April 19, 2025 • 38 mins
In this special bonus episode of The Aging Well Podcast, Dr. Jeff Armstrong honors National Donate Life Month. His guest, Ann Sidesinger, shares her journey with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, detailing her diagnosis, the emotional and physical challenges she faced, and her eventual double lung transplant. Ann discusses the importance of resilience, the support she received during her recovery, and how her outlook on life has changed post-transplant. She emphasizes the significance of organ donation and encourages others to consider becoming donors, highlighting the impact it can have on lives like hers. Ann's story is one of hope, strength, and the determination to live life to the fullest after a life-changing medical experience.
For more information on Ann’s journey and the amazing work of her transplant team at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Comprehensive Transplant Center, visit:
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Episode Transcript
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(00:08):
Welcome to the Aging Well Podcast, where we explore the
science stories and strategies behind living a longer,
healthier, and more purposeful life.
In this bonus episode, we celebrate National Donate Life
Month. We share the incredible story of
Anne's side singer, a woman who went from barely making it
across her bedroom, the climbingmountains, all thanks to a life
(00:29):
saving double lung transplant. Diagnosed with idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis and future once looked uncertain.
But after receiving new lungs from The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Centers Comprehensive Transplant Center,
she's breathing easier and living harder than ever.
At age 69, Anne is in the best shape of her life, hiking,
(00:49):
traveling, and chasing after hergrandkids with joy and energy
that defies expectations. Her story is 1 of courage,
resilience, and the transformative power of modern
medicine, And it might just inspire you to rethink what's
possible at any age. And welcome to the Aging Well
podcast. Let's just begin by having you
tell us about your diagnosis with idiopathic pulmonary
(01:12):
fibrosis and how it began to really impact your daily life.
OK, I was diagnosed in 2015. It was managed.
I was on Prednisone. That's the only way they really
managed it. It became very difficult as the
disease progressed. I had to leave my job that I
(01:34):
adored because I was too sick towork.
So basically it's it's a wicked disease.
It's extremely difficult to livewith pulmonary fibrosis.
Many people keep it, they are fine with it for a while.
I mean they're, they're doing, their doctors are monitoring
them and they're, it hasn't progressed as rapidly and with
(01:59):
me catching getting pneumonia just threw me right off the
Cliff. So that's what really my
progression just went crazy. So, but as but I was continually
being out of breath, everything was hard.
And when it got to be so bad that I was on oxygen 24/7, I
(02:20):
just couldn't do much of anything at all.
So it was, it was very difficult.
So what was it like emotionally and physically to have to face
the reality of needing a double lung transplant?
Well. I remember my pulmonary Dr. he
was, he had brought it up early on in the diagnosis and I said
(02:41):
no, I, I don't know about that. I'm, I'm, I'm doing OK.
But then of course, as when I had pneumonia and it wouldn't go
away for like 2 months and it just, it was so bad I had to be
put on oxygen and everything. And he said I'm gonna how about
having a lung transplant if I refer you?
So you want to go to Cleveland Clinic or Ohio State?
(03:03):
And I said, well, Ohio State, it's nice and close.
He goes, OK, because that's whatwe're going to do.
I go OK. I was really frustrated and
getting sicker. Life was getting really
difficult so and it just continued to get difficult.
So I got on the list. I mean well started the process
which is very long. It can be long even though I
(03:25):
moved really quickly and did everything I was told to do as
far as getting on the list, there's lots.
They check everything to make sure that you are healthy, that
you have a good heart, that there is any sign of cancer.
They give you every tested a manageable and lots of blood
work. And I went through all that and
it was hard because you had a whole oxygen everywhere you
(03:47):
went, always worried you were gonna run out of oxygen as soon
as you got there. I would ask for a tank because I
was so worried I was gonna run out of oxygen wherever I was.
So that part of it was it's just, it was hard going to all
those appointments, but I thoughthey said, you know, some people
are on, they take forever with all their testing.
(04:08):
The key is to get it done. And I did.
I every appointment they sent me, I, I said I'm there.
And I remember when I was referred to the to OSUI didn't
get a call. I didn't get a call.
And my son says you have to callthem.
Just just don't sit on it. You call them, I go, well, they
(04:29):
have my information. So I called him.
I said I haven't heard. I haven't heard from you.
And they said this is the first time we've ever had anybody call
us to actually say that. Well, OK, no problem.
We'll get right on that. So that's when they got me in
touch with everybody. Things moved along.
So for the the listener that might not be as familiar, what
(04:51):
is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?
Well, actually it's the thickening and the, the fibrosis
scarring. You know, you can't, there's
nothing you can do about scarring.
And as the more it scars, there's just no air coming in.
(05:12):
As I said in my video, my chest didn't move because it was just
stiff. You can't, you can't take a deep
breath. You just, you feel like you're
drowning a lot of the time. Everything becomes an effort,
every movement, because you can't get any air in your lungs.
I was hooked up to a compressor with a real long cord that I
(05:36):
could go all over the house, anda couple of times I stepped on
it because I was moving wrong and I detached, didn't get,
wasn't getting any oxygen, and Ifelt really weird, tingly and
numb. Then I would go into a panic
trying to follow the cord to find out where it came undone.
(05:56):
So yeah, you know, all of the air we breathe in every day, we
just take it for granted that when you no longer can breathe,
everything is an effort. Everything.
Getting dressed, washing your face feels like you're drowning.
Brushing your teeth and taking ashower.
Even with a cord I took, I put that in there.
(06:18):
Even on oxygen I had to be like on 10 volume 10 to shower.
So it was everything was just, you know, it's a, it's a ruling
disease. An idiopathic for the listeners
means that there's no known 'cause.
There's no known cause, but I will tell you my father died of
(06:38):
pulmonary fibrosis and he was 64.
So they don't really, it can runin families, you know, you hear
about siblings getting it, cousins.
And so I don't know for sure because they just asked me so
many questions like were you exposed to dust, asbestos?
(07:00):
What kind of, you know, just asking me all these questions.
It was no, I couldn't think of anything.
I I was mad when I got this. It's like, are you kidding me?
I was so active, would be a runner and exercised and was
always, you know, my lungs should be in great condition.
How did this happen to me? So yeah, but they don't know for
(07:21):
sure. Many cases they just don't know.
And that's a challenge with trying to age well is sometimes
there's that stuff that just creeps in there that you have
absolutely no control over. Exactly, I thought.
I even said to my doctors, well,this really, this really makes
me mad. I said, I always taking good
care of myself always and I get this and and I look at me, I'm
(07:44):
not. I mean, I'm trying to stay
healthy and strong for the surgery.
They go, no, don't ever look like don't ever it it wasn't
done in vain. You are good and healthy.
You are. That's why you're a good
candidate to be to get on the list because you are so healthy.
So all that was good because youdidn't know this was going to
(08:04):
happen to you. So it was all meant to, you
know, keep you healthy. And that was the hard part
because told after going throughrehab and everything, because
you have to do all that and you graduate from that and they say,
OK, continue it at home. You got to stay healthy for this
surgery. And I got to the point where I
(08:25):
tried. I just couldn't do it anymore.
I was afraid I was going to fall.
I would take my tank, it was a portable tank and it was heavy
and I would put it on a sling and I'd walk up and down my
kitchen area, which was pretty big and play music, anything to
get motivated. And it was, I had it on like 50
(08:47):
and it was just blowing that airand, and I would and I would do
that for so long. I start tripping and not walking
steady and I said, you know, I'mjust done.
