Nancy’s doctor warned her that she was losing lung function and would end up with COPD, but the cigarettes had such a power over her that she decided to keep on smoking. “I thought that would never happen to me. That only happens to other people,” Nancy told us.
In 2021, 50 years of smoking finally caught up with Nancy. She was dizzy, confused, and her oxygen levels were so low that her lips and fingertips were starting to turn blue. Nancy knew she had smoked her last cigarette. She was admitted to hospital for a few days and started on oxygen therapy. When she was sent home, ProResp was there within the hour to get her set up on home oxygen.
“They set me up with a 50 foot hose so I could move all around the house, and from the very start they have been fantastic. The delivery people and everyone in the office is so accommodating,” said Nancy.
It was later that spring that Nancy’s respirologist started talking to ger about getting on the transplant list. That was the start of a two year journey that involved physical therapy, a barrage of tests and a lot of nervous waiting by the phone.
“Once you are approved, they tell you it is a 5 to 8 month waiting list. But they can call at any moment and you only have one hour to be ready before they move down the list. That was the beginning of sleeping with a phone under my pillow,” said Nancy.
On the night of Friday, October 20, 2023, Nancy and her husband were at home watching TV. Nancy got a call from an unknown number and picked up. It was the hospital. They had found a suitable pair of lungs for Nancy. It was go-time.
The next 6 weeks were a roller coaster. When Nancy woke up from the surgery she had severe delirium. Later, she got a lung infection. In rehab, she was locked down by a covid outbreak. Finally, on December 5, she was allowed to go home.
Nancy’s lung function is now 90-95%. Her new lungs are working exactly as intended. It means she no longer requires ProResp’s services.
“I will miss everyone at ProResp. They have all been so supportive and I will always be so grateful — to ProResp, to my surgeons. But I am entering a whole new world now. And I am so excited.”
Nancy had one final message she wanted to share. “Smoking is terrible. It will take so much from you. If you smoke, stop right now. You will thank yourself later. And if you don’t smoke, don’t ever touch a cigarette.”
We will miss you, Nancy, and we are so happy that you are able to breathe again on your own. We wish you all the very best!