Len Needs Lungs and Needs Your Help

October 6, 2015

This week Len is at Duke getting several tests. His lungs have shown signs of improvement.

We are praying for no rejection. I'll let you know when we find out more.

We have so much to be thankful for! Thank you for all of your love and support. I can't believe how much has happened over the past year. We are so grateful Len is still with us and going strong! We could not have done any of this without you!

August 4, 2015

It's amazing how different one year can be from another.

At this time last year, Len had to be carried up stairs and walking 10 feet without outside oxygen help was a challenge.

Today stairs and walking are not a problem anymore! Len is enjoying his regained freedom and he is forever grateful to his donor for giving him more life to live!!!

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Thank you everyone for all the love and support you gave to Len and my family doing this year of deep tragedy and amazing miracles. We are looking forward to all the great things to come in 2015! Stay tuned!

June 28, 2015

Len had a great week! He went strawberry picking with our nieces and nephew! His trach scar is healing nicely. He learned that his lungs are able to take in twice as much air, which is 0.4 more liters of air, now than when he got out in January . Praise God!

And the big news of the week was that he had his 6 month bronch and we found out that his lungs have NO rejection!!!

We have SO much to be thankful for. Thank you ALL for your love and support through all the ups and downs. We are so blessed and so grateful! And we are all LOVING this time in life!

June 18, 2015

Len's surgery went well! Praise God! He's a little sore but he's happy to have this surgery finished.

His next doctor appointment is on June 22. He will be getting his 6 month biopsy to see if he has any indication of rejection. We are praying he doesn't. I'll be back to let you know what we hear!

Thanks again for all of your support!!! We are so lucky to have such great friends like you!

June 6, 2015

Sorry for taking so long to update. These days no news is pretty much good news. This week Len enjoyed some deep fried North Carolina grub! It's great for gaining weight which, as you can see, Len has graciously been able to do!

Len is scheduled to have minor surgery,Friday June 12, around his trach scar. There's a bit of tension and pain around that area so the doctors are going to help make a cut and loosen the skin a bit.

We hope you are enjoying the start of summer! I'll be back for an update on the surgery after June 12!

Thanks again for reading and for all of your support and prayer!

May 18, 2015

Len is doing great! He he is visible stronger since I saw him a month ago. Every day he goes to the gym to work out and increase his physical strength. This Friday he has a blood test and everything is normal! Praise God!

Thank you for hanging in there through all the tough times. We are so grateful for your support!

May 13, 2015

Hi Everyone!

I'm really sorry I got the day of his surgery mixed up. The surgery is on June 12th. Nevertheless, Len is still doing well.I will see him this weekend and give you more info when I return.

May 6, 2015

It has been almost 4 month now since Len got his new set of lungs. He has been relatively stable. His lung capacity is currently at 64% of what a normal person's lung function should be at his current age. The first year is really critical because it's the only time when the lung function goes up. So the higher he can get it to be this year the better.

Len is working hard to exercise his lung muscles to get his lung capacity to go higher but prayers would also be much appreciated.

Len also went to see a doctor about his vocal cord and the doctor told him that his vocal cords, particularly the left one, which was paralyzed after the transplant, seems to be functioning relatively normally now. Praise God!

And the last piece of news is that Len told me he will be having surgery on May 12th around the area around his trach whole. The surgery is to reduce tension in the area which is currently causing chronic inflammation and discomfort.Prayer would be much appreciated for the surgery.

I'll be back around then to tell you how it all went. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. It means the world to our family and we are forever grateful for it.

April 22, 2015

Len started driving again!!! Yay to being a little bit more independent again!

April 8, 2015

Today marks 4 months since Len had his lung transplant. It's amazing how one's life can change so dramatically.

Len had a great Easter! He's doing awesome! His sodium levels are normal and he had his feeding tube taken out this past week. In honor of having his feeding tube removed Len had two delicious bowls of PHO. He loved every spoonful of it!

Thank you again for all of your prayers and support. Len is so grateful for all of your love!

March 29, 2015

Dear Lovely Friend,

I want to thank you for all of the support you have given me and my family these many trying months. I drew strength from your love sent from near and far. Your words of encouragement were the heavenly mana which got me through the darkest hours. And there were many dark hours during this trial--times when I was not sure if the darkness would lift; times when I was unsure if I could continue. But as sure as God's grace, it was your words, your prayers--and in some cases, your faces which lifted my spirits, breathed life where my lungs had failed, and helped me to slog-on toward an unsure hope. And as sure as God's grace, that hope has been fulfilled!! Hallelujah!

How blessed am I?! To not only have a new life, but one richly blessed with new friendships and friendships renewed--friends from far; friends from long ago. To be lifted up in prayer by an international coalition of prayer warriors--the spear-tip of hope and faith. To not have to worry of the financial costs of this trial because of your amazing out-pouring of love and support. To not only have a new life, but to also glimpse at God's kingdom come to earth, and be drawn into its hope and promise.

Thank you! (I wish I could say it face-to-face with a hug) Thank you! May God bless you so richly that you overflow with joy! Thank you!

LOVE,

Len

ps. Today I turn 34, but by some counts I am only 5, and yet others still I am barely 3 months. =)

March 23, 2015

The doctors still do not know what is causing Len to have very low sodium but right now they are giving him sodium supplements until they figure out the cause. Thank you for all of your prayers!!!