I can't do it anymore. I might fall.
So I said I'll just have to wait.
So I did. I just said I'm done.
I'll just because the best for me was sitting totally still,
(09:08):
just just sitting as still as possible.
And then I could breathe. But any movement, it was agne.
So I said I'm just going to lay on this couch and watch the
people walk up and down the sidewalk.
And I said and and read and listen to podcasts.
And that's what I did because it's just too much of an effort.
So I was pretty, I was definitely at the end stages of
(09:32):
pulmonary fibrosis. And that was I think the the
roughest month was the month of August.
I had my surgery in September. And that I just remember that
whole summer being so hard. I could imagine how long was the
wait from the time you were diagnosed.
I was so lucky the wait was not that long for me.
(09:54):
I got on the list September. That was funny.
I was supposed to get on at the end of I was supposed to get on
the end of August. But they said, oh, I'm sorry, we
have one more test for you. You have to get a colonoscopy.
And I go, Oh my gosh, are you kidding me?
So yeah, I got, I got this down here because it's always so, so,
(10:15):
so I had a dry run. They call it a dry runs.
So I got a call like 5 days later and it the lungs weren't
viable so I had to go home. So that didn't work out.
So yeah on I got on the list on the 2nd and I got a call
September 11th and went home on the 12th.
(10:36):
The they will be in there and you know, they were all I saw
them over there looking at the lungs and they put me out and
everything. They were about ready to cut me
and that's when they realized that there was a blood clot
lungs. So they will be back.
And I when I remember coming outof the anaesthesia thought, you
know, something's just not righthere.
This just I don't think I had the surgery because they talked
(10:59):
all about many people have dry runs where the lungs just don't
work out. I had heard stories where there
was a gentleman that it was 7 seven times it happened to him.
And so I, they were so sorry andthey and they were I'm so I go
ahead. Fine.
Now I know exactly what to expect What when I'm when I get
(11:22):
the call and I and being wheeledinto the operating room and
seeing all the people there and it, it's like a fine operation.
Let me tell you. There's so many people in there
and calling out everything they're going to do and who's
who. So yeah, so then I got the call
for my. I had, I got the call.
(11:44):
It was on the 17th of September.But I always say the 18th
because it was like sometime in the morning, early morning
hours, because I they call you and they keep putting the
surgery back. And so, yeah, I was.
And there are a lot of people saying, weren't you just scared
to death? You know that when you're vet,
when you're so sick. Would it list the alternative
(12:07):
here? I what am I going to do?
I wanted him. I knew I was going to be a rough
recovery because they don't sugarcoat anything, tell you
everything that could go wrong. And yeah, so I, I was, I think
that I remember coming out of out of surgery, I remember
waking up and my biggest fear was being incubated.
(12:29):
That was my biggest fear. And I all I knew is I wanted to
get that out as soon as possible.
That was my biggest fear of the whole thing, even the surgery.
It really was. That's wild because you're
getting your lungs literally removed and then new lungs put
it in and you're just worried about a tube going down your
nostril. I was.
I really was. I even told one of the
(12:49):
screenings is you have to talk to a psychologist and I told her
that I said I don't have any anxiety.
I'm I'm good, but I'm really worried about that.
And she told me think, just meditate, think about something
pleasant. Think about what's your favorite
place. So I said, I like the beach.
I'm going to, I'm just going to picture the, the waves and the
(13:12):
beach and, and I and that's whatI did.
And I'm just going to calm. She goes, don't panic, don't
fight it because if you fight it, the longer they're going to
keep that tube in there. So I got it out pretty fast,
like really fast that day afternoon because I just, I kept
asking them like I couldn't talk, but I wanted it out.
So once I got that out, I knew Iwas good to go.
(13:33):
That's good. So what was a recovery process
like in those first few weeks and months after the surgery?
Well, you're so weak, so weak. I remember it was Doctor Nunley.
I said, well, I didn't expect tofeel so weak.
And you, they get you up the next day.
You have to sit in a chair and you're, you're walking down that
(13:54):
hall with all these tubes because I had 7 chest tubes.
And so they're walking with you.There's takes, it's a team and
you're walking and it's scary because you feel so weak and
wobbly. And I told him, I said I just
feel so weak. He goes, well, well, it's like
you were run over by a semi truck.
That's what it's like because wegot to go in there and, and
(14:17):
we're pulling and pulling and through all these nerves and
muscles. So yeah, you're you're going to
feel a little punky, so really weak, but you have.
What motivated you? What motivated you not only to
recover, but to thrive? I mean, it's, I'm excited.
We're going to talk more about kind of what you've been doing
since. That's the good part.
(14:37):
It's hard. It's really, you know, dredging
up all this before. Not that I don't want to forget
about it because even in my homewhen I do all these things and
I'm racing up and down the stepsand I'm doing all these things,
I have to think, remember, you couldn't do anything.
Like you couldn't do any of these things.
I, I couldn't do any of them. And the good part is that there
isn't anything I can't do now. So they tell you, you got to
(15:02):
move when you get home from the surgery.
You have to walk, you have to breathing exercises you have to
do. There's all this medication you
have to take. My daughter did all that for me.
My, my brain was foggy. I felt like I couldn't think
clearly about anything. So I had a big care team that
(15:23):
took care of me because you have24/7 because you do need to have
and they will tell you you, you have to have a good support team
because, and I now I know because I, I wasn't myself at
all. I just wanted to be left alone
and Nope, mom, sorry, you're walking.
And you know, they were the reverse roles of my children.
(15:47):
I didn't want to eat, didn't have an appetite.
They were forcing me to eat. That was horrible, forcing me to
walk. I didn't want to do it.
Had to go to a lot. You have to go to a lot of
doctor's appointments and you have to in your week and tie.
It's hard and shaky. I have was really shaky from the
medication, adjusting to the medication and they said that's
(16:08):
totally, totally normal. That's going to happen.
So just shaking like a leaf and having to go to all these
doctor's appointments. It it was, it was not an easy
recovery, but I but they that they're so encouraging.
It's going to get better. You're going to get stronger.
And boy, did I ever I had no idea.
And too bad. You can't just say, you know,
OK, I'm going to show you a picture.
(16:28):
This is what you're going to be like.
Just hang in there and that's what I want to tell anyone
that's going to go through this.It's all normal.
Everything you're going to go through is normal and you're
going to come out the other end because I met a lot of people
that are doing very well. They're doing very well.
So what is that support team like at Ohio State Wexner
(16:50):
Medical Center? I mean, who all was involved in
your kind of preliminary care, post care and continued care?
They're just wow, they're an amazing team.
So you know, I got to see early on pre on pre transplant, they
call it the pre transplant nursecoordinators that you meet with.
And then of course you meet withall the surgeons.
(17:13):
There's many and they always they pop in as well.
And then post transplant, that'sa whole different team and you
don't really see the doctors as much even you do early on.
So if they're just, they, they, they've tell you everything you
need to do. It's time for you to get this
(17:33):
appointment. You need to get vaccinated, you
need to do this, you need to do that.
You need to what we're going to do all the scheduling for you.
And I just do as I'm told. And I was a good patient that
way. I always listened and took my
medication and did what I was told.
They were, they were amazing. They really were.
They made they, there was some bumps that I had in the road
(17:56):
with recovery. I mean, I had to, I had was
admitted in the hospital get some fluid drained off my lung.
