Help Hope Live Update, April 14, 2017

Hi, it's me, Kate. Wow. I am overwhelmed by the way this is going. So many people are helping us on this journey with prayers and positive thoughts, rides back and forth to Durham and, of course, generous donations. When we set this up, I felt like we had an unattainable goal, but here we are, almost at the $10,000 mark we need to reach before I can be listed.

I would love to be able to give you a definitive answer as to exactly when my name will officially be added to the UNOS list, but for now, there are still more questions than answers. What I can do is try to explain where we are now...

In addition to the financial goals, there are some other standards that need to be met. I began having trouble swallowing a couple of years ago. I attended speech therapy, where I learned exercises to strengthen those muscles. Recently, it was discovered that I have a paralyzed vocal cord. I had a CT scan last week, and am waiting to see what the next step will be. It's likely that the scar tissue in my lungs has pressed into the cord, causing it to stretch. It can temporarily be fixed prior to transplant by injecting collagen into the vocal cord. It's imperative that nothing be aspirated into new lungs, so if there is a way to make things work better before surgery, it will be done.

There are also several classes that my caregivers and I still need to attend. Those are a bit of a scheduling challenge, but we're working it out. Knowing all the things that might happen can be overwhelming, but it's better than being blindsided. The classes also make you realize that you're not alone in your doubts and fears.

So those are a couple of the obstacles I'm immediately facing. I hope there won't be many more. Every clinic appointment brings a little hope and a little more worry. It's difficult to keep my balance sometimes, but having the support and love of so many wonderful friends helps tremendously. I thank you all for every thought, word and prayer, and of course for your generosity here, Helping Hope to Live. Thank you.