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Imagine your-self In this position...

You are told you are terminally Ill.

You are told that the only thing that can save you Is a double lung transplant.

Given the availability of donors you are told that you would be In hospital for up to 6 months and recovering at home for up to a year.

You are told that this would only prolong your life with the very best, of 5 years...

However, your other health problems mean you may not survive the surgery.

What would you do?

Your question does not make any sense

You are told you are terminally Ill.


You are told that the only thing that can save you Is a double lung transplant.


If you can be saved you are not terminally ill.

Leaving aside the pedantry however, How long is left without the transplant and what is the quality of life?

gmc;1333068 wrote: Your question does not make any sense





If you can be saved you are not terminally ill.

Leaving aside the pedantry however, How long is left without the transplant and what is the quality of life?


Put It this way then.... Chemo, radio-therepy nor any drug can help you. The only thing Is a lung transplant.

Your life expectancy can go 2 ways... You may go down hill very quickly and only have months or It may be more drawn out leaving you Incapacitated and In further pain. If It Is the latter you will last about a year....

OHHH OHHH I've got my hand up!!!!!!!. I know a woman who got stomach cancer an had it cut out, but had to do Chemo. She did one course of it and told them to bugger off when they wanted to do another. .............They (the doctors) said that she'll have a shorter life span and it would come back in 6 months. That was two years ago and she's still going .

Pedantics back in again............Actually everyone is terminally ill. Our cells die every day which in turn makes our organs weaken every day.

I had to think about this one for awhile. I can only speculate. We know that nobody lives forever and that everyone dies sometime. The quality of my last remaining days would be more important to me than the quantity of time. If I could get all my affairs in order, and be with my family who loves me, be in reasonable comfort and awareness, I think I would prefer the shorter period of dying. Time to hold a hand, say "I love you" and "Take care of yourself after I'm gone."

This is a gut wrenching decision regardless of which option you choose. It is so personal and individual that even guessing what you might do now may not be what you actually do when the day comes. For anyone in this situtation it is for them to decide and them only, their life, their decision.

CARLA;1333105 wrote: This is a gut wrenching decision regardless of which option you choose. It is so personal and individual that even guessing what you might do now may not be what you actually do when the day comes. For anyone in this situtation it is for them to decide and them only, their life, their decision.
My husband keeps asking me what he should do and I just can not answer.

TBH I do not think he will be offered the transplant any-way due to his age and restrictive vein and circulation problems.

Then there Is the ethical question of... Would a child be more more In need of a much needed donor.?

One way around this Is the 'Domino' transplant where they would take my husbands healthy heart and give that to some-one dying of heart disease and give my husband a heart and lung transplant... a sort of swopsie's type affair.

It Is trying to know what is going to be worst. There Is the possibility the body may reject the transplanted organs all together.

Then there Is the radical open surgery and the months and months recovering from that.

He Is seeing a Proffessor In a few weeks and we will know more.... until then, we can only speculate.

Transplants have come a long way in the past decades. Yes your husbands age will be a factor and the extent of damage to his other major organs as well. I have been around the medical community all my life worked in a Hospital for 22 years, most of my family is in medicine. I can tell you there are miracles that happen daily. I wish your husband the best it whatever his choice hopefully when he decides it will bring him peace.

CARLA;1333166 wrote: Transplants have come a long way in the past decades. Yes your husbands age will be a factor and the extent of damage to his other major organs as well. I have been around the medical community all my life worked in a Hospital for 22 years, most of my family is in medicine. I can tell you there are miracles that happen daily. I wish your husband the best it whatever his choice hopefully when he decides it will bring him peace. Thank You Carla.

He Is going through his ... 'I don't want to be a burden'... phase at the moment. TBH when he had radical open surgery for the cancer 4 years ago, I found the 24/7 nursing hard going. He remembers how exhausted I became and after leaving hospital I would have to do this again which of course, I will do In the blink of an eye but you try telling him that !!!

Even though he Is 66 years old, at least the hospital has not written him off and that is some-thing.

oscar;1333168 wrote: Thank You Carla.

He Is going through his ... 'I don't want to be a burden'... phase at the moment. TBH when he had radical open surgery for the cancer 4 years ago, I found the 24/7 nursing hard going. He remembers how exhausted I became and after leaving hospital I would have to do this again which of course, I will do In the blink of an eye but you try telling him that !!!

Even though he Is 66 years old, at least the hospital has not written him off and that is some-thing.


