the city, it's time to move home again.  Must say though that it's been such a blessing to have been able to be so close to the hospital.  We enjoyed the 3 weekends that we went home, but always looked forward to heading back into the city.  Pete's also been given the go ahead to drive again.

Now we will be commuting from home into the city for 2 more weeks.

The Lord blesses us all in such different ways.  Pete's on a journey of healing and joy, while others in our church community are on a journey of suffering and pain.  We pray that the Lord will grant healing and give peace.

Getting there!

Well, this week I can report that Pete is getting stronger by the day.  Looking at him, you wouldn't know that anything so miraculous has happened and that in itself is a blessing.

This past week has brought about a few nice changes.  On Tuesday all the things that Pete got aid from have been returned.  No more oxygen concentrators, wheelchair or bathtub accessories.  Gone :)
Even to the long distance appointments we simply walk.

Today in BC my brother Gordon Vanderhorst and Debbie are getting married.  Under normal circumstances we would have gone to celebrate with the family, but at this point the distance is just too far.

Till next week......
We wish you all a blessed Sunday tomorrow

Two thirds there!

One more month to go, but first it's home for the long week-end.

The past week over all has been a good one of gaining strength, balance and focus.  Walking is going really well.  We only use the walker for long distances  :)

Pete's morning routine used to consist of a cup of coffee and off to work he went.  Well things change and now added to that cup of coffee is a whole new routine.  At roughly the same same time each day he starts of with checking his sugar levels, prepares a dish of medication, has breakfast and then a routine check of blood pressure, pulse, temperature, weight and spirometry readings.  This "data"  is to be done each morning for the rest of his life and it basically helps the transplant team to track rejection.  So we will gladly do that :)

Pete's been given the go ahead to just go on with life in a normal fashion using common sense where needed. So he will be able to go to church tomorrow and looking forward to that blessing.

We have experienced the opposite of Pete's progress in the last couple of weeks.  Pete's first roommate Al Richards has passed away after a long hard fight to survive.  Another 2 men we met in the physio program earlier have also passed away.

In this light we pray that our heavenly Father will continue to grant Pete what he stands in need of for each and every day

Blessings

It's been a wonderful week.  Pete is gaining strength by leaps and bounds.  It's awesome to see the exercise list in the gym get longer each day :( -  ;)

Up to now I've been wheeling Pete everywhere and it's our goal this coming week to shed the wheelchair and when we have a longer stretch to walk then we'll just use the walker for balance and security.

We had a wonderful visit with Brian & Allie and thoroughly enjoyed the time out and having Brian push the wheel chair up and down Whyte Ave. Now I must say that it's pretty interesting that each time one of my sisters came ............... it snowed!!!!

We will now be going home for the week-ends.  To us that's pretty exciting!  It'll be great to be able to go to church again and join in the worship service.  Pete will of course stay home and watch a service on live stream.

This week Friday we hope to celebrate Pete's 64th birthday.

All in all, life is good and it's to our heavenly Father that we give the thanks and praise.

A new routine

It's been interesting getting used to our new routine and freedom.

Being in the apartment has allowed Pete to begin working again, seeing as his work is sitting behind a computer.  Went to Barrhead to pick up his computer and monitors and it was nice for Pete to chat with his co-workers.   Then we went home to pick up what was needed and then headed back to the city and proceeded to re-arrange the apartment.  Believe it or not......we got it to work :)

Our mornings are of course spoken for.  Clinic keeps us on track and physio is coming along okay. The sleeping issue is still an ongoing problem, but is being worked on.

Am looking forward to my sister Allie Dalejohnson and her husband Brian from BC coming on Monday.  They are driving up and will be here for a day and a bit .

Unless something major occurs, I won't be posting anything for awhile.  Things have pretty well stabilized and there isn't really anything new to write.  It's just a long slow road as Pete continues to work on gaining his strength.