March 19, 2015

The doctors have ruled out the kidney being the problem. Yay!!! Now they are thinking it might be his drugs so they are continuing to do more tests. If you can, would you help us pray that the doctors will figure out what is the source of the problem? And prayers that this source won't be so complicated would be much appreciated!

Now for the good news: Len's 3 month bronch showed no rejection. Yay!!! And his trach hole has completely healed! And last but not least, his vocal cord seems to have woken up a bit! We have much to be grateful for! Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement! We are so lucky and blessed to have you in our lives!

March 18, 2015

Hi All! Len is currently having a bump in his road to recovery. Yesterday he went in for a normal check up and they doctors think his kidney is not working properly. They aren't sure why it's not working correctly and are continuing to do more test today. I will let you know more info once I get it!

March 10, 2015

Tomorrow is Len's 5 year anniversary of his Bone Marrow Transplant!!! We are so grateful Len is still with us to celebrate this day! God is so good!

March 3, 2015

Len was able to enjoy a few hours out of the apt this weekend!!! This is him saying HI!!!

February 28, 2015

The snow followed Len from Boston this week and dumped 10 inches in NC. Len was so happy to see the snow. It was a bittersweet reminder of how much he misses Boston and his friends all over New England. However, he's grateful to be alive and he hopes to see you all soon!

Len has gained 23 pounds since leaving the hospital. And he's hoping to gain 10 more pounds to get to his normal body weight. His voice is coarse but relatively audible. We are still praying for his left vocal cord to wake up. His tracheotomy hole is still in the process of healing.

Although there are still things Len is working on, he is incredibly grateful to be able to be out of the hospital. Thank you everyone for all the love! It is what has sustained him this whole time. I'll be back with more info when I get some! Thank you again for everything!

February 19, 2015

Len went to see an ENT doctor about his vocal cords.

The ENT Doctor mentioned that Len's left vocal cord is still not moving. He says it could take up to a year for it to start moving again. He will check again in 2-3 months.

We will be praying that his left vocal cord wakes up in the mean time.

If the vocal cord does not show signs of revival in a year surgery is an option but the doctor is reluctant to explore that option right now.

And the second piece of news we got is that Len's trach site hole is the size of a pin as of today. We are praying that it will completely seal and be healed sometime soon.

I will be back with more info as soon as I hear anything! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

February 15, 2015

Thank you for how you have loved Len and our family during the past few months. We are incredibly lucky and blessed to have you all in our lives! Have an awesome Valentines day!!!

February 11, 2015

Len's been getting stronger and gaining weight every day. He's 10lbs shy of his weight goal. His voice has also gotten better. His doctors are very happy with his progress.

Len still has this fungal infection that they found in his lungs but the doctors are just monitoring it right now. They do not seem concerned.

Len's hand has been shaking as a result of one of the drugs he is taking but he's just happy to be alive and here with us all! In the next few weeks the doctors think Len maybe able to start driving again.Len is really looking forward to this. I'll be back in a few days if I hear anything new.

February 3, 2015

Len's gained 4 more pounds in the past week and his voice is getting a little stronger. Thank you all for your unending support!

January 27, 2015

Today Len went to see his lung doctor. He was able to pass the swallow test for thin liquids! Yay! This means that his left vocal cord is starting to wake up a bit and it has moved a little.This also means that Len now has no more dietary restrictions! He can drink water on his own now instead of through his feeding tube! We still need prayers that his vocal cords will heal completely but this is a huge answered prayer. Praise God!

Today they also did a bronch, which is taking a sample from his lung, and the sample seems to indicate that Len has a fungal growth. His doctor does not seem concerned. Her next step is to consult an infectious disease doctor just to make sure things are ok. We are praying that this fungal growth will go away on it own and that his body will be able to fight it.

Thanks again for checking in on Len! I'll be back in a few days to update you!

January 27, 2015

Each day Len get's better and better! He's gaining weight, his lungs are getting stronger and able to inhale and exhale more air, and Len cherishes every day he can breath on his own! What a gift!

Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you have shared with us and thank you for all of your encouraging words and prayers. Len is extremely lucky to have friends like you all in his life.

Just so you know. Here are a few more things Len is still working on:

1. His left vocal cord is currently paralyzed causing his voice to sound raspy. As a result Len is not able to have very long conversations before his voice gives out. Another problem that the paralyzed vocal cord does is that it prevents Len from being able to drink liquids because there is a danger that it could fall into his lungs and cause damage. My family is praying that his vocal cord will wake up and resume it's normal function.

2. Len has to go to rehab 5 days a week in order to build his lung capacity. He actually loves going because he could see it is really helping his lungs get stronger.

3. Len still needs to gain at least 20-30 more pounds.

Thanks again for all the love. I'll be back in a few days to update you on how Len is doing!

January 22, 2015

Len's doing great! On Tuesday Len the doctors took a sample of Len's lungs to see if he has any signs of rejection and the test came back negative. Praise God! Other than that he's just eating and trying to gain as much weight and strength as possible. Thanks for all the love!!!

January 20, 2015

Today the doctors will be taking a sample from Len's lungs to see if there are any signs of rejection. We pray and hope there aren't any.

I'll be back soon to let you know of the results once we hear from the doctors.

January 16, 2015

Len is getting stronger every day! Praise God! He also managed to gain a pound this week. This is huge and awesome! Next Tuesday, the doctors will take a sample from his new lungs to test and see if there are any signs of rejection. We hope and prayer there is nothing to be found. I'll be back in a few days to update you more. Thank you everyone who sent in a recipe. We hope to try them all!

