Nikki's New Lungs

Today is a significant day and I must say quite remarkable! I wore oxygen for 7 years leading up to my double lung transplant and today I am celebrating 7 years with my new pretty pink lungs

I’m so grateful for the gift my donor has bestowed upon me which has allowed me to breathe with ease and enjoy life to the fullest. I am very conscious in the fact my donor’s family is grieving today, but I am proud to share with them Jacob’s legacy lives on and I’m doing everything I can to make sure my lungs stay healthy.

I’m so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life. Thank you so much to everyone for the happy wishes, flowers, and quarantine happy hours this last two weeks leading up to this day! Kimmy, you were awesome coordinating and hosting a garden Lungiversary celebration today with cake, a champagne toast, and a picture slideshow that brought us all to tears. I’m so lucky to know and have such incredible friends, family, and supporters cheering me on which is why I do my best to stay well!!

The love of my life and I ended the night walking to get takeout at our local Mexican restaurant and had a toast of prosecco at home. The interim separation, due to Covid-19, is difficult especially today but we are figuring out more and more ways to make this work. I love you endlessly Travis and I can’t wait to be in your arms again!

One week ago at this time was undoubtedly one of the hardest days Travis and I have experienced. Although we are smiling in this picture, those smiles quickly turned to tears. We kissed goodbye and he drove off to Nebraska.

We have enjoyed spending quality time quarantined together during this pandemic. We have been fortunate Travis has been working from home for the last 5 months but it’s time for him to get back to visiting hospitals and clinics.

One thing we know is people who have received lung transplants and contracted Covid-19, the mortality rate is high. My doctor advised that if we had the option it would be best to live separately for a while because of possible exposure.

We chose to take this extreme precautionary measure to keep me and my lungs healthy. I’m devastated not having him with me but at least we can physically see each other. We are going for walks, sharing meals I cook, and will still visit friends, we’ll just have to drive separate vehicles. Everything is outside and from a safe minimum 10′ distance but I’ll take it!

It’s awful I can’t hug Travis but I can’t hug our family, our friends, anyone! The feeling of solitary confinement is the most challenging. I’m glad Honey🐾 is staying with me for company but she doesn’t know how to make her daddy’s pancakes on Sunday nor his McTrav breakfast sandwich.

We’re grateful to his sister, husband, and our niece for welcoming him into their home. Luckily they live a quick 2.5 miles away so it’s easy to pop over for a visit, lunch, or dinner.

I don’t want to think about how much harder this will be during the winter months. Right now, we are focusing on what we have and spending as much time as possible together outside.

I hope the phrase is true “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. My heart is sad at the moment as I miss him so much already. I keep reminding myself, we are doing this so I stay well and we’ll be able to spend time together when this is finished.