We really appreciate the caring showed by so many, by their prayers, visits and all other various means of support, which we see as a blessing of our heavenly Father.

It's official

Pete is now officially an out patient. For now the plan is that we will be staying in the apartment till the end of May and commute back and forth from home till the middle of June.

Our mornings are kept fairly busy with blood work, blow tests, clinic with the Respirologists and physio each day.  Between all this there are x-rays, education sessions for diet, medications, caregivers, etc.......basically life after transplant :)

Feeling thankful :)

Almost there

The plan is for Pete to be an out  patient on Monday and as the Dr. Wienkauf said on his morning round "your doing really well, I have to go and find some sick people".

This week we've had a number of passes to go to the apartment, which was nice and today Pete stayed long enough too have "supper".

It's been a great week of healing :)

Till next week :)

Much better

Compared to last week, this week is awesome :)

We are glad to be back in the transplant ward, 3G2 #6-2.  Must say though, we'll miss the nurses who cared so diligently for Pete on Pulmonary :)

Pete is managing to get more sleep each night and being more active during the day.  Physio is happening regularly and with this beautiful weather we try to go outside in the wheelchair a couple times per day.  I still get a kick out of taking Pete outside in his pajamas!

On Sunday Pete got a pass to go to the apartment and along with Rob, we listened to Chilliwacks church service live stream.  Nicer to watch on the TV rather than the cell phone.

On Tuesday chest x-rays showed some fluid build up in the bottom of both lungs.  This causes the oxygen absorption to drop quite low during the night. While sleeping Pete's still not breathing deep enough to prevent this from happening and then the lungs will tend to collapse in the saturated areas. So he will use oxygen till this heals.  This also tends to elevate the body temperature.  Just need to build up more strength!  :)

I managed to have a day out yesterday.  My glasses broke, so I headed up to Barrhead to get them repaired. Had a quick coffee with friends and then headed up to Neerlandia.......and there wasn't much I could do to stop the tears as I got near the hamlet.  Home sweet home it is :)  Just had to stop in at the Neerlandia Co-op and say hello to my co-workers.  Spent some time at home gathering up things that I could use at the apartment and then a quick coffee with my daughter-in-law Missy and of course get in some gramma time. Managed to get my hair styled.....thanks Darlene for fitting me in! My last stop was saying hello to Pete's co-workers at Rose Country and then it was back to the city.

This morning when I walked into Pete's room I could see on his whole being that he had "slept".

We are very grateful to the Lord for the healing given to Pete each day again and take comfort in knowing that He watches over us each step of the way.

Take care everyone :)

It's been awhile

Things have been difficult here for Pete.  Once again a stretch of 4 days without sleep.  The first couple of days have him tired, then by the third day the hallucinations come and by the fourth day he is in a state of delirium. Needless to say, this is hard for him and hard for those who care for him. This of course sets Pete's recovery back a few notches.

Tuesday morning I called my sister-in-law Yvonne Aikema (who happens to be a nurse) to come in and be there with us.  Thanks so much Yvonne :)  Rev. Louwerse also came by.

Dr. Lien the head of Respirology is doing every thing he can to figure out what is causing this.  Two Medicine Psychologists have been reviewing Pete's drug intake against the blood work results. Some drug changes have been made and some of the dosages have also been altered.  The amount of blood drawn is astounding.....for blood chemistry, blood cultures, etc.

Once again Pete has been given a private room (9th move) and it's 5E3 #22.

After repeated doses of a sleep sedative and the body simply being played out, Pete finally falls asleep. Wednesday morning he asks whether it was true about the baby or a hallucination.  So yes, he did hear that he had a new grandson :)  The day is spent napping while still being very restless.

This week has been one of highs and lows.  On Tuesday the 14th, Hendrik and Suzanne Hulleman were blessed with a beautiful healthy baby boy whom they named Spencer Cody, weighing in at 7lb - 14 oz.  We now have 12 grandchildren - 8 girls and 4 boys.  The next day the Lord took Gary Drost home to himself. Gary was the fiancé of Hendrik's sister Grace Hulleman. Our hearts are hurting for Grace and her loved ones.