I had too much potassium. They admitted that, admitted me
for that. They don't mess around with
things, you know, if you if anything you they always say
call, call like after transplantcall us if you notice this or
(18:20):
that. So I was in an emergency room a
couple of times, but foreign. Tissue put into your body what
you know, what's the drug regimen?
Diet, other things that you haveto go through in order to
maintain that. Is it a continued do?
Are you still on drugs? Oh yeah I will always be for the
rest of my life. I'm not as on as many they take
(18:42):
they start to wean you off saying well you don't need this
anymore you don't we need that anymore.
But I will always be on the antirejection medication which those
that is 9 pills a day, 9 every day.
I'm the, there's one of them that they keep playing around
with, but so that you have to take anti rejection every day.
(19:05):
And that is like sometimes I feel like I don't feel like I
had a lung transplant and the only reminder sometimes is
taking that medication and the scar.
That's like my only reminder that I had a lung transplant.
So because you have to remember you take them every 13 hours.
So that's what you have to do. And when I'm busy and I'm with
(19:27):
family or I'm on vacation, one of my grandkids will say, mom,
did you take your medication? Grandma, did you take your
medication? Oh, my God, what time is it?
So yeah, that's for life. And Prednisone, I'm on steroids,
a very low dose. I will always have to be, and
also two antibiotics because I have no immune.
There are certain foods you cannot eat that are because of
(19:50):
bacteria. No soft cheeses, no processed
meat. Which is good.
Yeah, which is really good. I haven't had a, a lunch, a
sandwich, a processed food in three years.
So I mean, I, I don't miss it. It's I'm fine with it.
There's a licorice root now that's something I can't have
really. And it's in a lot of tea, which
(20:11):
I like. I have to read labels for that
because it it'll interfere with the rejection medication.
So anything you really miss having had the the transplant
surgery? That I miss.
Yeah. I mean like if you can't have
like certain processed foods, I mean, I'm sure you don't really
miss licorice root. No, Well, I did, did I really
(20:33):
did like that, but that's OK. I just, no, I don't.
I don't miss any. Those are slight changes to make
because so I don't. I have one glass of wine once a
month, a six ounce glass of winewith my girlfriends when we go
out to dinner, and that's all. And I don't miss that either.
So I leave. I'm leading a very clean life.
(20:55):
Yeah. So you've actually, you've
talked about being in the best shape of your life at 69.
What does your current routine look like in terms of physical
activity, Wellness, your mindset?
What are you doing to age well? This is so strange, I don't know
what it is. I told my kids I feel like I'm
going backwards. I feel better than I ever have.
(21:17):
And how is that possible? I don't know.
I'm very active and I move. I move my body like I'm in my
40s. I can get up and down off the
floor. I can, I walk really fast.
I feel strong even though I'm really tiny.
That's the thing that I after, before and then after
(21:39):
transplant, I never gained my weight back.
That's the frustrating part. But that's OK.
I'm dealing with that. I, I go to my rec center three
times a week to strength training.
That's the big key. I love to ride my bike over
there. I just do a lot of walking and
moving. I'm just, I just move really
(22:01):
fast. I feel I'm doing some.
I'm going to try getting back into yoga because I really
enjoyed that. Of course you've got grandkids.
And they, I tell you, I can keepup with all of them like him.
And that's saying something. I can keep whatever activity the
family is doing. I can do.
We I go to New York City, that'swhere my son lives with my three
(22:24):
grandchildren. I have 6 grandchildren in total.
I walk all over, up and down thesubway steps all over that city.
That's not easy because I alwaystell people I go, oh, I would
love to go to New York. And, and I, and I said, well,
unless you're going to take an Uber everywhere, you better have
some stamina. Is it?
It's a lot. I even go up and down those
(22:46):
subway steps and I don't hang onto anything because they're so
germy. So I'm working on my balance so
I can walk up and down the stepswithout hanging on to anything.
I bet you appreciate those subway smells more than most
people do. It doesn't bother me.
It doesn't. I got these lungs.
I can breathe this stuff. This is awesome.
Yeah, that's right. You know what?
(23:08):
Speaking of breathing things, and I for years really must have
been, I think my lungs were bad from the beginning.
Anytime, any cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, if my neighbor was
burning leaves, which we're not supposed to do, I suffered.
I could, I mean, wheezing and suffered for weeks and now
(23:30):
people do that. I don't.
It doesn't bother me at all. I even actually had someone say,
oh, no, they're burning leaves over there.
Is that going to, are you going to be OK?
I go, yeah, I have new lungs. It doesn't bother me.
Yeah, it's pretty amazing. So how has this experience
changed your outlook on life andaging?
Totally. I feel like this experience has
(23:50):
totally changed me. I I don't let little things
bother me anymore. I'm pretty calm.
Well, of course, I don't have any stress because I'm retired,
so that helps. But you have a totally different
perspective on life. You really appreciate every
little thing. I don't complain about anything.
There's a lot of things I didn'tlike before and I was really
(24:11):
ouchy about it. I can't think of anything I
would complain about you. You to go through, you'd have to
go through. I thought I would wish this on
anyone, but when you are faced with, you might not make it,
you're you're not going to be around.
You might not make it. You don't know what's going to
happen. You might not be around.
So and then when you are totallyrecovered and you're living your
(24:34):
best life, it's it's hard to explain to anybody.
Those are what I call some majorendorphins.
You just I think I said this to somebody too.
They must become a pole nut case.
I go, I always feel high all thetime.
I just, I'm so happy, just feel alive all the time and really
light and happy and high and like, Oh my gosh, I don't know
(24:58):
it it, it truly changed my, how I think about life and I have
more empathy towards people. You know, when people are out
there and they're grouchy or andI think you don't know what
they're going through. I was like that when I was sick.
I was a real grump. I really was.
And you just don't know what people are going through and how
(25:19):
they feel and what's going on intheir life.
So he's don't judge. Just smile and be pleasant and
happy. And because I I was like that, I
complained a lot because I was sick.
I used to tell my daughter was how rude I was in the story.
She go, Oh my gosh, mom, I go, Iknow I I was rude because I was
just grumpy and just wanted to get out of there.
(25:40):
And, and so when someone's like that, you just don't know how
they're feeling. It probably don't feel good.
So were there any specific moments after your recovery,
like hiking a certain trail or playing with the grandkids,
where you felt like I really gotmy life back?
Well, yeah, so when I was in the, I mentioned this in the
video. I went out to the Dominican
Republic and I went on this trail that it was like, I guess
(26:05):
their idea of their trails versus the United States as far
as whether it was mild or just acrazy trail at all.
They said, I think if they said it was, I forget the word that
they used, it wasn't very going to be hard.
And I looked at that. I go, are you kidding me?
It was the boulder rocks, huge, straight up, nothing really to
(26:29):
hang on to. You just had to climb and it was
hot. It was a 90° and there was a lot
of horse dung, every word that you had to dodge.
And my, my grandkids, they weren't complaining all, they
were just going away. And I thought, and when I got
done with that and I, we rode horses down because I was afraid
it was to be too slippery. And that's when I knew I go,
(26:52):
can't believe I did that. I did that.
How is that possible? I did that and I said to my son,
do you believe I did? They goes, yeah, I, I believe
it. Oh, really?
He goes, yeah. So then I was out in Colorado
and I did all that hiking at high altitude.
And so I joke with my voice like, I don't know which one's
trying to kill me, you or him taking me on these crazy hikes.
