Speed Bumps Are Inevitable on the Post-transplant Journey

While working on today’s column, I considered writing about my birthday on Oct. 4. Then, a topic came to me quite unexpectedly.

On Monday, Sept. 26, I had to go to the hospital. Since the pandemic began, I’ve been careful to avoid large crowds in enclosed spaces and to always wear a mask indoors. So I was quite surprised to learn I had pneumonia — a significant complication for a post-lung transplant patient.

The timeline of events

That Monday, I didn’t get up at my regular time. My wife, Susan, woke me, and I was very tired. I had a splitting headache, chills, and was generally lethargic. I’d been fine the previous day.

As the day went on, I felt worse. By 11 a.m., the chills were more prominent. My breathing was more labored, and I’d started coughing. At that point, I reached out to my care team at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia. By 2 p.m., I’d started to run a low-grade fever and experience nausea and vomiting.

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On the advice of my care team, Susan and I left for the emergency room, where I underwent some testing. My COVID-19 and flu tests came back negative, and my bloodwork looked good. However, after a chest X-ray and a high-resolution CT scan, it was determined I had pneumonia, primarily concentrated in the upper lobe of my right lung.

At 1:30 on Tuesday morning, I was admitted to the hospital.

Acting early made a difference

When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) on Jan. 31, 2017, one of the first things my care team told me was to come to them immediately when there was a problem. Those words have been repeated often during my journey.

As soon as I was in my hospital room, I was given antibiotics via an intravenous drip. It was the first bag of four I’d receive that day. I was also given Zofran (ondansetron) to relieve nausea, followed by my routine medications.

Within 18 hours of symptom onset, I’d been diagnosed and treatment was underway.

Adding a new PICC line for intravenous drip medications. (Courtesy of Sam Kirton)

That first morning in the hospital, I was surrounded by the care team I’ve come to know over the last several years. They laid out their plan, which included a bronchoscopy to collect samples for analysis. The procedure took place on Wednesday morning.

In the meantime, they administered more bags of antibiotics. As of this writing, I’ve not yet been discharged, but hope to be soon.

I’d prepared

As part of my pre-transplant process, I’d received both the Prevenar 13 and Pneumovax 23 vaccines, intended to protect against a wide variety of pneumococcal bacteria.

I’d also implemented all of the recommended safety protocols, such as masking in public, avoiding contact with people who may be sick, washing my hands frequently, and disinfecting surfaces.

Yet I still got pneumonia.

Speed bumps happen

When I had my bilateral lung transplant on July 10, 2021, I knew that I was trading IPF for the medical challenges associated with a solid organ transplant. I have no regrets about that choice.

Ever since I was discharged from the hospital 10 days post-transplant, Susan and I have known there would be challenges ahead of us. We called them speed bumps. At the time, we had no idea that we wouldn’t encounter our first speed bump for more than 14 months.

For my birthday this year, I want to have this pneumonia behind me.

If you encounter symptoms during your IPF or transplant journey, address them with your care team immediately. I’m glad I did so. I’m thankful for another trip around the sun, and I plan to be around for many more to make every breath count.

Note: Pulmonary Fibrosis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Fibrosis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary fibrosis.