In light of what has happened and looking at the bigger picture, we are very grateful for the progress that Pete has made.  We will continue to put our trust in God and pray that He will grant us the strength needed for each day.

This morning a new picc line was put in, chest x-rays were done and finally the CT chest scan they were waiting for could be done.  Physio came knocking on the door and Pete managed to do 2 laps around the ward and lift a few weights.  Today Pete still did a lot of napping but was much calmer.

He is also fighting several infections.  The toughest one to battle is called mycoplasma which is an infection Pete happens to have in his lungs and is fought with a pretty heavy duty antibiotic.  This infection could be playing a partial role in keeping Pete awake.

Till next time and take care!

Another step ahead

So today it was back to the gym for physio.  Knowing how weak Pete really is, he did well with the exercises and managed to increase a few of the reps.

The awesome part was that his oxygen absorption stayed at 95 even under duress!  This means that the new lungs are doing their job and its just the body that is tired and that is what physio is all about for the next 2 months.  Strengthening those muscles!!

We have the apartment till the end of May and hopefully after that if more time is needed we can drive in from home.  I'm sure that Rob will be happy to have us back by then :)

Pete also had a Pulmonary function test done today which measures how well the lungs take in and release air and how well they move gases such as oxygen from the atmosphere into the body's circulation.  This was good.

We managed to do a couple of wheelchair excursions outside today and enjoy our beautiful weather. A wonderful treat after being in the hospital for 4 weeks .

Thankful for such a wonderful day!

On the ward again.....

.....and this time its to the pulmonary ward 5E3 #20 because this is where they have the bipap machine if needed, but the CO2 count seems to have levelled off, which is a good thing because high CO2 acts as a mild anaesthetic and that's not what Pete needs.

A routine CT chest scan was done today and all seems to be looking good.  Much to be thankful for!

They had to remove the picc line because the entry site didn't look good and a new one will have to be put in.

Now it's a day later and what a difference.  Pete is breathing totally on his own :) :)

.......and hopefully he will be discharged as an "out patient" early next week.

We had a friend from our group who had his transplant in July 2014 visit us.  Brian & Bev, thanks for the encouragement.

Praise to God from whom all blessings flow.

Visit to the ICU

For a couple of days Pete has been incredibly sleepy.  He'd have had a decent sleep and come morning he just couldn't stay awake and would just drift in and out all day and then by evening he'd be with it for a couple of hours.  You might think that he's making up for lost time, but that's not the case.

So Monday was interesting in the gym.  They thought Pete might stay awake if they tried some exercises, but he just kept drifting away.  So physio is on hold once again.

The doctor's not sure why this is happening, so just to be on the safe side, he decides to send Pete back to the ICU for a more intensive assessment. His carbon dioxide count is to high, but overall they are not too concerned with the CO2 level itself, but more about what's causing it.  Then this morning they decide to make sure and do a CT scan of the head. That turns out fine :)

It's likely got to do with the medications, so changes are made and today things were much better. It's not busy in ICU right now so Pete's simply waiting there for some more tests to be done tomorrow. Not a bad place to be, you get good one on one care!

Hopefully he can head back to the ward and begin physio.

Much better

Pete's gaining strength each day and today was pretty special because he walked the hallway several times without oxygen support and was okay when he came back.  So thankful for each step of progress.

Part of the reason for using oxygen yet after the transplant is that the lungs also are in a distressed state when they are transplanted.

Finally all the drainage tubes have been removed and this makes things that much more comfortable.

Before surgery the medications Pete was taking would elevate his blood sugar levels and was controlled with a pill.  But with all the anti-rejection drugs added to the list, he is now an "insulin dependant diabetic".  We knew this was coming and I have been busy over the last several months learning how to cook differently.