(27:14):
But that's when I know if I can do these, if I can hike high
altitude and I can hike straightup on rocks, I, I think I, I got
this now. Yeah, it sounds awesome.
So what do you want people, especially those facing serious
illness, to know about resilience and hope?
I know it's hard. Well, with well, I can only
(27:37):
speak to what I went through, but I and I am talking to a few
people that are hesitant about having a lung transplant because
they're so afraid and it is scary.
Just you have to have hope and, and just think, well, no matter
what obstacles I have to go through that I'm going to come
(27:57):
out OK on the other side, be positive, think positively, talk
to other people have knowledge. I, I watched many a video for
inspiration and that helped me listening to other people tell
their stories and, and what theywent through and they came out
on the other end OK. And I just remember watching
(28:18):
people thinking, look at them. They're OK and they went through
a lot and it's possible to go through all that and come out OK
on the other end. It really is just have hope and
and talk to other people. Reach out.
There's so many people there to help you with any questions you
might have about am I going to be OK or wonder if this goes
(28:41):
wrong or that goes wrong. But just talk to other people.
Listen to your doctors and they're the they'll tell you and
just read. I read a lot about everything
that was going to happen to me. I read and I think I watched
every video from every hospital around the country to get detail
(29:01):
on what might happen or what's going to happen.
And, and really when you look atthe numbers, it's pretty good.
The outcome is pretty good. How about words of advice for
people who we're kind of lookingat signing that organ donator
line on their driver's license and this is national or life
(29:21):
don't what is it donating life month and you know, want to
encourage people to to sign thatline.
What words of it do you have forthem?
What can I say, I wouldn't be here.
So many people wouldn't be here without donor donation things.
Just from tissue to kidney to heart.
It's amazing. I know all my kids certainly
(29:43):
have and I all my friends, I talk about it all the time.
It's so important. And then you think it, you just
think that their families, how horrible for their family, but
to think that their life lives on through precious gifts, these
precious gifts that they can give to other people, that they
can live their their lives. I would encourage anybody to, to
(30:07):
be an own organ donor. Absolutely.
Just you think about all the people out there.
I talked to so many wonderful people at the reunion and
they're all doing wonderfully and they all, you know, we, we,
I think about my donor every single day.
And I'm going to write again andI don't know, I'll have to check
(30:28):
with OSU. Maybe I can see if they'll at
least let them know that there are videos out there about it.
I did and I would like to meet them, but they go through a lot.
Yeah. I encourage anybody to be an an
organ donor. It's so, so very important.
Now, yours obviously wouldn't bea living donor, correct?
No. And that's the thing usually
(30:50):
with a lung transplant, they're usually, they're, it's usually
on, they're on hooked up to machines keeping them alive for
whatever reason that was. And that's that's what usually
happens when you think about that short window that they have
to find that donor to match thatyour tissue and your blood type.
(31:13):
It's totally amazing. And how the doctor, like I know
my doctor did they go ahead on helicopters or wherever and they
check it out there too. They check it all out and come
back. So it's just amazing when you
think about it. I just think it's a miracle that
they that this they can actuallydo this.
(31:33):
Yeah, miracle was the word I wasgoing to bring up.
It's a miracle and I was I have to tell you, I I had a lot of
family and IA lot of good friends.
I was on many a prayer group. I must say of it's, it was
wonderful. So many, so many people praying
for for my recovery, for my new lungs and it that meant so much
(31:57):
to me. So lastly, how do you define
what it means to age well after you've gone through all of this?
Well, for me, my lungs have an expiration date on them, so I
don't know how long I'm going tohave them.
So I'm going to take care of myself, I nutritionally and keep
(32:17):
my body moving and I want to stay as healthy as possible.
It's so important the older you get, you know, then we realize,
Oh well, stay healthy and eat right.
Don't stop moving, keep moving, keep motivating, have friends,
have a good social life. I just feel like my, I want to
(32:38):
do it. I want to make sure that I kept
10 years. That's going to be that's my new
goal because the average is 7 years for long.
So I'm aiming for 10. I met some people with 10.
So my motivation to live longer is so for anyone, it's like take
care of yourself. You don't know what's down the
road and then you need to be strong and healthy to fight, to
(33:01):
get to fight. Whatever you're going to fight,
no matter whether it's cancer or, or something that happened
to me or anything, you need to be healthy, take care of
yourself. So, so important.
That's probably, I mean, I don'tknow.
I have changed my the way I eat that's for sure.
I I very clean, maybe that's whyprobably.
(33:24):
Good advice for all of us, you know, even before any need for a
transplant, you know, live that life like the tissues in your
body, you know, are on that expiration date and just treat
them well and take. Care of them exactly everything
has an expiration date, but these definitely do and so I'm
so everything seems extra hyper for me every I just you know you
(33:49):
sit there and you just look at your family at gatherings and
just think Oh my gosh, this is so wonderful that I'm here and
we're all here enjoying each other.
I mean everything is just heightened your awareness when
when you just almost not make it.
I do remember thinking, OK, I don't know what's going to
(34:10):
happen and I, and I wasn't really afraid about dying as I
was so worried about my childrenand how they were going to deal
with it. I'm I was going to be fine with
it, but I worried about them. And whenever I brought that up,
they go, oh, mom, stop it. Don't don't talk like that.
But well, it, I want you to knowI'm going to be fine and you
(34:30):
need to move on with your life and don't worry about me.
I'm going to be fine. I'm going to be up there
watching over you. So that was, you know, that was
that. This is one of those, you know,
podcasts. It's really kind of tough to
wrap up. And then because this has just
been such a heartwarming story, I think you have been so blessed
(34:53):
to receive lungs and have the second opportunity at life.
And what you were doing in the second opportunity just needs to
be commended. I think it's awesome that you
are, you know, not only just living, you're thriving and
you're being an example to others.
And I just, I thank you for coming on the podcast today to
(35:13):
help us just kind of recognize national donating Life Month and
just encouraging others to donate, you know, to get on that
card. And hopefully, you know, I hate,
hate to say, hopefully we have that opportunity, but hopefully
we're all healthy enough that when our time comes that our
organs can go to to many individuals.
(35:35):
And I, I think of that is, you know, I, I am, I think since I
got my driver's license, I've been an organ donor.
I haven't donated anything yet. I do have a friend that we
actually had on the podcast and I should have done give her a
little bit of accolades in in this being donating Life Month.
(35:55):
She's about my age, You know, wework together at Western Western
Oregon University. She had always wanted to donate
an organ and donate a kidney. And she just decided she was
kind of in her later 50s at the time.
And she's like, I might as well do it.
You know, I have two healthy kidneys.
What's the point of me keeping both of these this late in life?
(36:15):
And she, you know, I got a personal trainer, one of my
former students to work with there.
And she got really healthy for the surgery, gave her kidney.
And she's even stronger now. She's getting into powerlifting
and doing all this kind of stuff.
And a lot of us don't think of, you know, I got these healthy
organs. And there's a huge risk in doing
that. And I applaud people that are
(36:36):
willing to give up one of their organs knowing that now they're
down to just one. And if something happens to that
organ, they are left to be on that donate and that recipient
list. And so this is an important
opportunity, I think, for this podcast to really promote the
importance of organ donation andto, you know, right, get people
(37:00):
recognize to that most people getting organs are not people
that abuse their bodies. These are people like yourself
who have an idiopathic disease that you had no control over and
it suddenly hit you. And so don't feel like, well,
why should I give my organ to somebody that didn't take care
of their own? There are a lot of people that
need those organs that are goingto thrive and do wonderful
(37:23):
things if they have the opportunity.
