Colds and Transplants

I hate it when my husband gets sick! It drives me crazy because you never know how far the bugs are going to go and whether or not his compromised immune system will be able to fight off a "normal" everyday cold.

A couple of days ago, Greg came home with a sore throat and runny nose. Luckily for me, I just got over a really bad cold a week before (which he did not get) so I didn't feel bad. For me, it is only worse when Greg has a cold if I was the one that gave it to him in some way. Needless to say, he started Cold-Eeze right away to help decrease the duration of the cold.

But, that doesn't help us feel any better mentally about it. Last night he wasn't even able to sleep as this head cold decided it wanted to stay up late and party all night long. Onto the couch he went with a box of Puffs Plus next to him and our beloved dogs at his feet.

Fortunately, it is just a head cold. Alas, we know how easily it can turn from a simple cold into an infection in his new lungs. So, it was nothing for me to run out at the crack of dawn to get him some Halls and Ziacam. I also tried for the TheraFlu Nighttime cold remedy but, with our luck, there was a sale on it this week and the shelves were totally empty.

Where does this leave us now? Greg fighting a great battle and me giving him the support he needs (while worrying silently). I know it seems like a simple cold but he is a double lung transplant recipient and things can go wrong quickly if we aren't careful. That is why I hope you will say a prayer for him that it stays a head cold and moves out of Casa de Greg soon!

Glossary of Transplant Terms

The Angel Cove Organ Donation and Transplant Awareness shop (http://www.angelcove.us) now has a full Glossary of Transplant Terms and Phrases (http://www.angelcove.us/transplantterms.html) in order to help transplant patients and their families turn doctor-speak into plain English. So many times, doctors and hospitals will throw out words and phrases as though we come fully equipped with a medical translator. We nod our heads in agreement but in our heads we are thinking "What in the world are they talking about?". Unfortunately, too many patients and families are embarrassed or too overwhelmed to ask for further clarification and turn away distraught and highly confused.

This confusion can lead to poor medical decisions in the long run. We, as patients or caregivers, may be agreeing to some sort of medical procedure or similar that we have no clue about. That is why we have come up with this glossary list to help patients and their families understand the basic doctor-speak and make things easier to understand when a translator is most needed.

Of course, this list is a work in progress as there are still many more terms to add but we have a great foundation of terminology on this list that we think will be most helpful. So, go and take a look for yourself and, of course, if you find anything missing, feel free to let us know through our contact page.

Help Us Raise Breast Cancer Awareness!

I know it isn't organ donation or transplant awareness but October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and it is near and dear to our hearts. Not only do I personally have 2 aunts that are breast cancer survivors but at this time, my husband's grandmother is battling Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Therefore, we have added a section to our Organ Donation Awareness site to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness! We hope you will take the time to visit our Breast Cancer Awareness Section and show your support to all of those strong woman survivors!

Thank you and God Bless!

5-year-old receives double lung transplant

A 5-year-old British girl who is the youngest person to ever receive a double lung transplant is flourishing nine months after the operation. Suffering from cystic fibrosis since she was only three months old, Mariam Imran's health had been deteriorating until her record-setting surgery at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Daily Mail said Wednesday. Now her parents, who were once told their daughter had only months to live, are happy to watch Mariam play just like any other child. (Science Daily, 9/12/07)

The miracle of life is never out of one's reach and this story just goes to prove once again how even the smallest of God's creatures can realize the gift of life; even when it has never been done before! This girl was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that our family has been working towards a cure for decades now and to hear that a small 5-year old has been blessed with a second chance at life makes our hearts sing.

Please keep this young girl in your prayers as well as the donor family. May she be blessed with all the health and happiness this world has to offer!

Leaving a Legacy

I have begun reading "The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness" but Stephen Covey and I have to tell you that it is a great reminder about what is important in life. Just yesterday, I was talking to my cousin-in-law and she told me that my cousin (who is like a brother to me) has begun smoking again. Ugh! Fine, so I know nothing about the "need" to smoke as I have never tried to smoke myself but I have to say it is one of the most disgusting habits I have ever witnessed. On top of that, I have gone through a period of some months where my wonderful husband had a trach and I had to suction the most nastiest stuff coming out of his lungs. Remember, he had Cystic Fibrosis lungs and it was not smoking that caused his old lungs to be so yucky. Just think of what a smoker's lungs look like and what kind of junk is building up inside!

Needless to say, I reminder her of my past experience with suctioning junk of our someones lungs in the hope that she would get dead set on getting him to quit smoking. Honestly, once you have seen a person suctioned, you never want to take up smoking or smoke again!


So, this goes back to the book I am reading and leaving a legacy. It is not by our words but by our own actions to live life to the fullest that leave the greatest legacy. It is not enough to tell someone to stop smoking but to demonstrate personal knowledge and experience that will help the person to make more well informed decisions in their lives. This does guarantee a change in people but it will make them think twice about the path they choose when faced with a decision - the road to growth and well being or the road to repeat past failures and poor health.

What type of legacy are you leaving based on your daily actions?

Vote Best Charity Site!

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God bless!