Rollercoaster

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you want to stop the rollercoaster and just get off for a while?

I'm in the midst of one. Another health scare over the last couple of days combined with tests and appointments four out of five days this coming week are tipping my scales.

Thank goodness I can rely on a bit of crafting to get through it, but I could seriously do with a break.

I'm so looking forward to the market tomorrow to bring back a bit of normality!

Oh, and after the good news from my appointment today I celebrated with a bit of Op Shopping. It's the perfect therapy.

How do they choose?

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while now, as the most common question I get asked is "where are you on the list?"



The list is really just a list. There's not really an order. I have six weekly reviews where they check for deterioration etc.

The full TSANZ Protocol is here, but this is a quick summary from the site:


Donor lungs will be allocated considering the following criteria: 


1. ABO compatibility (blood group)
2. Size compatibility                 
3. The absence of a positive T cell crossmatch

Where more than one potential recipient meets the above criteria the first choice will be determined by the following process:

4. Clinical urgency*
    Logistics**                          
    Long-term outcome benefit***
5.  Recipient waiting time, all other factors being equal

A Gracious Gift

Via You Tube


From Nine MSN News

A young Sydney man in desperate need of a heart and double lung transplant has made a heartfelt video, urging viewers to become organ donors. 

William Chapman, 20, was born with a congenital heart condition but his health has recently deteriorated to the point where he fears he won't be around for long. 

"I am living with heart and lung failure," Mr Chapman says in the video.

"Without a heart and double lung transplant I won't make Christmas." 

He urges viewers to think of their parents or the people they love most as they watch the video he helped make in a bid to lift Australia's rate of organ donation. 

"I want Christmas with my family. Not flowers in my face or grievers at my funeral," he says.

The seven-minute clip, uploaded to YouTube yesterday, features Mr Chapman's family as well as a number of celebrities who echo the call to save the young man's life. 

Mr Chapman worked at a media communications company before his failing organs forced him to quit and return to the family home where he could receive 24 hour care.