"Praise the Lord, my soul;  all my inmost being, praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s." PS. 103

From Debra Erickson

Just left UCSF after 6 plus hours of tests and meetings with the lung transplant team. The last couple of meetings were with a pulmonologist and a lung transplant surgeon and they both agreed I was a very good candidate for a transplant and ready to be put on the waiting list for new lungs! My case will be discussed in the upcoming Tuesday morning meeting of the transplant team and then will hear from my RN case manager giving me the official confirmation either Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday at the latest. 

WOW...IT'S HAPPENING!

This morning Debra and I ate breakfast in Chester at Lola's...it might be the last breakfast Debra and I will have up on the mountain for a long time.  She is headed off the mountain to live with her mom in Napa for at least two weeks if not for many months.  Let me explain.

On April 1st Debra had a cardiac catheterization procedure to make sure her heart is in good shape for transplant and then we were scheduled to meet with the pulmonologist on April 18th to go over the test results.  But because of the concern the doctors had with Debra's rapid decline they moved the appoinment up to April 4th.  

Since we were already in the Bay Area we made the decision to stay until the meeting on the 4th.  We used the time to study and watch all of the training videos for those who are receiving new lungs (recipients) and the those who will care for the lung recipients (care givers).   After watching 34 videos we were quite overwhelmed with the new reality of what a double lung transplant entails for the recipient and the caregiver.  

On the 4th we sat down with one of the pulmonologists at UCSF to go over the test results for her heart.  The results showed her heart was in great shape for the transplant.  We then were hoping that we would walk away with the good news of Debra being put on the Lung Transplant List (it’s called being listed) but instead we were told there needed to be more testing to determine if there is an underlying condition that caused Debra’s lungs to decline so rapidly. We were also told that after Debra was listed she needed to move off  the mountain so that she could be closer to UCSF while waiting for the for the transplant call then for a period of time after for her new lungs and body to heal and become stronger before returning to our beloved mountain home. This doesn’t mean we need to leave our mountain home forever but just for the time for the healing.

We also met with our social worker who made sure we had completed all the preliminary steps so we could be put on the transfer list.  This included things such as watching all the training videos, determining where we are going to stay for up to 3 months in SF post-op, having the finances in place, etc.  She encouraged us to start our fundraising also.  She reminded us that we need to take everything a step at a time and to rely on the team at UCSF to guide us through the lung transplant journey.  

We left UCSF after the meetings feeling a bit shell shocked by what we were about to go through...a new reality.

The reason Debra is headed down to Napa today is to take care of her 85 year old mom Virginia who fell while we were down at UCSF.  She was taken to the ER for and hospitalized over the weekend.  It was determined that she needed to be in a rehab facility to work on her problems with balance and walking.  After spending 7 days in rehab they are releasing her Saturday, (4/13) and they require that someone needs to live with her for at least two weeks if not longer.  Debra volunteered to go and live with her mom until she is able to live alone once more. 

While down taking care of her mother she will have another speciality CT on 4/16 and an ultrasound on 4/17-both at UCSF.  We then will meet with one on the transplant MD’s and the transplant surgeon the following week to discuss the plan to move forward.  We have already been given a heads up that the surgeon will probably order even more tests and it will most likely be sometime in May when we meet with him again. Once the surgeon determines that Debra meets the criteria “to be sick enough to need it but healthy enough to survive the surgery and subsequent recovery” she will be placed on the waitlist. 

Once on the waitlist, Debra will stay in Napa until she gets a new set of lungs.  IF she is listed and a donor is found immediately this will mean she will be living in the Bay Area for at least three months.  The length of stay for her will be determined by how quickly a pair of donor lungs become available and the amount of time it will take her to recover post-op. Debra is calling this her “deployment to the Bay Area for an unspecified time” as a good former Navy wife. 🤓

We are trusting the God who sustains us and works everything for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes!

We just left my pulmonologist appointment at UCSF. Essentially, the doctors want to perform more testing to see why my lungs declined so rapidly since February.  These are scheduled for April 24-25 at UCSF.  I will then have another appointment with the pulmonologist to go over the results and determine the next step in the transplant process.  

We were encouraged to start fundraising for the transplant because of the possibility (miracle) that I will be on the list in the next couple of months and a pair of lungs become available soon thereafter.  

We are trusting in God’s timing and desire not to miss His Presence and direction in every moment while we are on this blessed journey!

Resting in Him, Debra

Hey everyone just a quick prayer request for Debra.  On April 1st she will have a cardiac catheterization at UCSF.  A cardiac catheterization is a procedure where a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin or upper thigh, or neck. The catheter is then threaded through the blood vessels to your heart. It will used examine her heart and blood vessels surrounding her heart.  This will be the last test needed to ensure her body is healthy for a double lung transplant.         

On April 18th we will meet with the pulmonologist at UCSF to talk about whether she is at a point to be put on the transplant waiting list.  We are praying that after this meeting she will be on the list!  John will also meet with Debra's social worker to discuss the different facets of being a post-op caregiver.  

Thank you for alll your emails, cards, visits, donations and help around our house.  WE COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU!  

Because Debra's need for higher oxygen levels has increased this means we have had to modify our routine when we take excursions.  While sitting, Debra's oxygen backpack supplies 5 liters of oxygen which is sufficient to keep here O2 sats at 95%.  When she stands up and walks her O2 needs jump to 10+ liters and the oxgen backpack can't suppy that amount.  This means she needs to use a oxygen tank that can supply up to 15 liters of oxygen.  With that level of O2 the oxygen bottle is only good for 30 min and is used for transitioning from sitting in the house to getting into the car.  This means getting in and out of the car she uses a continuous flow oxygen bottle but when she is in the car she can use her oxygen backpack!  She needs assistance in going places because of difficulty in getting the oxygen bottle in the car which drops her O2 levels.