It certainly is. :-6 I think the only thing you can do is to tell him whatever he decides you will respect,, and do your best for him either way, but something like this has to be his decision unfortunately. Its also something i think is hard to say "what would you do" as i wouldnt know i think unless i was in his position. Its up to him wether he feels he can fight some more or not. My husbands mother kept fighting to the end, but when my husbands dad got bowel cancer he said even before they knew the extent that he would not go through that and would refuse chemo if offered etc,, he had the op and is ok,, but did start on a chemo tablet and stopped taking it himself after a couple of weeks as it was making him ill. He is fine at present and has been since then really.

so again,,, it has to be his choice, although i appreciate it is a very ahrd decision for him to make.

kazalala;1333170 wrote: It certainly is. :-6 I think the only thing you can do is to tell him whatever he decides you will respect,, and do your best for him either way, but something like this has to be his decision unfortunately. Its also something i think is hard to say "what would you do" as i wouldnt know i think unless i was in his position. Its up to him wether he feels he can fight some more or not. My husbands mother kept fighting to the end, but when my husbands dad got bowel cancer he said even before they knew the extent that he would not go through that and would refuse chemo if offered etc,, he had the op and is ok,, but did start on a chemo tablet and stopped taking it himself after a couple of weeks as it was making him ill. He is fine at present and has been since then really.

so again,,, it has to be his choice, although i appreciate it is a very ahrd decision for him to make.
Thank You Kaz... Wise words there from the Northern bird.

As Carla said, transplants have progressed a great deal In the past few years but the expectancy after a lung transplant Is still only 5 years.

It is trying to work out weather under-going such risky surgery would be worth It.

At least even the Idea gives him some hope and he must have that... hope.

This time round, he does have a marvellous support team who would help me with the nursing at home etc.

Oh and Raven who has offered to come round and plump his pillows :wah:

oscar;1333162 wrote: My husband keeps asking me what he should do and I just can not answer.

TBH I do not think he will be offered the transplant any-way due to his age and restrictive vein and circulation problems.

Then there Is the ethical question of... Would a child be more more In need of a much needed donor.?

One way around this Is the 'Domino' transplant where they would take my husbands healthy heart and give that to some-one dying of heart disease and give my husband a heart and lung transplant... a sort of swopsie's type affair.

It Is trying to know what is going to be worst. There Is the possibility the body may reject the transplanted organs all together.

Then there Is the radical open surgery and the months and months recovering from that.

He Is seeing a Proffessor In a few weeks and we will know more.... until then, we can only speculate.


Give the accuracy needed in the tissue type match for a transplant to be successful it is unlikely that this situation would occur - for the available organ to be a match for one needy patient and close enough for both to meet at a suitible hospital is reasonable odds but to have two patients needing the same organs, having close enough tissue typing and living close enough to the source of the organs and a suitable hospital with available surgions is a long shot.

If it is possible and it is offered I think I'd take it. Whichever way it goes, the very best of luck to Peter.

The transplant would be a good option if possible, tell him to try, oscar.

Bryn Mawr;1333175 wrote: Give the accuracy needed in the tissue type match for a transplant to be successful it is unlikely that this situation would occur - for the available organ to be a match for one needy patient and close enough for both to meet at a suitible hospital is reasonable odds but to have two patients needing the same organs, having close enough tissue typing and living close enough to the source of the organs and a suitable hospital with available surgions is a long shot.

If it is possible and it is offered I think I'd take it. Whichever way it goes, the very best of luck to Peter.
Thank You Bryn and I have passed your good wishes to Peter who also says Thank You.

Yes, of course you are right about tissue match but he Is thinking of all the children waiting for donors because of his age.

His consultant says that medically speaking, he Is actually still a young man.

Peter's out-look Is that he will die any-way so he may as well risk It but then keeps asking me what I think. As I told him, I will support him what-ever route he wants to take.

Thank You Chonsi..

My heart goes out to you. I really don't know what I would do in those circumstances. So long as he has all his faculties it's still him, he's there, and you want him around so he's not a burden. Whether the pain would make his life not worth living is up to him and you. If he was going senile it's worse in a way because you watch the person dying slowly bit by bit with occasional flashes of what used to be until you are left with an empty shell.

gmc;1333192 wrote: My heart goes out to you. I really don't know what I would do in those circumstances. So long as he has all his faculties it's still him, he's there, and you want him around so he's not a burden. Whether the pain would make his life not worth living is up to him and you. If he was going senile it's worse in a way because you watch the person dying slowly bit by bit with occasional flashes of what used to be until you are left with an empty shell.
Good God... Do I detect a tad of compassion In the old scroat??? :wah::wah::wah:

Thank You... Yes, at least he has all his faculties although the medication provides him with some Iffy moments I must say. And you're right, i would hate to see him like that.

oscar;1333190 wrote: but he Is thinking of all the children waiting for donors because of his age.




