As most of you all know, my dear mother had a lung transplant at the end of February 2010. She was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis seven years ago. It's basically a scar tissue that builds up from the bottom of your lungs and eventually fills your lungs up to a solid mass (no room for air to breath). They only way to beat this is eventually get a lung transplant. This is the first time I have mentioned it on my Blog. I guess it was so serious (the un-known) and scary all at the same time that I found my self keeping it to myself these past few years. Now that she has survived and come though this amazing trial, I can finally speak of it. You never know what it's like to almost lose someone you love so much, until you come so close. My siblings and I flew back and forth to Tucson Arizona (since January 2010) to visit her while she was in the ICU for ten weeks (awaiting a lung transplant). It was touch and go for those ten weeks. They told her she couldn't go home unless she received a new lung.
Then out of nowhere, a nurse comes running in on February 21, 2010 with a smile on her face and informs my Dad that they found a match to my Mom who has a rare blood type. It was a miracle. This day had finally come. Within five hours, my Mom was breathing with a new lung that someone had given to her unknowingly. That angel of a person returned home to their Heavenly Father just an hour before the team surgically transplanted their lung into my Mom…and how forever indebted our Bowman family will be to them and their family.
As days went by, I smiled as I saw her chest move up and down on her own. She had made it. As I visited my Mom and Dad over Spring break, my mother expressed words of comfort to me. She said, “I believe that lung was meant for me. In order to receive this lung I had to be SO sick that they could bump me up to the top of the transplant list in the Region to receive it, otherwise it would have gone to someone else and I may have missed my chance”. The one lung Mom received was healthier and stronger than most double lung transplants. The Transplant team of 12 agreed and said it was the perfect scenario.
To be in my Mom’s arms again, to see her smile and hear her laughter, to watch her not to have to struggle to breath, to see my Dad take care of her hold her hand as he helps her get around, and to see her hold and love my children once again…was beautiful. All of this….all of this was well worth waiting for
I love you Mom;)
Before and after my Mom's lung transplant no one under the age of 18 could be in the ICU, so my kids had not seen their grandparents since last June. My Mom has to stay within five minutes of the hospital for three months after her transplant. They are staying in some apartments a few mins away. As soon as we found out she was out I made plans to drive down during spring break and visit them. Mark had to stay home and work.
The second day we were there, they re-admitted Mom to the hospital. Anytime there is a slight fever or any sign of sickness, they are quick to jump on the case. SO we spent the next four days visiting her in her room. You had to be surgically gowned and gloved. My kids did so good with this. They eventually got used to the routine.
Paper Airplanes
Even tool them outside to test them out.
Mom and Dad used to use Dad's dental gloves for our birthday balloons just like this with faces and all. We thought it was GREAT!
Static?Clay Marbles
Back at the apartment
William is such a snuggle bug. He wanted to go lay with Grandma. I later found him under the covers making himself quite at home.
How can you come to Arizona and not go swimming? We made a daily trip to the apartment pool. William thought this was funny. He found Grandpa's hat.
Dad got up early in the morning when my kids woke up (6am). He fed them breakfast and took them on long walks (about ten blocks or more) and then when they got back he worked with them in the parking lot with the hoops. They sure enjoyed that one on one time with Grandpa! And Mama enjoyed the break:)
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