January 11, 2015

Hi! This is Len at home on his first lazy Sunday at home post transplant. He enjoyed a couple spoonfuls of porridge this morning. He says, "It feels great to eat food again. It feels normal." Yay to the simple joys of life!

If you all have any tasty simple recipe suggestions for high protein, good fat meals we would love them! Meals need to be soft and have the texture of porridge or mac and cheese. Feel free to e-mail them to Nar at [email protected] or post them on the supporter page for all to enjoy!

January 10, 2015

Len is still waiting for test results to come back. He will be waiting at home while he waits!

Len had his first taste of solid food today. Mac and cheese. He gave it a thumbs up!

January 10, 2015

The doctors are still doing tests. But they gave Len some saline and he seems to feel more at ease.

One problem that Len has is staying hydrated. He is unable to consume liquids orally.So we are consulting the doctors to help up figure out how to keep Len hydrated at home.

January 9, 2015

Len's at the hospital getting a check up. His heart rate was in the 130's all evening. We prayer the doctors can figure out what's going on and everything will be ok.

January 9, 2015

Len's first full day home was uneventful. He was tired so he slept most of the day. Nevertheless, he still found it awesome because he's home! Praise God for uneventful days at home!

January 8, 2015

Len's home from the hospital!!!! Thank you all for your prayers and words of encouragement! It's a good day!

January 7, 2015

This is a picture of Len before transplant at the NC apartment. We think he might be heading home today!!! I will let you know if he really does come home!

January 3, 2015

Overall Len getting stronger, praise God. He is having the trach removed today and the Dr. are also looking to remove the chest tube on the right side. He has two pneumo in his left lung, we aren't sure of size but they are looking to place small pigtails (smaller size chest tubes) to try to remove the air space and try to expand that left lung as much as possible. Two instance of cultures came back positive for MAC1 bacteria--a slow growing environmental bacterial--that Len is now getting treated for.

January 2, 2015

This picture was taken sometime in Oct of this year. I'm amazed at how much has passed since this picture was taken. In Oct when this picture was taken, Len was not approved for transplant and we were not sure if the lung team was ever going to approve him. He had just gotten a tracheotomy because he could not breath without the assistance of a ventilator.

And we simply were cherishing every day we had with Len because that's all that we knew we had at that time.

I can't believe we made it to Jan 2015! And that Len is still with us! Praise God! The amazing thing about this all is that Len's doing great today and his doctors are thinking of discharging him soon!

He has been able to walk more everyday. He's currently at an avg of 16-18 laps around the ICU each day. That's about 1 mile per day.

Len got his feeding and med tubes changed over the holidays. He's recovering from those procedures quickly.

He has also tried eating a little. He was able to eat honey and pudding safely but swallowing thin liquids was a bit of a challenge.

Unfortunately the doctors were not able to find any signs of bleeding after reading the chip he swallowed. But fortunately his hasn't needed a transfusion for a couple of days. We hope the problem resolved itself.

And today the doctors are thinking of taking his trach out. These are all huge accomplishments toward the road to recovery. Thank you all for you consistent prayers and words of encouragement. The road has not always been easy but Len and our family could not have done it without all of you encouraging us and praying for us along the way! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

It looks like Len maybe heading home soon! I'll be sure to tell you when he does!

December 29, 2014

Unfortunately today we had a bit of a scare. Len threw up and a little bit of the acid and bile got into his new lungs. As result, he had some difficulty breathing.until a doctor was able to come and clean his lungs out. The doctor thinks he got most of it. Praise God! Len is feeling better now.

Len has been growing stronger every day and we are extremely grateful for this. Yesterday he was able to walk 16 laps around the ICU. That is a little over a mile. Nevertheless, his bleeding problem is still a mystery to the doctors. They are still trying to figure out why and where he is bleeding. My prayers are that they will be able to resolve this problem soon!

Another thing that has come up is Len's voice. Although Len had vocal cord surgery about 2 weeks ago he is still having problems with being able to produce sounds when he talks. So right now he's been writing to communicate with us. Although we knew this could be a side effect from the lung transplant we are praying Len's voice will come back soon.

That's it for now. I'll be back soon to let you know how everything is going.

December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!!! Len got his Christmas gift early on December 11, 2014! He continues to celebrate this precious gift of life. It's amazing that only 2 weeks ago Len was literally fighting for air and breathing every minute of the day was a struggle. And yet, today he's able to breath on his own. Life is crazy!!! But God is good!

Len wanted to thank you all of your prayers and encouragement during this incredibly crazy period in life. I've watched Len go online to read your post on his cell when he wasn't having a great day. Thanks for letting Len know he is loved and cared for by many. And that life really is worth fighting for!

We hope you have a Merry Christmas wherever you are!!! We love you and are so grateful for you!!!

December 24, 2014

Today Len walked 3/4 of a mile! He's kicking butt in the ICU!!!

Unfortunately the doctors still do not know the cause of the bleeding and they had to give him two more bags of blood today. They also had him injest a microchip to try to find the source of the bleed. I think that is so cool!

Len is very happy and can't wait to get out of the hospital. They will not move him out of the ICU until they find the source of the bleeding.

We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas! We hope you are enjoying this special holiday with your loved ones! I'll be back in a day or two to update you!

