Member-only story
I wrote this article 2.5 years ago. My friend was suffering from a rare lung disease similar to Cystic Fibrosis, her only hope for life was a lung transplant. She had her lung transplant 4 and a half years ago, this is just a part of her story and our story together as friends.
My good friend had a double lung transplant 2 years ago. She had a rare disease of her lungs similar to that of Cystic Fibrosis. She was closing in on death’s door just prior to receiving the call that they had lungs for her. My friend left for Pittsburgh and had her transplant at UPMC. She was scared but hopeful. She never complained. I visited her almost daily for 2 years prior to her transplant. We’ve been friends for over 20 years.
Her husband and son became her caregivers during those 2 years. They cooked, cleaned, took her back and forth to Pittsburgh for many different tests, inpatient stays, procedures and more. They never complained either. Her husband retired early so he could stay home full-time to be there for his wife.
Prior to her transplant, I would bring books over, food for their family on a regular basis, and we spent hours talking. I suggested to my friend that we take the time to make a bucket list that she wanted to full-fill after she received her new lungs. No one knew if she would ever receive them because people can be on the list for up to 5 years and many die…