So again, I just commend you on how you're living your life post
donation and the fact that you have helped to kind of become
the poster child for Ohio State's transplant programs and
just keep doing what you're doing.
Just keep aging well. Thank you for listening.
(37:44):
I hope you benefited from today's podcast and until next
time, keep aging well.
Welcome to the Aging Well Podcast, where we explore the
science stories and strategies behind living a longer,
healthier, and more purposeful life.
In this bonus episode, we celebrate National Donate Life
Month. We share the incredible story of
Anne's side singer, a woman who went from barely making it
across her bedroom, the climbingmountains, all thanks to a life
(00:29):
saving double lung transplant. Diagnosed with idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis and future once looked uncertain.
But after receiving new lungs from The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Centers Comprehensive Transplant Center,
she's breathing easier and living harder than ever.
At age 69, Anne is in the best shape of her life, hiking,
(00:49):
traveling, and chasing after hergrandkids with joy and energy
that defies expectations. Her story is 1 of courage,
resilience, and the transformative power of modern
medicine, And it might just inspire you to rethink what's
possible at any age. And welcome to the Aging Well
podcast. Let's just begin by having you
tell us about your diagnosis with idiopathic pulmonary
(01:12):
fibrosis and how it began to really impact your daily life.
OK, I was diagnosed in 2015. It was managed.
I was on Prednisone. That's the only way they really
managed it. It became very difficult as the
disease progressed. I had to leave my job that I
(01:34):
adored because I was too sick towork.
So basically it's it's a wicked disease.
It's extremely difficult to livewith pulmonary fibrosis.
Many people keep it, they are fine with it for a while.
I mean they're, they're doing, their doctors are monitoring
them and they're, it hasn't progressed as rapidly and with
(01:59):
me catching getting pneumonia just threw me right off the
Cliff. So that's what really my
progression just went crazy. So, but as but I was continually
being out of breath, everything was hard.
And when it got to be so bad that I was on oxygen 24/7, I
(02:20):
just couldn't do much of anything at all.
So it was, it was very difficult.
So what was it like emotionally and physically to have to face
the reality of needing a double lung transplant?
Well. I remember my pulmonary Dr. he
was, he had brought it up early on in the diagnosis and I said
(02:41):
no, I, I don't know about that. I'm, I'm, I'm doing OK.
But then of course, as when I had pneumonia and it wouldn't go
away for like 2 months and it just, it was so bad I had to be
put on oxygen and everything. And he said I'm gonna how about
having a lung transplant if I refer you?
So you want to go to Cleveland Clinic or Ohio State?
(03:03):
And I said, well, Ohio State, it's nice and close.
He goes, OK, because that's whatwe're going to do.
I go OK. I was really frustrated and
getting sicker. Life was getting really
difficult so and it just continued to get difficult.
So I got on the list. I mean well started the process
which is very long. It can be long even though I
(03:25):
moved really quickly and did everything I was told to do as
far as getting on the list, there's lots.
They check everything to make sure that you are healthy, that
you have a good heart, that there is any sign of cancer.
They give you every tested a manageable and lots of blood
work. And I went through all that and
it was hard because you had a whole oxygen everywhere you
(03:47):
went, always worried you were gonna run out of oxygen as soon
as you got there. I would ask for a tank because I
was so worried I was gonna run out of oxygen wherever I was.
So that part of it was it's just, it was hard going to all
those appointments, but I thoughthey said, you know, some people
are on, they take forever with all their testing.
(04:08):
The key is to get it done. And I did.
I every appointment they sent me, I, I said I'm there.
And I remember when I was referred to the to OSUI didn't
get a call. I didn't get a call.
And my son says you have to callthem.
Just just don't sit on it. You call them, I go, well, they
(04:29):
have my information. So I called him.
I said I haven't heard. I haven't heard from you.
And they said this is the first time we've ever had anybody call
us to actually say that. Well, OK, no problem.
We'll get right on that. So that's when they got me in
touch with everybody. Things moved along.
So for the the listener that might not be as familiar, what
(04:51):
is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?
Well, actually it's the thickening and the, the fibrosis
scarring. You know, you can't, there's
nothing you can do about scarring.
And as the more it scars, there's just no air coming in.
(05:12):
As I said in my video, my chest didn't move because it was just
stiff. You can't, you can't take a deep
breath. You just, you feel like you're
drowning a lot of the time. Everything becomes an effort,
every movement, because you can't get any air in your lungs.
I was hooked up to a compressor with a real long cord that I
(05:36):
could go all over the house, anda couple of times I stepped on
it because I was moving wrong and I detached, didn't get,
wasn't getting any oxygen, and Ifelt really weird, tingly and
numb. Then I would go into a panic
trying to follow the cord to find out where it came undone.
(05:56):
So yeah, you know, all of the air we breathe in every day, we
just take it for granted that when you no longer can breathe,
everything is an effort. Everything.
Getting dressed, washing your face feels like you're drowning.
Brushing your teeth and taking ashower.
Even with a cord I took, I put that in there.
(06:18):
Even on oxygen I had to be like on 10 volume 10 to shower.
So it was everything was just, you know, it's a, it's a ruling
disease. An idiopathic for the listeners
means that there's no known 'cause.
There's no known cause, but I will tell you my father died of
(06:38):
pulmonary fibrosis and he was 64.
So they don't really, it can runin families, you know, you hear
about siblings getting it, cousins.
And so I don't know for sure because they just asked me so
many questions like were you exposed to dust, asbestos?
(07:00):
What kind of, you know, just asking me all these questions.
It was no, I couldn't think of anything.
I I was mad when I got this. It's like, are you kidding me?
I was so active, would be a runner and exercised and was
always, you know, my lungs should be in great condition.
How did this happen to me? So yeah, but they don't know for
(07:21):
sure. Many cases they just don't know.
And that's a challenge with trying to age well is sometimes
there's that stuff that just creeps in there that you have
absolutely no control over. Exactly, I thought.
I even said to my doctors, well,this really, this really makes
me mad. I said, I always taking good
care of myself always and I get this and and I look at me, I'm
(07:44):
not. I mean, I'm trying to stay
healthy and strong for the surgery.
They go, no, don't ever look like don't ever it it wasn't
done in vain. You are good and healthy.
You are. That's why you're a good
candidate to be to get on the list because you are so healthy.
So all that was good because youdidn't know this was going to
(08:04):
happen to you. So it was all meant to, you
know, keep you healthy. And that was the hard part
because told after going throughrehab and everything, because
you have to do all that and you graduate from that and they say,
OK, continue it at home. You got to stay healthy for this
surgery. And I got to the point where I
(08:25):
tried. I just couldn't do it anymore.
I was afraid I was going to fall.
I would take my tank, it was a portable tank and it was heavy
and I would put it on a sling and I'd walk up and down my
kitchen area, which was pretty big and play music, anything to
get motivated. And it was, I had it on like 50
(08:47):
and it was just blowing that airand, and I would and I would do
that for so long. I start tripping and not walking
steady and I said, you know, I'mjust done.
I can't do it anymore. I might fall.
So I said I'll just have to wait.
So I did. I just said I'm done.
I'll just because the best for me was sitting totally still,
(09:08):
just just sitting as still as possible.
And then I could breathe. But any movement, it was agne.
So I said I'm just going to lay on this couch and watch the
people walk up and down the sidewalk.
And I said and and read and listen to podcasts.