December 23, 2014

Len was allowed to swallow something for the first time in two months!!! It was lidocane, to numb his stomach for an endoscopy. The doctors are looking deeper into this bleeding issue. They are trying to find the source hence the need for an endoscopy. We pray they will find it soon and that one day he will be able to enjoy Pho, his favorite meal of choice, soon!

In the meantime Len has been getting stronger day by day! Praise God! He walked 1/2 mile yesterday and he hopes to walk more each day!

In order for him to leave the hospital he has to be able to walk a little over a mile and be off of the ventilator for 48 hours. He has actually been able to be off the ventilator for more than 48 hours already but with this bleeding issue not resolved they put him back on at nights sometimes if he appears really tired.

Thank you everyone, especially Asian Evangelical Church youth for sending your sweet Christmas cards! I put them up in his room and they look great! Thanks to all of our friends from all over the world who have showered us with your love and encouragement!!! We are a much loved and blessed family!!! And we are so grateful for you all!!!

December 21, 2014

Today Len walked 7 laps around the ICU! Yay!!! However, Len's been needing blood transfusions every two to three days. The doctors are trying to figure out why he is needing blood so often. They suspect he is losing blood somehow. Prayers would much be appreciated!

December 20, 2014

Len walked another 3 laps today! That a total of 8 laps for the day. And he got 2 chest tubes taken out today. Now he only has 4 chest tubes left to go. They are also trying to see if he can sleep the night without the assistance of a ventilator. I'll let you know how he does tomorrow!

December 19, 2014

Len walked 5 laps around the ICU today. He maybe getting 2 more chest tubes taken out soon and they are considering moving him to the step done ICU soon. We have lots to be thankful for!!! YAY!!!!

December 18, 2014

Len had a great day today! Before his walk today he was given some extra fluids which helped his heart rate go down. He ended up shocking the doctors by walking 1/4 of a mile which is 4 laps around the halls of the ICU! Praise God!!!

He also had a 10 min surgery on his vocal cords which I talked about yesterday. It was a success. He can talk now! And he has tons of things say!

Thank you for your prayers and your words of encouragement. Len told me today that when he gets down he reads all the beautiful comments you have left for him on this page! So keep the messages coming!

December 18, 2014

Update!!! So Len had a not so great day today but he's still relatively stable despite the bad day. Praise God!

We found out that one of his vocal cords is not working. The doctors will be injecting collegian in it tomorrow to hopefully wake it up. I learned that the way a person's vocal cord works is for both vocal cords to bump up against the other. One of Len's vocal cord is slightly curved and not bumping up against the other. As a result, Len can only produce a slight whisper when he talks. So the collegian will hopefully enlarge that curved vocal cord so that it will start to bump against the other. At least that's the plan for now. Please pray that for the doctor doing the injection tomorrow. And pray that he will finally be able to talk again!!!

Another complication is that Len's heart rate has been kind of high lately. Today it was around the 150's and when he was walking it was around the 170's. I was a bit concerned and the doctors took immediate notice. They gave him a blood transfusion because they noticed his platelets where low. The blood transfusion helped him greatly. His heart rate is in the 120's right now. That's still a bit high but the doctors explained that there could be may reasons for this. One his body is still in shock and trying to adjust to the new lungs and two his body is currently dehydrated because they doctors want it to be this way. The dryer his body is the more his lungs can expand. This reduces the potential risk for infection. However, today they realized that Len's body maybe too dry so they gave him a bit more water today.

I asked Len today what he was thankful for and he told me this:

God has been so good to him. And although being sick has been very hard he is extremely grateful for how God has shown his omnipotent power over his damaged body and has provided him this new chance at life. Several of the doctors have said several times how surprised they are at how quickly Len is recovering given how weak his body was before the transplant. I can attest to how bad he was. He weighed 115 pounds and could barely sit straight up in a chair at times without almost pass out. I could not believe that it was only a little over a week ago that I was afraid Len may not be strong enough to wait more than a few days for transplant. And now today he is able to walk the halls sometimes twice a day! And he's breathing on his own most of the day! Amazing!

The doctors were anticipating that his surgery would take longer than normal (9+ hours) because he has so many complicated things they had to do with his lungs/body. And they were pretty sure they would have to use a support machine (EMCO) to help his heart. However his surgery took only 6.5 hours max and no heart support machine was needed. The surgeons were shocked at how smoothly things went. They in fact brought in two of the very best and seasoned surgeons on their team to assist with Len's transplant because they anticipated it would be complicated. However, to their surprising it wasn't .Praise God!

Len also mentioned that so far he has had no major side effects from the surgery. Len was able to walk 1 lap, breathing on his own, within 2 days after the surgery. All of this is nothing short of a miracle. And he would like to thank God and the donor for giving him this life altering real life Christmas miracle!

He also wanted me to let you know that this miracle also would not have been possible without all of you who have cried with us, prayed with us, emotionally and financially supported us through the many ups and down of this crazy journey to transplant. Your financial support has alleviated our stresses about how to pay for relocation costs and medical bills and allowed us to focus more on helping Len get better. The new journey after transplant has just begun, and we know it won't always be easy but we know we could not have gotten this far without you. So Len and my family want to say THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! We are incredibly blessed and lucky to have you all in our lives!

December 15, 2014

Len is doing well! He walked around the halls twice today. And lucky for him, he's having 2 of 7 chest tubes taken out! I hope he can sleep a little better now!

