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- @ellenorasmith Please do that Elle (make sure mommy & daddy have their iCameras ready though)! in reply to ellenorasmith 2 weeks ago
- Less then one month until Lungapalooza, visit us @ http://www.lungapalooza.com or make a donation @ http://www.firstgiving.com/LTF 2 weeks ago
- Amber Wesemann's Fundraising Page: http://soc.li/SdwChyD 2010-08-06
- More updates...
Author Archives: amber
Agenda for Duke Medical Students
Duke Medical School Lecture Agenda
Monday April 26, 2010
1. Introduce myself
2. CF Facts
• CF is the 2nd most common inherited childhood onset diseases in the US.
• Approximately 30,000, w/ 1,000 new cases per year
• CF affects mostly Caucasians, and seen least in Asians
• 70% of patients are diagnosed by 2yrs of age, although I have two friends, one diagnosed at 17yrs old [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Cystic Fibrosis, duke, lung tranplant, lung transplant foundation 2 Comments
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
Upcoming Speaking Engagements:
Monday April 26th, 2:00pm– Duke 1st year Medical Students
Duke University Durham, NC
May 16th-19th American Thoracic Society Conference, New Orleans
Lung Transplant Foundation Exhibit Booth
May 22nd 3:00pm– “The Gift of Life”
St. Peter’s Lutheran Afternoon Tea
Phoenixville, PA
September 19th 2:00-5:00pm– “Lungapalooza” First inaugural walk to benefit
The Lung Transplant Foundation (chairman of the event)
Sarah Duke Gardens Durham, NC
Posted in Transplant Journey Tagged ATS conference, lung transplant foundation, Lungapalooza Leave a comment
ICU Psychosis
Subject: icu psychosis
Message: There is not much information on the web about ICU
Psychosis. A week ago today, my dad underwent a double lung
transplant. He is doing well except for this psychosis. We as a family
feel helpless. We have not been allowed to go into his room, and we
can only watch him from a glass window. [...]
Great Strides CF Fundraiser
The CF Great Strides Walk to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was held on April
17, 2010 at the Duke East Campus. This year “more money was turned in at the registration table then ever for this site,” says Deanna Wilson, events coordinator for the CFF. The final tally has not yet been calculated [...]
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Losing A Best Friend
The beginning of 2010 has been an emotional one, especially with the loss of one of my closest and dearest friends, Jana. Jana Kelly Sheets passed away on January 6th 2010 at the young age of 35. Jana and I had met three years ago at the Center for Living (CFL) after my [...]
Looking For Volunteers
Dear Friends,
You can make a difference in the lives of lung transplant recipients by volunteering with The Lung Transplant Foundation (LTF) in their inaugural Walk fundraiser. Founded in 2007 by a group of Duke Lung Transplant patients, families and medical staff, the LTF is dedicated to extending the lives of patients by raising medical [...]
Posted in Fundraising 1 Comment
Holiday Happenings
It has been a few weeks since my last blog, so thought I would share with you the happenings of the holidays. It started on our (Leah, Travis, Rod, myself, and Hank, the 145lb Great Dane) drive to Boston from NC. We left Durham around 5pm, just after the snow began to fall. [...]
Rejection Yet Again
This past Tuesday I received a phone call from my lung transplant coordinator, Tracie. She was calling to inform me of my previous week’s bronchoscopy results. They weren’t the words I was expecting to hear, “REJECTION again.” As the pathologists’ reports indicate, it is A1 acute rejection. This summer it was [...]
Four Years Out
Today is the four year anniversary of my first lung transplant at Mass General Hospital. This day back in 2005 was a memorable, yet terrifying, exciting, sad, scary, and a very joyous occasion. I remember the night before like it was yesterday….
That weekend I had been in Maine for Thanksgiving with the Marsh [...]
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Happy Thanksgiving
Can you believe it? Where has two thousand nine gone? Some of us are happy to see the year pass by, as others’ just lost track of time and are shocked Santa is already at the mall. Myself, I won’t mind to see this year end but will treasure the memories, weddings, [...]
In Memory of…
There are several people that I have met throughout this journey of Transplantation that have fought the battle, the disease, with all of their strength. Unfortunately their bodies were exhausted and were ready to rest. Their passing was devastating to us all, but their souls remain alive and their laughter will remain in our [...]
So Much To Tell
I feel like I have so much to tell you all that has happened over the past few years since I have been down here in North Carolina. Something exciting to mention: I started back to school. In October I enrolled in The Personal Training Institute (NPTI) in Raleigh. My good friend Alan [...]
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You Can Now Register
You can now register yourself. Just click on the “register” button under the login area on the sidebar and you will be linked to a new page to fill in your username and password. It will then send you a confirmation email and you are then on your way. This will allow [...]
Posted in Website Leave a comment
My First Blog
Hi Everyone! I am so excited to write my first blog and allow you all into my daily life. I know it has been a few years since a post has been written on this website but now with the new layout (thank you so much to Kevin Smith! You are the [...]
Posted in Life Leave a comment
Finally, Another Update
I am writing this update from the car headed to Wilmington for a spontaneous overnight for the mid-week holiday with Leah and Rod. The North Carolina beaches have been calling our names for weeks now; finally the three of us have off for a few days to relax on the hot sand under the beaming [...]
