I love to help where I can, and one person who really needed the community support and you really came across for her is Crystal Taylor of Waterville. Crystal needs a double lung transplant, and she had to move to Toronto to get it. I thought I would share an e-mail from her with you...
Hey there
Well for an update. Can`t remember what I last told you. I had a lung late July early August and when Xray came back showed nodules,,so I was put on hold until I had a CT Scan,,they are always afraid of cancer,,they cannot transplant anyone who has lung cancer. It`s like the nodule could be the size of a grain of salt and when opened up,it`s like shaking a salt shaker inside,the cancer spreads. And you don`t usually make it even out of OR. Once I had the CT Scan the nodules had gotten smaller,so I put back on. That was a definite scare for me. So I have CT Scans every 3 mths.
So far they have done I believe it`s 63 transplants for the year. Always at least 70 on the list,,right now out of that 70 ,7 are children. We had a fantastic speaker last week. Dr Shaf Keshavjee MD MSC and a whole other bunch of letters after his name. Chief surgeon for transplants. He was very informative. Out of the lungs that are donated across the world only 15% of those lungs are suitable for transplant. Toronto General has invented a device called Ex Vivo which can repair lungs sometimes to reach specific criteria so that now in Toronto the success rate for using lungs is 40%. It totally amazes me the discoveries TO General has made. And right now their research is on cloning lungs,,they figure within 5 years they may have it mastered. Which would be so wonderful,because so far we have lost 4 people whom were on the waiting list just since I arrived in May. Lung donors are very minimal and as I said before lungs that reach the specific criteria are very minimal. We just lost a lady Sunday which scares me because we did Treadmill (physio class) side by side just on Wednesday together.
My disease is progressing. I now have a cough and phylum all the time. Before I only had the cough and phylum when I had an infection. My lung capacity is at 20%,and my intake of air is .6 litres ,,where as the norm is 3 litres. But I am doing as much as possible and trying not to allow my disease to take over my life. I get very tired quite easily now. Exercise does me in for the day,,or even if Tim and I go down town for groceries or just to get out,,I come home and that's it for me for the day. But that won't keep me down,I'm a fighter.
When the International Film Festival was here,we were out star gazing. Tim was an arm length away from Keanu Reeves,so he got his pic. Another was Michael Sheen from Twilight,Uma Thurman and others. We have the pics. It was awesome.
We have been to George Stroumboulopoulos show a couple times. He is so cool. After his 1st show I had my scooter parked behind the curtain,,I felt someone put their hand on my back and kiss my cheek,,I looked and OMG it was George. We talked for about 15 mins,,got his autograph for Tasha. Then he gave me another kiss and hug and told me,whenever you want to come for a show and are told there are no tics left,you tell Jeff I said to let you in. Then we went the night of the Hockey Face Off to his show,,he asked me how I was doing when he came out,said he saw my scooter out back. He usually stays after the show and talks and answers questions,but told us he couldn't that night because he had to do some MC'n down on Dundas Square for the Face Off events. So when show was over he came over to me gave me a kiss,said sorry he can't stay and told me he saw where my daughter had wrote him on face book. She was so excited he read it,,,lol. We went to Dundas Square after the show to watch Hedley and the ceremonies. I drove around looking for hockey players for autographs,,who comes walking towards me but George,stops me gives me a kiss and said good seeing you here. I went back to Tim told him I'm in love,,,lol. We are going again this Thursday. Tics are free for the tapings.
We have done so much over the summer because I want to try and enjoy life to the fullest,as we all know not sure if I will make it. But I'm a fighter and have to,so that when I do get my transplant and come back home my dream is to have a BIG celebration for all those who have helped me at having a chance of life again.
I miss home very much and hope my pager goes off soon so I can get back to where I belong,,and that is with all the beautiful generous people of the Valley.
Miss and love you all
Tomorrow Elizabeth Furniss live in the AVR Morning Show Studio at 8:40, plus a Ski Martock update, Lindsay Young from Kentville Rec will announce the Pumpkin People winners, and fund raiser at the Kentville Legion this weekend. I'll talk to you tomorrow from 5:30 till 10.
-Jerry
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