December 14, 2014

Praise God! Len continues to progress. He has already walked the ICU hall this morning and will do so multiple times throughout the days ahead. Len's pain seem to be manageable too despite the 7 draining tubes coming out if his chest. We are so thankful for all you words of support and encouragement! Len and our family would not be able to do this without you!!!

December 13, 2014

6:30 pm Report - Len walked a lap around the halls of the ICU today!!! He walked a whole round and then sat in a chair for 2 hours on his own. Sitting in a chair for two hours is actually a very difficult task. Len's abdominal muscles, which help him breath, are very weak right now so the fact that he could sit on his own for 2 hours is great! The doctors are amazed at how well he is doing. Praise God!

December 13, 2014

5pm Report - It has taken longer than expected to prepare for Len's first walk post lung transplant but they are currently trying to get him to stand. If it is easy for him to stand then they will start having him walk. I'll let you know later tonight what ends up happening.

December 13, 2014

11 AM Report - Len is breathing on his own without any problems. And the doctors are going to have him try to walk sometime around 1 pm.

December 13, 2014

9 pm Report: I just found out Len has been breathing on his own since 5:45 pm. His heart rate per min is around 100. This is slightly higher than a normal person but much lower than what it was this afternoon which was around 120 bpm. They are also close to weaning him off of nitric oxide. They are likely to try to walk him tomorrow!!! Praise God!!! And thank you so much for your prayers!!!

December 13, 2014

At 5:30pm Len woke up!!! He is in pain but very happy to be alive. The doctors are amazed at his progress. They did not expect him to be so stable! Praise God! They are trying to wean him off nitric oxide and the ventilator. His current oxygen intake pressure is about 20% which means he is kind of breathing like we do. Yay!!! When I hear more info I'll let you know!!! Thanks for all the love!!!

December 12, 2014

Report 9:30 am - He's still sedated but the doctors say he is doing great. He is very stable. Thank you so much for your prayers. I'll report more when he wakes.

December 12, 2014

At 11:45 pm we were told the surgery was finished!!! Len had three surgeons with him during his surgery. Dr. Haney was leading the team. The doctors said that despite Len's complicated condition his surgery could not have gone any better. The doctors said he got a beautiful pair of lungs. They could not think of any better operation and set of lungs for Len to get a real shot at life post surgery! Praise the Lord!

They don't know how his brain did yet. They provided blood thinners throughout the surgery. But they won't know if his brain was effected during the surgery until they wake him up tomorrow.

Anyhow, we are very grateful to God for this extremely successful surgery!!! None of this could have been possible without him.The Lord has provided his very best for Len and we are incredibly grateful for this precious gift of life!

Thank you everyone for your love and support! Len and my family could not do it without you! I will be back to update everyone tomorrow!

December 12, 2014

11 pm Report: The surgery is still going as planned. Praise the Lord! Both lungs are in. Len's heart is doing fine. They are starting to close up his chest now. Yay !!!

December 12, 2014

At 9 pm I got an update from the surgical team. So far the surgery has gone smoothly! Praise God! Len is not on any support machines! This means his heart is doing great. And the team said they were able to transplant one lung already. I'll be back with another update at 11 pm.

December 12, 2014

We got a call at 7:55 pm from the OR. The surgeon has cut open Len's chest. They are still working on getting to the lungs. They first have to flip the heart to get to his lungs.

Prayer: That Len's heart will be on good behavior and that the doctors will have wisdom on how to proceed.

Thank you all for your prayers and words of support! This is all so exciting!!!

I'll be back around 9ish to tell you more!

December 11, 2014

I was just notified that surgery started at 5:54 pm. The surgeon preforming the surgery is named Dr. Haney.

Please pray for the donor family, We pray for God's comfort. Len recognizes the magnitude of this gift. There is nothing he can do to ever repay this selfless gift but he hopes he can one day thank the person's family for this gift of life.

Additional surgery concerns:

1. Len has some hypertension in the right chamber of his heart. The doctors are going to have to be careful because of this. They kind of have to flip his heart to get to the lungs. Please pray they can do this without hurting the heart.

2. Len's brain has some stress spots. The doctors are a bit concerned about him having a stroke. Please pray that his brain behaves perfectly throughout the surgery and for the rest of his life!!!

I'll update you in a few hours when I find out more!

December 11, 2014

Today at 3 pm we found out that the doctors located appropriate lungs for Len!!! Praise God! At 4:30 pm they promptly wheeled Len off to the operation room to prep him for a lung transplant. They told us that it takes about and 1-1.5 hours to get him prepared.

So we are estimating that the surgery will start at 5:30 or 6 pm. The surgery is estimated to last from 7-12 hours. I will do my best to update every 2 hours when they update me. Please be praying!

And thank you all for your love for Len! This pic on the left was taken at 3:30 pm right after we heard the news! Len's very happy!

December 11, 2014

Hi!!! I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. The truth is that I've been incredibly busy and scared to update. I simply did not know how to update people without being totally depressing.

Len has gone through so much this week. And I specifically chose this picture of him on the tiger because Len really kicked butt this week even though he was psychically, the weakest I have ever seen him in my life. He persevered in many ways that I could never imagine a person could.There were many times when Len keep pushing his body in ways I never imagined it could continue going. And he did it all without complaining and tons of gratitude to all who were helping him. Amazing!