And that's what I did because it's just too much of an effort.
So I was pretty, I was definitely at the end stages of
(09:32):
pulmonary fibrosis. And that was I think the the
roughest month was the month of August.
I had my surgery in September. And that I just remember that
whole summer being so hard. I could imagine how long was the
wait from the time you were diagnosed.
I was so lucky the wait was not that long for me.
(09:54):
I got on the list September. That was funny.
I was supposed to get on at the end of I was supposed to get on
the end of August. But they said, oh, I'm sorry, we
have one more test for you. You have to get a colonoscopy.
And I go, Oh my gosh, are you kidding me?
So yeah, I got, I got this down here because it's always so, so,
(10:15):
so I had a dry run. They call it a dry runs.
So I got a call like 5 days later and it the lungs weren't
viable so I had to go home. So that didn't work out.
So yeah on I got on the list on the 2nd and I got a call
September 11th and went home on the 12th.
(10:36):
The they will be in there and you know, they were all I saw
them over there looking at the lungs and they put me out and
everything. They were about ready to cut me
and that's when they realized that there was a blood clot
lungs. So they will be back.
And I when I remember coming outof the anaesthesia thought, you
know, something's just not righthere.
This just I don't think I had the surgery because they talked
(10:59):
all about many people have dry runs where the lungs just don't
work out. I had heard stories where there
was a gentleman that it was 7 seven times it happened to him.
And so I, they were so sorry andthey and they were I'm so I go
ahead. Fine.
Now I know exactly what to expect What when I'm when I get
(11:22):
the call and I and being wheeledinto the operating room and
seeing all the people there and it, it's like a fine operation.
Let me tell you. There's so many people in there
and calling out everything they're going to do and who's
who. So yeah, so then I got the call
for my. I had, I got the call.
(11:44):
It was on the 17th of September.But I always say the 18th
because it was like sometime in the morning, early morning
hours, because I they call you and they keep putting the
surgery back. And so, yeah, I was.
And there are a lot of people saying, weren't you just scared
to death? You know that when you're vet,
when you're so sick. Would it list the alternative
(12:07):
here? I what am I going to do?
I wanted him. I knew I was going to be a rough
recovery because they don't sugarcoat anything, tell you
everything that could go wrong. And yeah, so I, I was, I think
that I remember coming out of out of surgery, I remember
waking up and my biggest fear was being incubated.
(12:29):
That was my biggest fear. And I all I knew is I wanted to
get that out as soon as possible.
That was my biggest fear of the whole thing, even the surgery.
It really was. That's wild because you're
getting your lungs literally removed and then new lungs put
it in and you're just worried about a tube going down your
nostril. I was.
I really was. I even told one of the
(12:49):
screenings is you have to talk to a psychologist and I told her
that I said I don't have any anxiety.
I'm I'm good, but I'm really worried about that.
And she told me think, just meditate, think about something
pleasant. Think about what's your favorite
place. So I said, I like the beach.
I'm going to, I'm just going to picture the, the waves and the
(13:12):
beach and, and I and that's whatI did.
And I'm just going to calm. She goes, don't panic, don't
fight it because if you fight it, the longer they're going to
keep that tube in there. So I got it out pretty fast,
like really fast that day afternoon because I just, I kept
asking them like I couldn't talk, but I wanted it out.
So once I got that out, I knew Iwas good to go.
(13:33):
That's good. So what was a recovery process
like in those first few weeks and months after the surgery?
Well, you're so weak, so weak. I remember it was Doctor Nunley.
I said, well, I didn't expect tofeel so weak.
And you, they get you up the next day.
You have to sit in a chair and you're, you're walking down that
(13:54):
hall with all these tubes because I had 7 chest tubes.
And so they're walking with you.There's takes, it's a team and
you're walking and it's scary because you feel so weak and
wobbly. And I told him, I said I just
feel so weak. He goes, well, well, it's like
you were run over by a semi truck.
That's what it's like because wegot to go in there and, and
(14:17):
we're pulling and pulling and through all these nerves and
muscles. So yeah, you're you're going to
feel a little punky, so really weak, but you have.
What motivated you? What motivated you not only to
recover, but to thrive? I mean, it's, I'm excited.
We're going to talk more about kind of what you've been doing
since. That's the good part.
(14:37):
It's hard. It's really, you know, dredging
up all this before. Not that I don't want to forget
about it because even in my homewhen I do all these things and
I'm racing up and down the stepsand I'm doing all these things,
I have to think, remember, you couldn't do anything.
Like you couldn't do any of these things.
I, I couldn't do any of them. And the good part is that there
isn't anything I can't do now. So they tell you, you got to
(15:02):
move when you get home from the surgery.
You have to walk, you have to breathing exercises you have to
do. There's all this medication you
have to take. My daughter did all that for me.
My, my brain was foggy. I felt like I couldn't think
clearly about anything. So I had a big care team that
(15:23):
took care of me because you have24/7 because you do need to have
and they will tell you you, you have to have a good support team
because, and I now I know because I, I wasn't myself at
all. I just wanted to be left alone
and Nope, mom, sorry, you're walking.
And you know, they were the reverse roles of my children.
(15:47):
I didn't want to eat, didn't have an appetite.
They were forcing me to eat. That was horrible, forcing me to
walk. I didn't want to do it.
Had to go to a lot. You have to go to a lot of
doctor's appointments and you have to in your week and tie.
It's hard and shaky. I have was really shaky from the
medication, adjusting to the medication and they said that's
(16:08):
totally, totally normal. That's going to happen.
So just shaking like a leaf and having to go to all these
doctor's appointments. It it was, it was not an easy
recovery, but I but they that they're so encouraging.
It's going to get better. You're going to get stronger.
And boy, did I ever I had no idea.
And too bad. You can't just say, you know,
OK, I'm going to show you a picture.
(16:28):
This is what you're going to be like.
Just hang in there and that's what I want to tell anyone
that's going to go through this.It's all normal.
Everything you're going to go through is normal and you're
going to come out the other end because I met a lot of people
that are doing very well. They're doing very well.
So what is that support team like at Ohio State Wexner
(16:50):
Medical Center? I mean, who all was involved in
your kind of preliminary care, post care and continued care?
They're just wow, they're an amazing team.
So you know, I got to see early on pre on pre transplant, they
call it the pre transplant nursecoordinators that you meet with.
And then of course you meet withall the surgeons.
(17:13):
There's many and they always they pop in as well.
And then post transplant, that'sa whole different team and you
don't really see the doctors as much even you do early on.
So if they're just, they, they, they've tell you everything you
need to do. It's time for you to get this
(17:33):
appointment. You need to get vaccinated, you
need to do this, you need to do that.
You need to what we're going to do all the scheduling for you.
And I just do as I'm told. And I was a good patient that
way. I always listened and took my
medication and did what I was told.
They were, they were amazing. They really were.
They made they, there was some bumps that I had in the road
(17:56):
with recovery. I mean, I had to, I had was
admitted in the hospital get some fluid drained off my lung.
I had too much potassium. They admitted that, admitted me
for that. They don't mess around with
things, you know, if you if anything you they always say
call, call like after transplantcall us if you notice this or
(18:20):
that. So I was in an emergency room a
couple of times, but foreign. Tissue put into your body what
you know, what's the drug regimen?
Diet, other things that you haveto go through in order to
maintain that. Is it a continued do?
Are you still on drugs? Oh yeah I will always be for the
rest of my life. I'm not as on as many they take
(18:42):
they start to wean you off saying well you don't need this
anymore you don't we need that anymore.