Had a fun time with Mabel.  She got to experience our Alberta weather first hand.   We spent Tuesday afternoon walking down Whyte Ave. in gorgeous sunny temperatures and by evening it was very windy.  Well at midnight we were restless and decided to go for a walk and seeing as it was quite chilly we decided to tour the basement of the hospital instead :).  Then we woke up the next morning to slushy snow!

They played musical beds again and this time Pete is in  room 3G2-20 - #2.  Will miss the private room.  But this room is pretty peaceful and it's by the window.  No complaints :)

My brother and his wife, Dick & Alida Vanderhorst from BC dropped by for a visit.  It was good to see them. They are in Edmonton visiting their children.

Monday morning Pete will hopefully be back in the gym.

Have a blessed weekend.

Another move

Pete is completely exhausted because he still hasn't been able to stay asleep for any decent length of time and once again the sedatives don't seem to help him.  He could not even manage to do physio today.

They have moved Pete to a private room, hoping that this will help him sleep.  He is now in 3G2-02 at the University of Alberta Hospital -  (thanks Ginny for reminding me to mention which hospital Pete was in)  :)

Today they did a couple of procedures:  They had to put the drainage tube back in the right side of his chest and they inserted a picc line up the arm and into the chest.  Now they can draw blood and also give medications through this line.  The plan is to have it in for about 3 months which will be much nicer than getting needle poked several times per day.

Mabel arrived this evening and will be spending a couple of days here.  It's pretty special to have the company of my sisters.

Regular routine

Pete is doing really well and basically concentrates on exercising, resting and sleeping.  Physio is a very important component of the healing process.

As care giver I also have to be taught along with Pete about the many changes in his life.  But, we will take this all a day at a time.

My sister Mabel Roukema from BC will be arriving on Monday evening for a few days and we really look forward to her visit too :)

Seeing as the days from here on will be very similar, I think that maybe it's time to do a post every two or three days, rather than each day.  Please feel free to just say "hi" or to add a comment for Pete to read.

We really appreciate the prayers,love and concern shown by so many.

Feeling very grateful for the many blessings received from our Heavenly Father.

Settled in

Pete's been busy this morning.   Physio has him walking the hallways already (not an easy task)  and if that isn't enough, Ena and I couldn't wait to wash his hair.

The nurse thankfully removed the feeding tube from Pete's nose and now he can enjoy eating once again.

Ena's time here is over all to quickly and this evening she is on her way back to BC.  We had a wonderful time "sister bonding".  Thanks Ena for keeping me company and for giving Pete some nursing care :)  We even managed to get a Costco trip in!

7.00 pm
Finally Pete is in the ward where he belongs and will get the specialized care that he needs.

He is in the University of Alberta Hospital, "inpatient transplant unit" - 3G2-24 #1.  This is the same room he was in when we first came in.

The amazing thing is that sharing the room with Pete is another fellow transplant patient Al and his wife Cheryl, whom we met in the gym back in May of 2014.  Also in the ICU along with Pete was another person from our group, Ron who just received a lung transplant too.  Quite the re-union!

Pete feels really good and feeling very grateful.

All praise, honour and glory to God Alone.

The move...

3.30 pm
Pete has left the ICU and now has a bed for a day or so on the cardiac ward, because they are still waiting for a bed to open up in the transplant unit.

He is doing well and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere on the ward.  Just a few less bells and whistles surrounding his bed and he's planning to have a good sleep.

Pete enjoyed the time with his two brothers Gary & John.  Gary's already on his way back to Ontario.

Ena & I enjoyed the day just being together at the apartment and spending time with Pete.  Being a nurse, Ena couldn't help but aid the nurses in Pete's care.  The fun part was watching Pete's reaction.

Good news

8.00 am
Pete has made enough progress to be transferred from the ICU to the transplant ward as soon as a bed is available.

We give thanks to the Lord for this blessing.

11.45 am
Pete is having issues with his breathing and they decide to do a chest x-ray because they figure he has fluid in his lungs.