However, I'm glad to report that he is doing much better now. Praise Jesus! He is back on nitric oxide to help his heart and the story of how we got here is all below!

So here's a brief summary of what happened the past few days and why I was MIA:

Since Friday Len's heart rate has been increased rapidly. On Friday it was in the 130-135 range of beats per minute (BPM) when he was laying down and by Monday it was in the 155-160 BPM range at rest. A normal person's heart rate can range from 60-80 BPM when a person is laying down. And for Len's condition it's understandable to see him at 120 BPM at rest.

120 BPM is similar to the heart rate of a person who is jogging. When Len exercises (i.e. walks the halls) his heart rate usually goes up to the 155-175 BPM range. For a normal person this is equivalent to a person doing sprints up a hill at at 175 BPM it's a very steep hill.

For the past three days Len's heart rate was around the 145-160 BPM range as he laid down in bed. That is equivalent to him sprinting all day long on an incline terrain for 3 days nonstop. Len had difficulty sleeping, he was overheating, and he was simply exhausted every second of the day. He was unable to stand on his own and he had a slightly blue tint to him..I had never seen Len this physically weak in my life and I was terrified.

But on Tuesday the Duke ICU doctors came to the rescue. They did some tests and concluded that they think that the drug they were giving him to help his the hypertension in his heart was not working as well as they had hoped. So they put him back on Nitric Oxide. Len said that once they gave him the Nitric Oxide he felt his heart slowing down and his body relaxing. Today he was able to walk again! Praise God!!!

His heart rate is still relatively high still. It's around the 120-135 BPM range but this is a whole lot better than what it was a few days ago. We are incredibly grateful to the wisdom of the ICU staff here at Duke.

Praises of the Day:

1. Len's able to sleep again

2. Len is able to walk again!!!

3. Len is still alive!

Prayers Requests:

1.We are praying that he will find the perfect set of donated lungs soon and that his body and heart will remain strong during the wait.

2. Len has a high count of antibodies because of all the blood transfusions he has had to have due to his past with with Leukemia and the Bone Marrow Transplant. As a result, findings lungs that will not be attacked by the high level of antibodies in Len's blood system does complicates the search. The transplant doctors say that it makes it harder but it is not impossible to find. So if you could be praying about that we would really appreciate it! We are praying for the perfect pair of lungs that will go well with Len's blood type, body size, and work perfectly and amicably with Len's immune system.

3. Len's donor family. We pray for mercy,comfort, and peace wherever they are.

Many of you sent me e-mails because you were concerned about Len. Thank you so much for your love and care for Len. Your cards and the notes you have written to him via snail mail or on this page hangs in his room here in the ICU. I printed out your words to him via the guest book on this website and made them into mini cards. I give him a few to read each day as we come closer to Christmas! He loves them all!

Please continue to write in messages as you would like. I will make sure that Len sees it! Your notes bring a smile to his face and helps him feel less disconnected from the world.

Len misses you all dearly. And he hopes he can be in touch soon!!!

December 5, 2014

As we wait in anticipation for the call, Len is still working hard to condition his body for this major surgery. He walks the halls and rides his bed bike. My dad is serving as his personal trainer.

Len is still having difficulty sleeping at night because of the new chest tube that they put in a couple of days ago. Please pray that his pain will subside and that he will be able to sleep. Having to workout on little sleep, lots of pain, is very hard. I do not know how he does it. But he does.

Len has also been able to put on 2 pounds since the beginning of the week! Yay for gaining weight! Please pray he will continue to gain more weight. He will need the weight post transplant.

And today at the lung transplant info class, my dad and I, met a lady who had leukemia, went through a bone marrow transplant, and is experiencing lung problems like Len. She knows of two others who had a bone marrow transplant and had to undergo a lung transplant. Both of those people are doing well. We are so glad to hear this encouraging news!

I'll be back tomorrow or sooner if I hear anything!!!

December 3, 2014

This evening Len got listed for transplant!!! Thank you Jesus!!!

We are very happy about this news and so thankful for everyone's prayers and support during this very crazy time in life. Len is extremely grateful for this new chance at life. It's an incredible gift we have been given.

We are keenly aware of the preciousness of life especially during this time. We know this gift comes at a cost to another family. It breaks our heart to know others will be in the same kind of pain we have been experiencing with Len's illness. So we are praying for the donor whoever he/she is and their family. We pray for God's mercy and comfort to be upon them.

I'm actually stay over in the hospital tonight because Len is in severe pain and he's bleeding significantly from a new chest tube that they put in to help his lung drain. It's so painful that he has a blue tint to his skin color. And the color of water that is draining looks like blood. This concerns us. Please pray for his pain and that he will be able to sleep. He is required/needs to exercise despite the pain. So any sleep he gets would be awesome!!! He's also feeling nauseous too because of the pain so please pray for that too!!!

I'm sure I'll have more to update you on tomorrow! Thank you for rooting along side us through all of this! Today we hit a home run! So go out and celebrate for Len! I'm sure he will appreciate it!

December 1, 2014

Len walked another two laps today!!!

The nutritionist has increased his food intake because he was feeling extremely hungry and lost 8 pounds in the past 2 weeks.

The lung transplant team has ordered a few more precedural test ( ie liver and nutritional test) to just make sure everything is ok.

Please pray we will hear good news concerning transplant soon! We are so thankful for you all! And so grateful for your support! I'll be back tomorrow !!!