But I will always be on the antirejection medication which those
that is 9 pills a day, 9 every day.
I'm the, there's one of them that they keep playing around
with, but so that you have to take anti rejection every day.
(19:05):
And that is like sometimes I feel like I don't feel like I
had a lung transplant and the only reminder sometimes is
taking that medication and the scar.
That's like my only reminder that I had a lung transplant.
So because you have to remember you take them every 13 hours.
So that's what you have to do. And when I'm busy and I'm with
(19:27):
family or I'm on vacation, one of my grandkids will say, mom,
did you take your medication? Grandma, did you take your
medication? Oh, my God, what time is it?
So yeah, that's for life. And Prednisone, I'm on steroids,
a very low dose. I will always have to be, and
also two antibiotics because I have no immune.
There are certain foods you cannot eat that are because of
(19:50):
bacteria. No soft cheeses, no processed
meat. Which is good.
Yeah, which is really good. I haven't had a, a lunch, a
sandwich, a processed food in three years.
So I mean, I, I don't miss it. It's I'm fine with it.
There's a licorice root now that's something I can't have
really. And it's in a lot of tea, which
(20:11):
I like. I have to read labels for that
because it it'll interfere with the rejection medication.
So anything you really miss having had the the transplant
surgery? That I miss.
Yeah. I mean like if you can't have
like certain processed foods, I mean, I'm sure you don't really
miss licorice root. No, Well, I did, did I really
(20:33):
did like that, but that's OK. I just, no, I don't.
I don't miss any. Those are slight changes to make
because so I don't. I have one glass of wine once a
month, a six ounce glass of winewith my girlfriends when we go
out to dinner, and that's all. And I don't miss that either.
So I leave. I'm leading a very clean life.
(20:55):
Yeah. So you've actually, you've
talked about being in the best shape of your life at 69.
What does your current routine look like in terms of physical
activity, Wellness, your mindset?
What are you doing to age well? This is so strange, I don't know
what it is. I told my kids I feel like I'm
going backwards. I feel better than I ever have.
(21:17):
And how is that possible? I don't know.
I'm very active and I move. I move my body like I'm in my
40s. I can get up and down off the
floor. I can, I walk really fast.
I feel strong even though I'm really tiny.
That's the thing that I after, before and then after
(21:39):
transplant, I never gained my weight back.
That's the frustrating part. But that's OK.
I'm dealing with that. I, I go to my rec center three
times a week to strength training.
That's the big key. I love to ride my bike over
there. I just do a lot of walking and
moving. I'm just, I just move really
(22:01):
fast. I feel I'm doing some.
I'm going to try getting back into yoga because I really
enjoyed that. Of course you've got grandkids.
And they, I tell you, I can keepup with all of them like him.
And that's saying something. I can keep whatever activity the
family is doing. I can do.
We I go to New York City, that'swhere my son lives with my three
(22:24):
grandchildren. I have 6 grandchildren in total.
I walk all over, up and down thesubway steps all over that city.
That's not easy because I alwaystell people I go, oh, I would
love to go to New York. And, and I, and I said, well,
unless you're going to take an Uber everywhere, you better have
some stamina. Is it?
It's a lot. I even go up and down those
(22:46):
subway steps and I don't hang onto anything because they're so
germy. So I'm working on my balance so
I can walk up and down the stepswithout hanging on to anything.
I bet you appreciate those subway smells more than most
people do. It doesn't bother me.
It doesn't. I got these lungs.
I can breathe this stuff. This is awesome.
Yeah, that's right. You know what?
(23:08):
Speaking of breathing things, and I for years really must have
been, I think my lungs were bad from the beginning.
Anytime, any cigarette smoke, cigar smoke, if my neighbor was
burning leaves, which we're not supposed to do, I suffered.
I could, I mean, wheezing and suffered for weeks and now
(23:30):
people do that. I don't.
It doesn't bother me at all. I even actually had someone say,
oh, no, they're burning leaves over there.
Is that going to, are you going to be OK?
I go, yeah, I have new lungs. It doesn't bother me.
Yeah, it's pretty amazing. So how has this experience
changed your outlook on life andaging?
Totally. I feel like this experience has
(23:50):
totally changed me. I I don't let little things
bother me anymore. I'm pretty calm.
Well, of course, I don't have any stress because I'm retired,
so that helps. But you have a totally different
perspective on life. You really appreciate every
little thing. I don't complain about anything.
There's a lot of things I didn'tlike before and I was really
(24:11):
ouchy about it. I can't think of anything I
would complain about you. You to go through, you'd have to
go through. I thought I would wish this on
anyone, but when you are faced with, you might not make it,
you're you're not going to be around.
You might not make it. You don't know what's going to
happen. You might not be around.
So and then when you are totallyrecovered and you're living your
(24:34):
best life, it's it's hard to explain to anybody.
Those are what I call some majorendorphins.
You just I think I said this to somebody too.
They must become a pole nut case.
I go, I always feel high all thetime.
I just, I'm so happy, just feel alive all the time and really
light and happy and high and like, Oh my gosh, I don't know
(24:58):
it it, it truly changed my, how I think about life and I have
more empathy towards people. You know, when people are out
there and they're grouchy or andI think you don't know what
they're going through. I was like that when I was sick.
I was a real grump. I really was.
And you just don't know what people are going through and how
(25:19):
they feel and what's going on intheir life.
So he's don't judge. Just smile and be pleasant and
happy. And because I I was like that, I
complained a lot because I was sick.
I used to tell my daughter was how rude I was in the story.
She go, Oh my gosh, mom, I go, Iknow I I was rude because I was
just grumpy and just wanted to get out of there.
(25:40):
And, and so when someone's like that, you just don't know how
they're feeling. It probably don't feel good.
So were there any specific moments after your recovery,
like hiking a certain trail or playing with the grandkids,
where you felt like I really gotmy life back?
Well, yeah, so when I was in the, I mentioned this in the
video. I went out to the Dominican
Republic and I went on this trail that it was like, I guess
(26:05):
their idea of their trails versus the United States as far
as whether it was mild or just acrazy trail at all.
They said, I think if they said it was, I forget the word that
they used, it wasn't very going to be hard.
And I looked at that. I go, are you kidding me?
It was the boulder rocks, huge, straight up, nothing really to
(26:29):
hang on to. You just had to climb and it was
hot. It was a 90° and there was a lot
of horse dung, every word that you had to dodge.
And my, my grandkids, they weren't complaining all, they
were just going away. And I thought, and when I got
done with that and I, we rode horses down because I was afraid
it was to be too slippery. And that's when I knew I go,
(26:52):
can't believe I did that. I did that.
How is that possible? I did that and I said to my son,
do you believe I did? They goes, yeah, I, I believe
it. Oh, really?
He goes, yeah. So then I was out in Colorado
and I did all that hiking at high altitude.
And so I joke with my voice like, I don't know which one's
trying to kill me, you or him taking me on these crazy hikes.
(27:14):
But that's when I know if I can do these, if I can hike high
altitude and I can hike straightup on rocks, I, I think I, I got
this now. Yeah, it sounds awesome.
So what do you want people, especially those facing serious
illness, to know about resilience and hope?
I know it's hard. Well, with well, I can only
(27:37):
speak to what I went through, but I and I am talking to a few
people that are hesitant about having a lung transplant because
they're so afraid and it is scary.
