Heart Failure to Transplant: Immunity

This was posted to my CaringBridge journal on Jan 28, 2015:

As I wait for a transplant it is of utmost importance that I do all I can to avoid germs, practice good hygiene and support my immune system to prevent infections that would force me to decline an offer of a heart. 

After transplant, I will be immunosuppressed. 

In light of this, I've been paying particularly close attention to the news of outbreaks of flu, enterovirus and measles.  I've also been doing some reading about vaccines, and learned that some result in the recipient shedding live virus that can then infect those with compromised immune systems.  And that the immunosuppressive drugs that I will be taking can actually reduce my immunity to diseases I've already been vaccinated for, such as measles. 

On Monday, the home care aide that normally works MWF called in sick.  This morning she showed up.  I asked her how she was feeling and she said in a congested laryngitis voice, "A little better."  I thought about asking her to call out, but hadn't had a chance to speak up about it until an hour or so later when she told me she wanted to call her supervisor and ask for a replacement to be sent so she could go home.  After she got off the phone, she told me that on Monday when she called in sick the supervisor had suggested she show up anyway, that it wasn't a big deal. 

I felt outraged.  It is a huge deal! 

When the supervisor called me to let me know that a replacement had been found, I gave her a piece of my mind. 

I said to make a note on my file to NEVER send a sick person to my home.  I said it's a matter of life and death!  It's not just that getting sick could be dangerous in my condition (which it is), but that I could miss an organ offer.  I know that ultimately God is in control of the timing of a transplant and protecting me from infection, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't do everything I can within reason to stay healthy!  And standing up for myself is one of those things I can do.  :O)