November 30, 2014

Sorry for the delayed updates. My computer crashed and now I'm updating via my phone.

Len has been working extremely hard the past few days. Despite his erratic heart he has been consistently walking a little over 800 feet. That is the equivalent of several miles for us. I was almost motivated to work out myself after watching him walk.

The doctors also took put a chest tube that had been clogged up. Len has been having difficulty sleeping because of the pain. Please pray that this chest wound will heal naturally and quickly.

Also we would love your continued prayers for the Tuesday meeting between 8:30am to 12:30 pm when the lung doctors get together to discuss Len's case. We really hope he will be listed soon!!!

Thank you so much for all of your living support!!! We would not be able to do this without y'all! And we are SO grateful!

P.S. The picture on the side is a note to Len from our niece Concetta. I thought it accurately conveyed our wishes for Len. And it made Len smile!

November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Yesterday Len walk 1600 feet!!! Unfortunately today his heart have been acting very erratic and jumping up every time he gets up to walk or exercise so we was only able to walk 400 ft today.

Please continue to pray that Len gets listed ASAP. We truly hope this will come true soon! We would love your prayers about this!

Len's unable to eat right now. He's on a feeding tube so please have a few extra servings in support of him!!! Thank you again for all of the support you have showered on us! We are so grateful for you all! And we are incredibly thankful to have Len still here with us! Please let all the people you love know how much you care for them today because each day is truly a gift! Love, The Taing Family!

November 26, 2014

Unfortunately, the transplant doctors at are still consulting other doctors about Len's case so he is still not on the transplant list. Who knew Len was such a complex guy!!! :)

Of course we are sad about this delay but patiently trusting that God is in control. We would love your continued prayers on this matter.

Thank you all for your encouraging messages to Len! Your messages, thoughts, and prayers are what keeps Len going! My family cannot thank you enough for all the support you have conveyed to Len and to us! We are such a lucky family to have friends like you!

November 24, 2014

We just wanted to say THANK YOU in the biggest way possible for the outpouring of support that you have all shown toward Len and my family!!! My family is richly blessed to have friends and family like you!

Len has been having a great weekend kicking butt now that all of his test are done! On Friday and Saturday Len walked 800 ft. And today he walked 1200 feet which far exceeded many of the hospital staff's expectations. Walking this far is no small feat for someone who has three big incision in him (neck, back, and chest) and is currently being wean off of all pain medications except Tylenol.

***Happy Event of the Day***

Today we heard that Len's bone marrow biopsy showed that he does not have any trace of cancer! Praise Jesus!

***Prayer Request***

Tomorrow is a big day for Len and the family. The transplant doctors will be reviewing Len's case between 8:30 am to 12:30 noon. We welcome your prayers of this very important matter!!! We are hoping and praying that Len is approved for transplant.

We thank God for another HAPPY day with Len and we hope we will have many more of them to share with you all!

November 23, 2014

There’s a word in our Chinese dialect called, “Kah-Koh.” It literally translates to “too bitter,” but the

English equivalent would be to “bite the bitterness” or to “persevere.” It’s a very straightforward term that essentially tells you to suck it up and just deal with it.

Growing up, any challenge we faced, big or small, our mother would always say to us, “you just have to kah-koh.” She must have told us to bite the bitterness at least once a day—so often that my siblings and I would jokingly mimic her anytime one of us had something to complain about, even if it was over something silly like not having possession of the remote control for the TV. This phrase has become so ingrained in us that it is our family’s default mode when things get tough.

Len is such a fighter who is more courageous than I can ever be, but he’s also human and has some bad

days. Today, he was feeling a little discouraged by his situation. He has been here for over a month and still is not on the list. The goal for transplant always seems so close but still unreachable. It was unusual to see him so frustrated and complaining about his pain. I told him that if mom were here, she would look him straight in the eye and command that he kah-koh and just push through it.

When the physical therapists came to take Len for his walk, he shocked us all. He walked TWO laps around the ICU unit—that’s 800feet! In the past week he had only been able to do 1 lap (400 feet) on two occasions. The goal is 1000feet to get listed. I was so impressed, I struggled to hold back tears when I walked behind him, pushing the rescue chair that he never used. It was a perfect moment with praise and worship music playing as a reminder to him that God is with him, and God will carry him through this no matter how bitter this pain tastes.

In the past month I’ve been here, I’ve seen him kah-koh so much that I often wonder how I got this lucky to have an older brother I can legitimately admire. I get that most people admire their older siblings, but seriously—my brother is pretty awesome. Beyond the fact that he’s able to make me laugh while intubated and in critical condition in the ICU, and the academic accolades he has achieved over his lifetime, I am so proud to have him as my brother because of the strength, courage, and faith he possesses whenever a challenge is tossed his way. We know that tomorrow’s exercise may not be as good as today’s, but it’s so encouraging to see that his spirit is still there. He knows how to swallow that bitterness when everything else is telling him to give up. If you ask Len, I guarantee you he will say with all humility that it’s not him, but God who gives him strength.

Thank you for all the prayers, words of encouragement and support he has received since this page went up. Len is unable to talk as his breathing is being supported by a ventilator, so don’t be offended if he is unable to pick up your phone calls. 

November 22, 2014

Hi All!!!

We are still waiting on the test results on the brain scan and bone marrow biopsy. Prayers that everything will be approved for transplant ASAP!

Len was able to walk the hall today! YAY!

