The Dry Run

Well, as my mom said, I am having the FULL transplant experience, dry run and all! I guess what i should do is take you through the whole "call" experience to get everyone up to date and on the same page.

I went to bed at about mid-night, I put the phone by my bed, turned off the light, hooked up my bipap, and played solitaire on the ipod touch for a while to fall asleep. Casey was watching family guy in the other room when i went to bed, so the lights were still on and the Martin/Modlin house was not completely asleep yet. I had been asleep about 30 minutes when the phone rang. I can't remember much, but i looked at the phone, and didn't see it say stanford or private, so i was a little confused, but who else could it be at 12:42am? I answered, "Hello?" "Hi, is Anna there?" "This is Anna, ummmm" There were some holy shits, holy craps, and "wait, can you say that agains" because i was so confused from being woken up. I was wondering what Casey was doing, and he was listening on the other line, in the hall. We were both dumbfounded that the call had actually come!!!! We have been waiting for this for a long time, and it was here. How strange it is. My wonderful friend Ana told me on Wed, "no matter how much you know or prepare, nothing will really prepare you for what it is really like" YUP. I believe this to be true, and i didn't get that far in the game yet.

Back to the call... He nicely and calmly told me that the donor was at Stanford, and that more tests will be done in the morning to see if the donor was indeed suitable. He said, "Now, get some rest, and come in at 8am." GET SOME REST ? CRAP. You know if you get woken up from a dead sleep, and try to fall back to sleep when Santa is coming... not really that possible. I went completely numb all over my body. My hands were clammy. I realized because i had taken my bipap off to talk, i wasn't wearing my O2, and figured that would be part of the tightness in my chest ;) I quickly put that on once i figured it out. After we got off the phone, I looked at Casey and we both looked shocked. NOW WHAT? Do i call my parents or wait because he told us to sleep? NO, Call!!! So i called them, and informed them. They were shocked too. I don't think they slept much either. After talking to them we decided i should call Sara, instead of letting her sleep, because she would be pissed if we kept it from her. Well, it turned out her phone was turned down low, and i called 5 times and she didn't pick up. I texted and left her messages, but no answer. My mom ended up going over to the apartment (she was in sunnyvale) at 6am to wake her.

We went back to sleep. Casey actually slept, I laid there for a long time, finally falling back to sleep at about 330. We woke at 530am to do my "last treatment" and get a shower and head to the hospital. It turned out NOT to be my last treatment, as I am doing one as i write this ;)
Despite all the planning, when the call came, my brain flew out of the window. I wasn't sure what to bring. Luckily i wrote a list that i kept in my bag, with all the electronics i needed. Cords, phone, computer. etc. We loaded everything in the car and headed off to the hospital. Luckily mom and dad came over to help us load everything. Casey and i were overwhelmed. As many people know, we are not morning people and getting out the door was very difficult. I am glad we had the help.

Once we got there, i was worried because we were a little late, but the room wasn't even ready yet. I went to admitting and said, "i am here for my transplant today?" It was so surreal to say that. Once they got me checked in, we sat in admitting until the room was ready.





We got to the room pretty quickly. Mom, Dad, Sara, Casey and ME. As much as i want every other person there, they were already calling our group a "party" so it just isn't the place for large groups. But that is why the collage is so great. I will be able to have everyone with me, when it really happens!!!!

Anyway, back to the daily events... We got to the room, I put on a hospital gown and got hooked up to a heart monitor. I got placed on the intermediate ICU for Cardiac patients, and was treated as a heart patient. Kinda bizarre, but fine.






I sat in the bed for not longer than 20 minutes before the surgeon fellow (who called me) came in. He told us that he had bad news. The lungs were not good. He told us a bunch of stuff but I can't remember much of what he said. I was kinda like, ok... already out the door in my brain. The donor was given a scan and they found that even though the history didn't indicate, the lungs had emphysema. So I am very glad they discovered that, and did not give me the lungs. They did say that if i had been in dire straights, like on a Ventilator they would have accepted the lungs for me, because their function was good despite this finding.

So it ended quickly, which i am thankful for. It wasn't a drawn out process and I didn't have to get any unnecessary pokes.

The doc told us they are getting quite a few offers, so it may not be long before i get new lungs. I do have a friend who got their REAL call the day after their Dry run... so it could happen quickly. But for now, I would like to get a good nights sleep. I am off to bed early tonight, worked hard to get a treatment in early. Gonna have some pumpkin pie, mothers oatmeal cookies, milk and head to bed!!!!

I am still thinking about the donor and their families tragic loss. Hoping that their family finds peace, a that their loved one has given new life to others....

I couldn't do it without all of your love and support. I feel it has given me strength that i never knew i had. Having you all supporting and loving me and my family makes me elated and so humbled. Even though I can't respond to every text, email, comment, or facebook message, know it means the world to me and my family. We feel the love, appreciate the love, and we can feel how much you care! THANK YOU!

Now i go back to the grind stone. Tomorrow is day 110 on the list.