As it turns out the problem was caused yesterday when they put the drainage tube in his chest. Air had gotten in and was pressing against the lung and had caused it to partially collapse.  This also shows that Pete isn't breathing deep enough yet and filling the lungs.

But they took care of it, gave Pete a major dose of oxygen for a few hours along with some good rest.

Meanwhile I had gone to the airport and picked up my Ena.  Since then we have gone back to Neerlandia, dropped by to see the children, did some laundry and picked up some things I liked to have for the apartment.  We just got back.

It's kinda of special that Pete's brother Gary also arrived this evening.  I was out "gallivanting" and he spent time with Pete.

Doing well

This morning they noticed that Pete's breathing was a bit laboured, so using a local anaesthetic they re-inserted a drainage tube into the right side of his chest and it's draining nicely.

The physio therapists come in each day and work on exercising Pete's limbs.  

Pete continues to just rest and once in awhile wakes up, smiles and asks what we are up to.  Then it's off to la la land again.

Dennis is on his way to visit and to take Rob back home.

Couldn't ask for a more wonderful day.

Prayers answered

4.45 pm

Pete has finally fallen asleep.  This is so awesome and the most important thing that he needs at this time. So thankful for that blessing.  Just imagine, awake for a week after what he went through!!!

I tip toed out of the room and headed to the apartment, so Rob & I could have our supper and simply relax.

Physically Pete is healing quite well.

It felt like we were riding a roller coaster this past week, not really knowing what to expect around the next corner.  We pray that this new week will be one of restful healing.

Was good to tune into the Chilliwack church service this morning.

My sister Ena Bontkes from BC will be here from Tuesday noon till Thursday evening.  Quite excited about that :)

9.00 pm

Spent some time this evening reading in Pete's room, while listening to the soft rhythmic breathing of my husband still sleeping peacefully.  Found myself smiling as I was walking to the apartment :)  Thankful for the little things we so often take for granted.

Goodnight to all!

It's been a week already

Pete will remain in the ICU for a bit yet.

This morning the doctor said that it is very difficult for a body that has been oxygen starved for about 10 years to just come back.  Right now it's pure overload of everything together, including having lungs that work.

We thank each and everyone for keeping Pete and our family close in your hearts and prayers.

Not sure if I mentioned it or not, but we have rented an apartment right behind the hospital.  Rob is spending this week-end here with me.  

We know that the Lord is watching over us and helping us to remain strong.  Psalm 121 is such a comfort, reminding us that we are not alone. 

A long day

Two steps forward, 1 step backwards...

Hopefully Pete will get his much needed healing rest tonight.

Till tomorrow!

The next phase

Last night at 10.00 they removed the breathing tube and Pete's expression was one of relief and thankfulness.  But this morning he said he'd had a rough night.

Pete only remembers having to work really hard to breathe for many years and now it's difficult for him to relax and allow his new lungs to do the work for him.  They have a new rule in place now, that after coming off the ventilator, every patient has to be aided with oxygen for 24 - 48 hrs.

Frustration, hallucinations and other factors all come into play, be it from medication or lack of restful sleep. Tonight they'll be giving him something to help him get that much needed sleep.  I must say that the care given in the ICU is excellent.

We continue to give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father.

Getting stronger.....

.......and the healing continues. The bronchial check that they did this morning found some blockages, cleared them and now Pete is doing most of the breathing himself and the ventilator is helping him minimally, just giving some extra help here and there :)  So, he remains intubated for a little bit yet.

Peter always was better at playing Charades than me, so it takes me awhile to catch on to what he's asking for.......but, we manage!

They also have removed a number of chest drains today, which is a good sign.

Pete's retaining a lot of fluid yet and that's partly due to his kidneys having taken a bit of a hit during the surgery.  Ex-rays this morning showed that they are coming around.

Our daughter Suzanne could not be here with her dad because "baby" is due really soon and Brad left for home again this morning.

