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My story of a Lung Transplant
By
Terry Woods, Craigavon
Committee Member of The Northern Ireland Transplant Association
“The Gift of Life”
I first started having trouble with my lungs in August 1981 when air started to escape causing severe pains in my chest. I was 21 years old married with 2 small children. My mother had died 2 months earlier after suffering for years with asthma and emphysema. She was just 45 years old. After a couple of weeks in Craigavon Hospital I was allowed home. I soon returned to work at the Ulster Carpet Mills.
Over the next 14 years my lungs collapsed a couple of times. I eventually had to go into the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast for operations to strengthen my lungs. Things went well for a while but eventually I developed asthma and severe emphysema. I was finding it a struggle to do my work. Even getting dressed in the morning was a real task. I was eventually laid off work in 1993 due to my illness. My father had died in February 1992. He too, suffered severe breathing problems.
My health continued to deteriorate over the next couple of years. I was 7 stone in weight and couldn’t do a thing. My wife, Noreen, was washing and dressing me daily as well as trying to look after our 3 children. In May 1995 I took a really bad asthma attack. I ended up on a life support machine 4 times over the next 1 ½ years. I sure thought I was going to die.
In October 1996 I was told that an appointment had been made for me to see the transplant Doctors from the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle Upon Tyne in England at the Belfast City Hospital. After meeting the doctors and being assessed I was told that I did indeed need a lung transplant or I wouldn’t be here in 2 years time.
I was put on the waiting list and got a ‘bleeper’ and had to be ready to go to the Freeman Hospital in England within 20 minutes when the time came. After a year I got the call to go. An ambulance was at my door within 15 minutes. My wife, Noreen, and I were away! At Aldergrove Airport we were put on a small plane with two pilots and away we went. We were coming to Newcastle Airport when the pilot came to us and said “I’m sorry but the operation has been cancelled” I was devastated! We returned back home to Portadown to wait for the next time.
I eventually got a single lung transplant on the 16th June 1998 at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle Upon Tyne, in England. After a couple of days I was out of bed and walking around the room. They soon had me in the gym doing light exercises. After 2 weeks I was out of hospital. We were put in a flat behind the main Freeman’s Hospital and I went into the hospital each day for tests. After 41/2 months I was able to come home. I had had slight problems with rejection, but nothing serious.
I now lead a fairly good life. I like to swim and walk.
I have drugs to take each day – I attend the transplant games and I have lots of medals for swimming and other sports like volleyball.
I have 4 grandsons, one granddaughter and 2 grandchildren expected in 2007.
I will be forever in debt to the Doctors, Nurses and the other staff at the Freemans, The Royal Victoria Hospital, Craigavon Hospital for all the care they gave me.
I am now a committee member of The Northern Ireland Transplant Association helping others who need transplands and their families. Many people are waiting for a transplant of some kind. Please help someone to discover how great life can be and join the Organ Donor Register (Freephone 0845 60 60 400)
A very special ‘Thank You’ to Stuart whose lung I now have and his family for “The Gift of Life”
Terry Woods 2007.
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