I had been told I had chronic bronchitis, but no one had ever done a scan of my lungs. When my cough became violent and my shortness of breath got even worse, I was sure I had COVID. Instead, a scan showed changes in my lungs, and I was told I needed to find a pulmonologist.

I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in 2021.

For a while, I was on medications, and my pulmonary function test results were declining, but slowly. Then I had an exacerbation, and my oxygen needs jumped from 4 liters per minute (LPM) to 15 LPM. I was admitted to the hospital. I had already gone through a transplant evaluation, so transplant was something I had been thinking about. But I was still on the fence.

Why I hesitated

I was 70 years old, and I had lived a fabulous life. I don’t have children or grandchildren, so I kept wondering, “Is this just the time to be grateful for what I’ve had?”

I had talked about those reservations with my family and friends.

As I talked through the decision with my medical team, I began to think differently about what a transplant could mean for me. Other than my supplemental oxygen needs, I was otherwise pretty healthy and upbeat, and I started to feel that maybe I should give myself the chance to keep going.

It also helped to know that if two lungs did not become available, my doctors believed I could do well with a single-lung transplant because one of my lungs was much worse than the other.

Give yourself the option

If someone is unsure about a transplant, one thing I would say is go through the testing and give yourself the option.

My evaluation was very thorough. It involved about five eight-hour days of testing, along with pulmonary rehab and discussions about what transplant and recovery would involve.

Going through an evaluation doesn’t mean you have made your final decision. Along the journey, you can pause. You can change your mind. Even if you are listed, you still have choices.

I never really saw the downside of going through the testing because I wanted to be able to make the decision for myself if the time came.

Of course, things can go wrong with a transplant. I knew that. But I also knew things could go wrong if I didn’t have the transplant and my disease continued to progress.

Caregivers are part of the decision

I also had to think about the impact on the people who would care for me.

My brother and I lost our parents when we were very young, and we have always been close. I’m also very close to my nieces. When I finally said yes, I knew I had the full support of my brother and sister-in-law.

Since the transplant, my brother and sister-in-law have been trading off caregiving responsibilities. One of my dear friends came to care for me, and another friend is coming. It has been hard on them, too.

The caregiver piece is real, and it is important to think about before making your decision.

The call

On April 30 of this year, I got the call telling me to get to Houston Methodist Hospital within 20 minutes.

My transplant happened at 3 a.m. on May 1.

Ultimately, it came down to realizing that I still had more living to do and going through with a transplant was my answer.