Just you have to have hope and, and just think, well, no matter
what obstacles I have to go through that I'm going to come
(27:57):
out OK on the other side, be positive, think positively, talk
to other people have knowledge. I, I watched many a video for
inspiration and that helped me listening to other people tell
their stories and, and what theywent through and they came out
on the other end OK. And I just remember watching
(28:18):
people thinking, look at them. They're OK and they went through
a lot and it's possible to go through all that and come out OK
on the other end. It really is just have hope and
and talk to other people. Reach out.
There's so many people there to help you with any questions you
might have about am I going to be OK or wonder if this goes
(28:41):
wrong or that goes wrong. But just talk to other people.
Listen to your doctors and they're the they'll tell you and
just read. I read a lot about everything
that was going to happen to me. I read and I think I watched
every video from every hospital around the country to get detail
(29:01):
on what might happen or what's going to happen.
And, and really when you look atthe numbers, it's pretty good.
The outcome is pretty good. How about words of advice for
people who we're kind of lookingat signing that organ donator
line on their driver's license and this is national or life
(29:21):
don't what is it donating life month and you know, want to
encourage people to to sign thatline.
What words of it do you have forthem?
What can I say, I wouldn't be here.
So many people wouldn't be here without donor donation things.
Just from tissue to kidney to heart.
It's amazing. I know all my kids certainly
(29:43):
have and I all my friends, I talk about it all the time.
It's so important. And then you think it, you just
think that their families, how horrible for their family, but
to think that their life lives on through precious gifts, these
precious gifts that they can give to other people, that they
can live their their lives. I would encourage anybody to, to
(30:07):
be an own organ donor. Absolutely.
Just you think about all the people out there.
I talked to so many wonderful people at the reunion and
they're all doing wonderfully and they all, you know, we, we,
I think about my donor every single day.
And I'm going to write again andI don't know, I'll have to check
(30:28):
with OSU. Maybe I can see if they'll at
least let them know that there are videos out there about it.
I did and I would like to meet them, but they go through a lot.
Yeah. I encourage anybody to be an an
organ donor. It's so, so very important.
Now, yours obviously wouldn't bea living donor, correct?
No. And that's the thing usually
(30:50):
with a lung transplant, they're usually, they're, it's usually
on, they're on hooked up to machines keeping them alive for
whatever reason that was. And that's that's what usually
happens when you think about that short window that they have
to find that donor to match thatyour tissue and your blood type.
(31:13):
It's totally amazing. And how the doctor, like I know
my doctor did they go ahead on helicopters or wherever and they
check it out there too. They check it all out and come
back. So it's just amazing when you
think about it. I just think it's a miracle that
they that this they can actuallydo this.
(31:33):
Yeah, miracle was the word I wasgoing to bring up.
It's a miracle and I was I have to tell you, I I had a lot of
family and IA lot of good friends.
I was on many a prayer group. I must say of it's, it was
wonderful. So many, so many people praying
for for my recovery, for my new lungs and it that meant so much
(31:57):
to me. So lastly, how do you define
what it means to age well after you've gone through all of this?
Well, for me, my lungs have an expiration date on them, so I
don't know how long I'm going tohave them.
So I'm going to take care of myself, I nutritionally and keep
(32:17):
my body moving and I want to stay as healthy as possible.
It's so important the older you get, you know, then we realize,
Oh well, stay healthy and eat right.
Don't stop moving, keep moving, keep motivating, have friends,
have a good social life. I just feel like my, I want to
(32:38):
do it. I want to make sure that I kept
10 years. That's going to be that's my new
goal because the average is 7 years for long.
So I'm aiming for 10. I met some people with 10.
So my motivation to live longer is so for anyone, it's like take
care of yourself. You don't know what's down the
road and then you need to be strong and healthy to fight, to
(33:01):
get to fight. Whatever you're going to fight,
no matter whether it's cancer or, or something that happened
to me or anything, you need to be healthy, take care of
yourself. So, so important.
That's probably, I mean, I don'tknow.
I have changed my the way I eat that's for sure.
I I very clean, maybe that's whyprobably.
(33:24):
Good advice for all of us, you know, even before any need for a
transplant, you know, live that life like the tissues in your
body, you know, are on that expiration date and just treat
them well and take. Care of them exactly everything
has an expiration date, but these definitely do and so I'm
so everything seems extra hyper for me every I just you know you
(33:49):
sit there and you just look at your family at gatherings and
just think Oh my gosh, this is so wonderful that I'm here and
we're all here enjoying each other.
I mean everything is just heightened your awareness when
when you just almost not make it.
I do remember thinking, OK, I don't know what's going to
(34:10):
happen and I, and I wasn't really afraid about dying as I
was so worried about my childrenand how they were going to deal
with it. I'm I was going to be fine with
it, but I worried about them. And whenever I brought that up,
they go, oh, mom, stop it. Don't don't talk like that.
But well, it, I want you to knowI'm going to be fine and you
(34:30):
need to move on with your life and don't worry about me.
I'm going to be fine. I'm going to be up there
watching over you. So that was, you know, that was
that. This is one of those, you know,
podcasts. It's really kind of tough to
wrap up. And then because this has just
been such a heartwarming story, I think you have been so blessed
(34:53):
to receive lungs and have the second opportunity at life.
And what you were doing in the second opportunity just needs to
be commended. I think it's awesome that you
are, you know, not only just living, you're thriving and
you're being an example to others.
And I just, I thank you for coming on the podcast today to
(35:13):
help us just kind of recognize national donating Life Month and
just encouraging others to donate, you know, to get on that
card. And hopefully, you know, I hate,
hate to say, hopefully we have that opportunity, but hopefully
we're all healthy enough that when our time comes that our
organs can go to to many individuals.
(35:35):
And I, I think of that is, you know, I, I am, I think since I
got my driver's license, I've been an organ donor.
I haven't donated anything yet. I do have a friend that we
actually had on the podcast and I should have done give her a
little bit of accolades in in this being donating Life Month.
(35:55):
She's about my age, You know, wework together at Western Western
Oregon University. She had always wanted to donate
an organ and donate a kidney. And she just decided she was
kind of in her later 50s at the time.
And she's like, I might as well do it.
You know, I have two healthy kidneys.
What's the point of me keeping both of these this late in life?
(36:15):
And she, you know, I got a personal trainer, one of my
former students to work with there.
And she got really healthy for the surgery, gave her kidney.
And she's even stronger now. She's getting into powerlifting
and doing all this kind of stuff.
And a lot of us don't think of, you know, I got these healthy
organs. And there's a huge risk in doing
that. And I applaud people that are
(36:36):
willing to give up one of their organs knowing that now they're
down to just one. And if something happens to that
organ, they are left to be on that donate and that recipient
list. And so this is an important
opportunity, I think, for this podcast to really promote the
importance of organ donation andto, you know, right, get people
(37:00):
recognize to that most people getting organs are not people
that abuse their bodies. These are people like yourself
who have an idiopathic disease that you had no control over and
it suddenly hit you. And so don't feel like, well,
why should I give my organ to somebody that didn't take care
of their own? There are a lot of people that
need those organs that are goingto thrive and do wonderful
(37:23):
things if they have the opportunity.
So again, I just commend you on how you're living your life post
donation and the fact that you have helped to kind of become
the poster child for Ohio State's transplant programs and
just keep doing what you're doing.
Just keep aging well. Thank you for listening.
(37:44):
I hope you benefited from today's podcast and until next
time, keep aging well.
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