July 6, 2017
Dear Friends, Families and Incredibly Kind Strangers,
Gratitude is today's word--in fact it is and has been the word I am carrying with me since I received my double transplant. I apologize for the lengthy break in giving updates. I have been working so hard in Rehab at the
COLLT that I am wiped out and have needed to just take a nap.
I am actually doing pretty well at the COLLT,,, I am now able to walk for 30 minutes with a therapist holding me gently. I can also ride a recumbent bike for 30 minutes...my 30 minutes with the physical therapist is a bit dicey. My muscles are weak, especially my core and the muscles connected to my joints. i am able to do the things the therapists ask me to do but I get really exhausted and out of breath. Happily I recover quickly without needing any oxygen at all, I am getting stronger every day and the therapists doctors are very pleased with my progress.
There are a few complications which are keeping me here. 1) my balance is not good so i am still considered a high fall risk. 2) my gastric reflux is getting worse so the doctors are concerned I might get acid in my lungs (which would immediately cause rejection of my lungs.) 3) I am having trouble with
June 2, 2017
At long last I am able to type an update.
Physically I am doing amazingly well considering what my body has gone through since my transplant surgery on the day after Easter.
Emotionally I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I have two new/healthy lungs. I can breathe and I do not need to use oxygen! While I am still very weak and am experiencing a fair amount of pain, I know that with time and rehab/exercise it won't be long til I am living a normal life.
Spiritually I am doing a decent job of staying centered and connected most of the time, and when I slip I do a good job of catching myself and making different choices. I also am surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who are holding me up (literally sometimes), cheering me on, praying for me, feeding us and holding Divine Energy Love Light around and within me. How can I possibly choose fear when I am surrounded by such an amazing community of you, church, friends and family. Without your support and prayers I would not be doing so well. Thank you all sooooo much!!!
May 31, 2017
Let us rejoice - Karen was released from the hospital today! She is walking further distances and feeling much better than some of these tough past weeks.
She will be surrounded by the support of Randy and one other friend each day for the coming weeks. A team of caring friends have been/will be trained to know how to best assist Karen as she gets stronger day by day. She will stay in her suite in Indianapolis, close to the hospital where she will do daily therapy for about 5 hours per day!
Please continue your prayers and support in any way you can. Karen and Randy feel your presence. We all give thanks for this community of love that envelopes them from far and near.
May 17, 2017
Thank you all for on-going thoughts and prayers. You encouragement is still right on time.
Week 1 Post op went very well and although everything since is within the realm of 'normal' by the transplant specialists at IU Health, it has certainly been trying.
Week 2-3 Karen began a 16 day regimen to simmer down the antigen response, her body's natural fight response to having these fantastic new, yet foreign, lungs. This fluoresces treatment along with chemo and other part of the protocol were demanding on the body and she has been feeling a lot of nausea along with the expected pain.
Week 4 Karen was admitted back into the ICU and anticipates going back to the transplant floor soon. She is getting several visitors and Randy is there throughout the day each day to support her. If Karen is able to walk herself out of the hospital, she will be released to her apartment in Indianapolis...perhaps this will be next week.
This surgery is indeed miraculous and loved ones are so grateful. Even so, the healing process is so demanding - your spiritual support and encouraging cards and words are such a help right now.
April 18, 2017
Surgery was a success! Karen was in surgery 4:30 p.m. until about 2:00 a.m.
Everything has gone as expected with the double lung transplant and Karen's medical team says she is right on track! Karen is resting with sedation to allow her new lungs to rest and eventually start working. Part of this process is relying on the ventilator and ecmo to artificially do the work of the lungs. Really they just want her to rest.
Karen's son, Drew, was able to fly out to be with her- she knew he was on the way before entering surgery. Randy and Drew have been able to do brief visits. Your loving thoughts for healing and recovery continue to be a wonderful way to support her!
And thanks for considering a donation of any size to Help Hope Live in her honor.
April 17, 2017
INCREDIBLE NEWS for Easter Monday. Send Spirit, breath, and hopes for Karen who is in surgery, receiving her double lung transplant!!!! Surgery started at about 2:00 p.m. EST and is expected to last 8-10 hours. Please hold Karen, loved ones, her medical team, and all impacted by this gift being available in prayer.
April 16, 2017
I have often thought about my journey with needing my lungs transplanted as a metaphor of dying in order to receive new life.Yesterday I woke up in that space between the days that the Christian Calendar call Good Friday and Easter. It is a space of waiting between death and Life and once again I saw the metaphor in my life. As Easter People we wait, we hope, we believe, and we trust knowing that God's Divine Healing Love holds all of us. There is much need, much pain, much brokenness in our world and yet I see God's Unconditional Love infusing and shining much brighter than any doubt or fear hidden in our brokenness. I know this is true for me in my healing journey--I also believe it is true for our hurting world. It takes hard work and a lot of support AND it is possible...
I continue to be overwhelmed by the prayers and support coming to Randy and me from all over the world. Thank you all so very, very much!!
I am now at the point where I have been told I am pretty high on the list and need to always keep my phone on, charged and with me because my new lungs could arrive at any time. This is of course a fluid thing and could change at any time, but for the moment at least I am being encouraged that soon (surely within a month) I will be receiving my transplant!!!
May we each feel the Hope of New Life in and around all of us as we all continue to pray for each other's Highest Good
In Love and Light,
Karen
April 5, 2017
Our meeting with the surgeon and several other members of the transplant team went very well. We have been given much to digest over the coming days as we await the transplant. Here are the basic things we learned. 1) I will receive a double lung transplant. 2) While the team has listed me, it will not be active until my insurance gives the final OK. 3) Once that happens the surgery could happen within days or weeks or months. The average wait is 2 months. 4) The lung doctors want to see me every 2-3 weeks while I wait. 5) I am expected to continue Rehab in order to keep getting stronger and more lean.