So long for now.

A New Day....

This morning Pete was in good spirits and seemed a bit more alert.

The physio therapists are starting with the exercise routine already.....which is a very important step in the healing process.  It's a bit difficult yet because of the fluid retention, plus Pete was able to sit up at the side of the bed for a bit which helps in getting things moving in his chest.

Pete remains on the ventilator because he simply doesn't have the strength to breathe deep enough on his own yet.  This could take some time yet and is to be expected.

All in all, so much to be thankful for.  We are very grateful to you all for keeping Pete and our family close in your thoughts and prayers.

Have a blessed day

It's a beautiful sunny day......

.....and when we walked into the ICU this morning, Pete greeted us with a smile.

We have so much to be grateful for and at the same are prepared for the bumpy road ahead.

Will post updates as we get them.

Take care

A 2nd surgery

The very busy staff forgot to tell us that Pete was back in ICU so all in all the surgery took about 1.5 hours and it was just as they thought.  The area on the ride side of Pete's body where the lungs had adhered them self, was bleeding from the scraping needed to release them.

So they clotted that area and while they were inside any ways they took the opportunity to give the chest a saline cleaning.  That can only be a good thing :)

They also have said that Pete is oxygenating very well.

The children came this morning and when we went into the ICU the monitors became just a bit more active.  A good sign.  Pete even managed to open his eyes and move his feet.......and then proceeded to fall asleep again.  We think......maybe he was still able to hear us.

Right now he is having a bronchial scope done to check and clean the lungs.

Pete's brother John and his wife Yvonne spent the morning with us too........thanks!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

7 hours later....

At 10.15 pm Pete is out of surgery. At this point the doctor's said that it had gone well and that Pete had received a good set of lungs.

We go into ICU for about 1 hr.  They are very busy trying to stabilize Pete and are keeping him in a induced sleep. So we head off to have a normal sleep in the out patient dorms.

This morning at 6.00 I get a call saying that they are taking Pete back into surgery at 7.00.

Pete keeps bleeding from his right side and they keep pumping new blood into him. This in turn makes it difficult to keep his blood pressure under control.

Surgery should just take a couple of hrs.

It's happening.....

Pete is in surgery.  They came for him at 3.00 pm and we left Pete at the operating theater at 3.15 pm.

The estimated time for surgery is 8 - 10 hours.

Brad arrived this morning from Chilliwack, BC and is staying here with me.

The other children have gone home to be with their families.

We give praise to God alone that this is possible and that He will watch over Pete and guide the hands of the doctors and all who are caring over Pete.

Pete got the call

In less than a day, Pete has already received the call.  We arrived at the hospital at about 7.30 pm and they are busy preparing Pete for surgery.  At this point the surgery is scheduled for this afternoon.

We still have to be prepared that at the last minute as they retrieve the lungs from the donor, that the lungs are not acceptable.   This is called a "dry run".  

I will let you know at that point what is happening.

The time has come......

......and yes, Pete has made the decision to activate and is now ready to receive a double lung transplant.

Pete flew to Ontario at the end of February to celebrate his brother Gary's 65th birthday and visit with his family and especially to spend time with our daughter Suzanne and her family.  He felt pretty good when he was there, but by the time he arrived back in Edmonton he had gotten the flu and from there everything just spiralled downward.

A visit with the family doctor and the usual prescriptions of steroids and antibiotics along with oxygen gave him some relief, but his oxygen absorption continued to stay very low and his color was not good.

Thankfully he was due to meet with the Lung Transplant Team for his regular review.  The Pulmonary Function test was done and the numbers weren't good.

Before we went into the city, Pete had already decided for himself that it was time and the doctors didn't hesitate to agree with him.

Now as I've mentioned before, we have to stay close to home and the waiting begins.  The call can come tomorrow, in a week, a month or a year.  Pete is at peace with the decision and we continue to leave everything in the Lord's hand.