Just a thought rolling around my head at the moment ?
My oldest son lost a friend earlier this year.
He's spent his life from incubator to adulthood connected to oxygen bottles.
Born with a failing heart and lungs, he dealt with life as best he could given his biological limitations.
And by all accounts, lived a pretty full life.
He had a transplant at the age of 18.
Yet passed away earlier this year at the age of 28. And it got me wondering.....
I wondered why ?
Truth is, as far as my research indicates. Transplants aren't as successful or long lasting as I'd always thought they were supposed to be.
It seems they are something of a last resort to those who's own organs are failing so badly that their life expectancy is dramatically shortened without them !
You then have the problem of trying to reduce the body's desire to reject the transplanted organ !
So to do that you introduce suppressants to the immune system which then leaves you constantly fighting things that a fully functioning immune system would ordinarily take care of.
Ultimately, simple infections are often what causes the end of life.
Which then got me thinking about all those 'Carry a donor card' campaigns of the '80's and 90's.
I just imagined millions of us wandering around with them, believing we were seriously able to permenantly alter somebody's life, should it come to it. Without being aware that it would only be a short term benefit !
Wow! Hate to admit it. But mind blown !
He's spent his life from incubator to adulthood connected to oxygen bottles.
Born with a failing heart and lungs, he dealt with life as best he could given his biological limitations.
And by all accounts, lived a pretty full life.
He had a transplant at the age of 18.
Yet passed away earlier this year at the age of 28. And it got me wondering.....
I wondered why ?
Truth is, as far as my research indicates. Transplants aren't as successful or long lasting as I'd always thought they were supposed to be.
It seems they are something of a last resort to those who's own organs are failing so badly that their life expectancy is dramatically shortened without them !
You then have the problem of trying to reduce the body's desire to reject the transplanted organ !
So to do that you introduce suppressants to the immune system which then leaves you constantly fighting things that a fully functioning immune system would ordinarily take care of.
Ultimately, simple infections are often what causes the end of life.
Which then got me thinking about all those 'Carry a donor card' campaigns of the '80's and 90's.
I just imagined millions of us wandering around with them, believing we were seriously able to permenantly alter somebody's life, should it come to it. Without being aware that it would only be a short term benefit !
Wow! Hate to admit it. But mind blown !
56-60, M