At this time Randy and I feel it is important that we stay here in Indy where I can get the best (toughest) rehab and am close to the medical professionals who know how to guide me through any bumps in the road that might occur.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support,
Karen
April 3, 2017
Huge Update...I received a call today telling me I am now on the Lung Transplant List!! Tomorrow I will meet with the surgeon and do some more tests, etc. I was told the meeting will take two and a half hours plus time to go get lab work done. I will give more updates when I know more. As always thank you for your support and prayers
In Holy Love and Light,
Karen
March 9, 2017
Just a quick update--I am holding my own in rehab as long as I don't push myself too hard (and yet, hard enough) and I have lost some more weight...10 pounds til I hit the magic number and get on the list!! Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!!!!
Love and Light,
Karen
March 1, 2017
Hi. Time for a quick update before I go to bed. I Had a bit of a hiccup last Friday--I must have pushed myself too hard in rehab and ended up with enough symptoms that I was wheeled to ER to make sure I was OK. (It was a bit of a shock for Randy and for Joel and Casey who arrived from California just as I was being wheeled off--we had a great visit anyway) I was indeed fine (big smile) so I went home later that afternoon. I am finding that when I work out my heart rate is going up more quickly and my oxygen levels are going down more quickly. It is also taking more time to recover (back to normal) but I am continuing to exercise at a bit slower rate and that seems to be working out pretty well. I have to find the balance between pushing myself to get stronger and not pushing so hard that I start going backward instead. On a brighter note I lost 3 pounds last week...12 more to go as I manage to keep up my strength and endurance and I will be on the list!!!
Thank you all so much for all of your prayers and support
February 18, 2017
I want to begin this update by expressing our deep gratitude for all of the support everyone is giving to us. Randy and I feel the multitude of prayers and well wishes showering us and holding us in those times we need to be held. Without your support (both financial and emotional/Spiritual) we would not be doing as well as we are. Thank you very much!!!
Yesterday was a red letter day for me. I was graduated from COLTT (the intensive rehab program I have been in since Christmas) and the doctor said I am now strong enough to make it through the transplant surgery. I still need to work on my stamina and keep myself strong AND my only hurdle beyond that is to lose 15 more pounds. In order to achieve those ends I am being transferred to the Pulmonary Rehab program at the same hospital where I will continue the intense workouts three days a week. The remaining days I will do the strength exercises and walk as much as I can on my own.
The doctor told us that he thought I would be fairly close to the top of the list once I lose the weight so it is possible things will move pretty quickly in the upcoming weeks!! As the doctor said all I need to do is keep exercising, loosing weight and avoid sick people (because getting a virus could compromise my lungs so much I would not be able get the transplant). I plan to stay healthy and active and loose the weight quickly!!!
Once again thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. May you feel God's love and blessings in each of your lives.
January 27, 2017
I am happy to be able to share that I am doing much better. My back is almost completely healed and I have been given good exercises to do when it does begin to spasm. This week in Rehab I have been able to increase both my strength training and my endurance levels. Definitely on the right track!!
I am so grateful for all of your prayers and support. I could not be doing this without all of you!!!
January 14, 2017
Much has happened since my last update. Unfortunately, last weekend I thought I was stronger than I actually was and I pulled a muscle in my back which sent my back into spasm. I was unable to do my workouts in Rehab on Monday but fortunately the Physical Therapist was able to work on my back to help alleviate some of the pain... by the end of the week I was able to do some of the warm up exercises and a little bit of walking on a treadmill and biking on a stationary bike. Mostly I am sleeping if I am not at rehab but each time I wake up I feel a little bit stronger so I think I'm on the right track. As my therapist said, this incident exposes how very weak my core actually is so I will need to plan to get onto a slower rehab plan and expect to stay down here in Indy longer than some of the other people who are here to get strong enough for the surgery.
I think this is mostly good news...I certainly appreciate the guidance about body mechanics, breathing, eating and attitude that I am receiving from the team and at this point they all still believe I can get strong enough to go on the transplant list. Their belief in me helps me to continue to believe as well.
In Holy, Healing Love and Light,
Karen
January 4, 2017
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Jan 04, 2017
Hello to all,
I have completed my 5th day of Rehab and I am pleased with the progress I am making. Today I walked for 22 minutes on the track (using the rollinator for balance) and rode a stationary bike for 25 minutes! My muscles and core body strength are slowly improving as well. I continue to be very encouraged and hopeful that I will be able to get strong enough to have the surgery!! I am so deeply grateful for all of the support and prayers I am receiving...more and more each day I am understanding the importance of being surrounded by and part of a loving community. Know that I am holding all of you in prayer and gratitude even as I know you are holding Randy and me.
In God's Love and Light,
Karen
January 4, 2017
Hello to all,
I have completed my 5th day of Rehab and I am pleased with the progress I am making. Today I walked for 22 minutes on the track (using the rollinator for balance) and rode a stationary bike for 25 minutes! My muscles and core body strength are slowly improving as well. I continue to be very encouraged and hopeful that I will be able to get strong enough to have the surgery!! I am so deeply grateful for all of the support and prayers I am receiving...more and more each day I am understanding the importance of being surrounded by and part of a loving community. Know that I am holding all of you in prayer and gratitude even as I know you are holding Randy and me.
In God's Love and Light,
Karen