He's been feeling very nauseous from the antibiotics he is taking. If you have any homeopathic suggestions for nausea we are all ears!

Also he is still in a lot of pain from the two tubes he has, one in his chest and another in his back, draining the fluid from his lungs. Please pray that somehow this pain will be reduced. If you have any homeopathic solutions for managing pain we welcome them! I've considered acupuncture. Has anyone every used acupuncture to manage pain? Has this helped? Feedback is much welcomed!

We received an awesome care package from the kids at Park Street Church. Thank you for your sweet cards!!! They have brighten up his room and made it so much more cheery! We posted a pic of Len and the cards that decorate his room!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For your love and prayers!

Sincerely,

The Taing Family

November 21, 2014

Tests and Results of the Day

MRI on Liver and Brain:

Len had a MRI done at midnight yesterday. He said it was one of the top five hardest things he has ever done in his life. That is saying a lot given all the things he has already had to endure! He had to lie down on his back for 2 hours while they did a scan of his liver and brain. Mind you a lot of pain derived from the tube in his back that is draining liquid from his lungs. We really hope he does not have to experience this again.

MRI on Liver Results:

The doctors were concerned about 2 lesions they found in Len's liver. Today we found out that one of the lesions is not a big deal and the other they are unsure about because the MRI scan was not clear. We hope Len does not have to endure another MRI scan again but it's very likely the doctors will ask for another.

MRI on Brain Results:

Still waiting for results. Prayers that everything will be normal and the doctors will approve a transplant for Len.

Bone Marrow Biopsy:

Len had this painful biopsy of his bone done today. We are waiting for the results.

Heart:

Pulmonary hypertension caused Len's heart to fail two Sundays ago. It was a pretty scare experience for Len and the whole family. So Len's heart is a bit testy right now.The doctors are still trying to find the right cocktail of drugs to help this problem. Pray that the doctors can find this drug cocktail soon! .

Nausea and Pain:

Len is experiencing lots of pain and nausea. Pray that these things will reduce somehow.

***Highlight of the Day***

Len had a visit from a HS friend! It was a great time of catching up! I know many have expressed interest in visiting Len. Len, being the extrovert that he is would LOVE to see you!!! However, because Len has so many friends, my family want to ensure he has enough time to rest between visits. So feel free to contact Nar at [email protected] and she will figure out a good time to visit Len.

*** Low Aspect of the Day***

The combination of pain and nausea for extended periods of time can be hard to tolerate. Please pray that God will reduce his pain and give him strength to continue to endure all that he has to do for transplant.

What is scheduled for tomorrow:

Now that all the required tests are done for now. Len will be working hard to exercise and prepare his body for transplant. Please help us pray that the doctors will approve him for transplant!!!

My family has been receiving lots of e-mails since this carepage went up. Len is so blessed to have so many people that love and care about him. Thanks for all of your encouraging thoughts and notes to Len. We've using them to cheer him up and distract him from the nausea and pain. Feel free to keep the notes coming via the guestbook section of this page.

I'll be back tomorrow with more news! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to e-mail Nar at [email protected].

November 20, 2014

Today Len was able to get 2 out of the 4 test/procedures he needed to do done. We really hope to get the other two things done tomorrow.

So things done today:

1.He got his pic lines consolidated in one arm.

2. He got a second chest tube in. It's a bit uncomfortable though because this new tube comes out of his back. This makes for a difficult time sleeping.

Tests for tomorrow:

1. MRI scan of Len's brain and liver.

2. Biopsy of his bone to ensure there is no cancer.

***Highlight of the Day***

Len's platelets are up and stable. Yay!!!

****Low Aspect of the Day****

Len was hoping to get all of the things done today. It's actually really difficult to schedule everything and he's a bit sad about how slowly things are going.

***Prayers***

1. That all of the test will come back normal and Len will be listed for transplant ASAP!!!

2. That Len's spirits will be encouraged despite the setbacks.You can also sent him notes via this page if you would like by writing in the guest book. We will make sure he sees your notes..

3.. Good sleep despite the new tube in his back.

4. That Len will be able to have energy and time tomorrow to exercise and prepare his body for transplant.

I'll be back tomorrow with more updates! I hope I can come back with some good news! Thanks again for all of your prayers and support. We can't thank you enough!

November 19, 2014

After 2 weeks in the ICU Len is up and walk again!!!

Len got a tracheotomy on Monday 11/17/2014 and today he walked once around the hospital hall. Len is working hard to get his body in shape for a lung transplant. He was weened off nitric oxcide as of 3:30 pm today!!! Praise God!!!

Tomorrow he has a full day of test and procedures:

1. MRI scan of Len's brain and liver. Doctors seem to think there maybe signs of lesions in his liver and they want to make sure the place where Len suffered an injury in his brain last year is stable.

2. Bone marrow biopsy. Doctors want to ensure there is no indication of leukemia.

3. Test on fluid in his lungs to rule out an infection.

4. An a new pic line in his chest.

Prayers:

1. That all the test will be normal and Len will be cleared to be on the lung transplant list!!!

2. That Len will regain strength and muscle mass quickly

3. That Len's blood will not have too many antibodies that it complicates the transplant process.

4, That Len's heart will remain strong and pumping.

5. Prayer that Len's new pic line in his chest will not be too painful to do and will stick.

6. Prayers for strength and endurance for both Len and all of Len's caregivers. We want to stay positive and encouraged through transplant and recovery!