Posted in Second Transplant Leave a comment
Nine Weeks Out
Once again a glowing report from the doctors last week. My PFT’s are up still increasing each visit. I am back down to only one IV medicine a day and decreasing the amount of pills first perscribed. My appetite is growing, still trying to reach that 100lb mark. Even all the milkshakes and the fast [...]
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Bright and Sunny Days
Alright ya’ll here is a new update. I went to have my monometry and pH study yesterday to see if I needed the fundoplasty (stomach wrap) that they often perform on lung transplant patients to prevent aspiration in to the newly transplanted organs and cause rejection. The nurse was unsuccessful to place the tiny tube [...]
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Full Of Life
I am finally getting a chance to write my first post-transplant (tx) update. It has been almost six weeks since my surgery and I am doing excellent! I have clinic once a week, and pulmonary rehab the other four days. Clinic consists of blood draws, PFTs, blood gas, vitals, and an x-ray. After all that [...]
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Slow And Steady Wins The Race
It’s March 1st, the sixty-eighth consecutive day that Amber has been in Duke Hospital. She is starting to feel the effects of long term hospitalization: anxiety, claustrophobia, and intense frustration. She is trying to stay positive but her emotions can sometimes get the best of her. Physically however, she is doing extremely well, considering that [...]
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Rumor Has It…
…that my new lungs are here! I got a call this afternoon from the transplant coordinator that there “may be potential lungs.” At this point it is still a rumor. I am waiting to see the doctor/surgeon for the official word. I have however begun the work-up, blood tests, x-ray, ekg, etc. We sould know [...]
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Another Year Later
….another year older! I was dischrged from the hospital in time to spend my birthday at my new home. It was a good day– simple, quiet and relaxing, just what I needed.
WOW! What a whirlwind! What can I say? I am just now able to think clearly and write, thanks to Susie for updating [...]
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Set To Go…
I was dischcharged from the hospital today from my “tune-up.” I got my fluids topped off and my white blood cells charged up. Ready for the long haul down to North Carolina!
We will be leaving tomorrow morning. I anticipate a week of testing for the evaluation at Duke, all of which I have done before [...]
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Back To MGH
This afternoon I am headed back to Mass General Hospital. Over the weekend my breathing seemed to diminish and it became harder and harder to breath without oxygen. Even walking flat surfaces and in the sitting position was difficult. I am now on oxygen full time. We think it is best that I be re-admitted [...]
Posted in Transplant Journey 1 Comment
Facing The News
I am sorry I am not able to personally call all of you and explain the situation– good reason for this site. I know there is a large phone tree out there though. The news still hasn’t fully sunk in with me either. It seems so unreal that I walked 3 miles on the treadmill [...]
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Bitter Sweet Discharge
This afternoon I am being discharged. I am excited to go home, but at the same time a little ambivalent. I had PFTs this morning and they were not improved– lower at 27%. The docs tell me “not to be so worried about the numbers but to base it on how I feel. For now [...]
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Wednesday Night at MG
Now all is quite here at the good ole’ MGH. Company has left and I now have time to return emails and write this update. Stuffed from all the food people have been briging or sending in (thank you!). The good news…..I am feeeling much better. The SOB is subsiding slowly, walking a little farther [...]
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Update From Mass General
I am finally up to writing an update. It has been a long and rough three weeks. I know Mackenzie and Leah have sent out emails so you have some idea what is going on…..and don’t worry thats about as much as I know too. There are few answers about what is actually wrong with [...]
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February 2006
It has been almost ten weeks now since I got the “call of my life.” I must admit I never in a million years thought I would have come this far so quickly. The doctors, my family, and other transplant patients are stunned when I tell them I was in and out of Mass General [...]
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Minor Setback, Not My Lungs
Originally posted by Amber on 2/15/2006 at 8:07:58 PM
On Sunday morning I woke up with a headache and a mild fever. About an hour later I started to get severe chest pains, curling up in the fetal position for comfort. Of course, it was the middle of a Nor’easter (about 12″ at that point) here [...]
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Home In Waltham
Today I am exactly eight weeks out! Feeling better than ever. I am home to my newly “remodeled” apartment, driving, and back to doing my daily shopping excursions. Still wearing a mask in crowded public places and avoiding children, even though I miss the kids I sit for dearly. I have another doctor’s apontment tomorrow, [...]
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Breathing Easy
It seems silly but these days seem to fly by. Each day my mom and I try to get our for lunch and errands or shopping, and each day I last a little longer. On a few occasions I have even worn her out and she had to tell me it was time to go [...]
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Stronger By The Day
I am progressing to recovery quite quickly as I mentioned before. The doctors have already cut my twice-weekly apointments down to once a week, on Wednesdays, although it is still a long day at Mass General with blood work, x-ray, PFT’s (breathing tests) and the transplant doctor, plus any other approintments (endocrine, eye, etc). This [...]
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Happy New Year
Hi everyone and Happy New year from Diedre!
It certainly is a happy one here in Marblehead! I’m at Laurie’s visiting Amber and it is so wonderful!! The last time I saw Amber, it was just a week after the transplant when Alli and I made the trip from Oregon and Amber was still intubated and [...]
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Book Review– “Seven Letter’s That Saved My Life”