I think children have to have organ donations from other children because adult organs are too large for their bodies.

Also, doctors would offer available organs to the best possible recipient so if a child or young adult were more suitable than Pete then they would be offered the organs, not Pete.

However, if he is the most suitable recipient he will get the offer. But he has to be on the waiting list!

Otherwise they will go to the next available recipient after him and he will have missed out because of his high ideals!

Being on a waiting list is no guarantee of receiving a donation but it's better than not being on the list at all, and it is down to the doctors to decide who is the most appropriate recipient, not Pete.

Tell his conscience to take a rest, put his name on the waiting list and then leave his fate in the hands of God. Tell Pete he's in my prayers.

It's very difficult to put into words exactly how to express ones feelings in a situation like this. I've tried a few times. It was clumsy and unsuccessful so I left it alone.

All I can say is that given the same extraordinary and tragic circumstances, I'd grab it with both hands. Any opportunity to spend as much time with someone I loved so much. I'm very selfish like that. I could never let go easily.

Of course I'm not in such a position so I wish you and Peter every success in the decisions you make.

There. Its clumsy again but I didnt want to ignore it

Tough decision Oscar. It caused me to Google all I could find on Double Lung Transplants. After reading up on it my inclination would be to not have the procedure----------if it were me. But, I might feel differently if actually faced with the problem.

Hang tough.

Rapunzel;1333216 wrote: I think children have to have organ donations from other children because adult organs are too large for their bodies.

Also, doctors would offer available organs to the best possible recipient so if a child or young adult were more suitable than Pete then they would be offered the organs, not Pete.

However, if he is the most suitable recipient he will get the offer. But he has to be on the waiting list!

Otherwise they will go to the next available recipient after him and he will have missed out because of his high ideals!

Being on a waiting list is no guarantee of receiving a donation but it's better than not being on the list at all, and it is down to the doctors to decide who is the most appropriate recipient, not Pete.

Tell his conscience to take a rest, put his name on the waiting list and then leave his fate in the hands of God. Tell Pete he's in my prayers. Thank You Mel... I know a adult liver can be split for children but not sure on heart and lungs.

It may sound like a sanctimonious thing to say about the children but unfortunately you can not avoid them In the Oncology departments and wards each time you visit the hospital and you do beg the question 'Am I being selfish' when you see them. My Father was the same when he had cancer but he was 80 years old... Like Peter, he would see the children suffering In the hospital and wonder what he was doing there when this country is so short of funds.

Snowfire;1333220 wrote: It's very difficult to put into words exactly how to express ones feelings in a situation like this. I've tried a few times. It was clumsy and unsuccessful so I left it alone.

All I can say is that given the same extraordinary and tragic circumstances, I'd grab it with both hands. Any opportunity to spend as much time with someone I loved so much. I'm very selfish like that. I could never let go easily.

Of course I'm not in such a position so I wish you and Peter every success in the decisions you make.

There. Its clumsy again but I didnt want to ignore it That was not clumsy but heart felt and I appreciate It.... Thank You Mrs Doubtfire.

Lon;1333222 wrote: Tough decision Oscar. It caused me to Google all I could find on Double Lung Transplants. After reading up on it my inclination would be to not have the procedure----------if it were me. But, I might feel differently if actually faced with the problem.

Hang tough.
Yes, naturally we have googled like mad and It Is enough to put you off Indeed. I think If the life expectancy after a lung transplant was a little longer, say 10 years, Sufferers would jump at the chance but the prognosis can be pretty grim.

No wonder Doctors hate folk googling.

I long ago decided that I would not pursue any such ventures, as I don't think I am willing to go through all the difficulties involved in any transplant to prolong my life for a couple of years.

Since most of what I like to do revolves around my ability to travel on short notice, and hang out in strange places where medical facilities are few and far between, I don't really see the point in prolonging an existence where I would have to give that up.

If/when the parts God gave me wear out, I am done.

LarsMac;1333471 wrote: I long ago decided that I would not pursue any such ventures, as I don't think I am willing to go through all the difficulties involved in any transplant to prolong my life for a couple of years.

Since most of what I like to do revolves around my ability to travel on short notice, and hang out in strange places where medical facilities are few and far between, I don't really see the point in prolonging an existence where I would have to give that up.

If/when the parts God gave me wear out, I am done.


Thank You for your post Lars.... Appreciated.

oscar;1333472 wrote: Thank You for your post Lars.... Appreciated.


I wish I had more to offer.

I am a big chicken when it comes to such things, and would choose the easy way out.