Fundraiser to benefit 911 operator in need

The Marietta Daily Journal -published this article about a fundraiser to benefit Mike Keim.  He is a good buddy of mine and I will soon post a short bio of him on this blog.  You can read the entire article below or just click on the link provided below. There you can leave comments if you would like.  You can also leave comments on this blog or Facebook.

Mike I hope this is a very successful fund drive for you!

http://mdjonline.com/bookmark/15978053/article-Fundraiser+to+benefit+911+operator+in+need#.TpEPaTpbiOM.facebook

October 08, 2011 10:39 PM MARIETTA — As a Cobb County 911 operator, Michael Keim has helped save plenty of lives. Now he’s in a fight for his life, and his colleagues, who have become as close as family to him, are doing all they can to support him. The Chick-fil-A at 2005 Macland Crossing Circle, at the intersection of Powder Springs Road and Macland Road, will host a fundraiser for Keim from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, when 10 percent of all sales will go to Keim’s transplant fund. Keim, 27, has been a 911 operator since September 2004. He’s been on medical leave since last November, when he and his mother moved to Durham, N.C., where doctors and surgeons at Duke University are preparing him for a double-lung and bone marrow transplant. The organ and tissue must come from the same donor, and Keim’s family says he would be only the second person in the world to receive such a transplant. Keim was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder as a child, and became extremely ill about 18 months ago. His sister, Angie Vanegas, said that is when his doctor, Robin Levy, referred him to the Duke program. After extensive tests, Keim joined the program and relocated to Durham for more tests, physical therapy and to wait for a donor. “He knows no stranger,” his sister said. “He has a ton of friends there.” Between doctor visits and physical therapy, Keim — whom his friends lovingly nicknamed “Pre-K” due to his small stature — spends his time reading and window-shopping. He enjoys politics and is a Herman Cain supporter. He and his mother are staying in a house near the Duke University hospital, though since he’s been in Durham, he has been hospitalized at least three times. As a 911 operator, his work ethic has always been rock-solid, colleagues say. Eulalie Long, who worked the same 12-hour day shift with him for years before she was promoted to supervisor, said he always pulled his weight and then some. “For the last three months before he went to Durham, he was wheelchair-bound. His lungs were working at 40 percent and he was on oxygen, and still he came to work,” said Long, who said Keim is like a brother to her. “He did a lot more than others, but he’s always had that work ethic. “He suffered for such a long time, but you’d never know it,” Long said. “He doesn’t want anyone’s pity, or to be a bother. He wants to live as normal a life as possible.” Keim is a 2002 graduate of Hiram High School and owns a home in Paulding County. He is one of four children of Ruben and Helen Vanegas. The family is members of Grace Baptist Church in Paulding. Keim got choked up during a telephone interview about the fundraiser. “As much trouble as I cause them at work, I’m blessed to have such friends,” he said. “My goal is to get well and recover so I can repay it for someone else someday. It’s a rough battle, but I’m still fighting.” Every few weeks, his dad brings his sisters to Durham for a visit, which he said “brings back normalcy.” “Hearing my sisters argue over who’s wearing whose clothes — those are moment I cherish,” he said with a laugh. Becky Johnson, another colleague at the 911 center, helped organize the Chick-fil-A fundraiser with her twin, Beth Hunter. “If you know Mike, you love him,” she said simply.

Tax-deductible donations may be made to the National Transplant Assistance Fund online at www.ntafund.org for Michael Keim, or by phone, (800) 642-8399. Checks may be made out to NTAF Southeast Bone Marrow Transplant, with the words “in honor of Michael Keim” in the memo line, and mailed to NTAF, 150 N. Radnor Chester Rd., F-120, Radnor, Pa. 19087.

Celebrate Life,

Alma

2nd Pneumothorax

Unfortunately, I just experienced another pneumothorax, a partially collapsed lung. It was not as bad as last time, none the less, it still was not a pleasant experience. I had felt some shortness of breath when walking but that is normal after a bronchoscopy.

The noticeable difference from the other bronchs came when l i went to bed. I started coughing a lot. It felt just like prior to my lung transplant. I just did not stop for about 30 minutes. It hurt my lung when I would cough. I could literally feel the outline of my lung with every cough. I continued to cough during the night but it was intermittently. The next morning I coughed and it did not hurt as much as the night before. I would cough when I walked some and I had a little shortness of breath.

My post transplant coordinator happen to call me and I told her what was happening and she said for me to stay very aware of what was going on because a pneumothorax is a side effect for some during bronchs and to let her know how I was doing later on during the day. Throughout the day I noticed that I was having problems walking and then when I went up 4 stairs and I had to stop was a MAJOR SIGN that something was not right. It was very late when I got home so I emailed my coordinator and told her that I was going for a chest xray the next day and she agreed.


The chest xray results were a pneumothorax. The first thing I was told was to go the ER and that they would have to place a chest tube in me. Transplant patients avoid ER rooms because of all the bacteria and sickness that could be airborne there. The second option was to try and aspirate my lung in hopes that they could get the air out. If all went well I could escape a hospital stay and a chest tube. The procedure to be done is pleurocentesis (a procedure in which a lung is punctured to drain fluid.) This procedure can also be done to remove air from the cavity as well.
I sat on the doctor's examination table. He was feeling the tissue between my ribs on my upper chest. That was uncomfortable so I knew I was in for a treat. He then covered the area with a surgical drape that had about a 4 inch circumference. He then proceeded to inject me with lidocane, a numbing agent. It was two large needles worth. This needle was about 6 to 8 inches long and it went all the way into my chest. YIKES, it hurts just saying it. Well it did it's job because I did not feel the 2nd needle at all. He then took a scalple and nicked my skin. A very tiny nick. Then came the catheter and introducer. The catheter was 8 to 10 inches long and that went in me as well. Now this hurt but later on the doctor said that the catheter was rubbing along my rib and that is why it hurt. It also felt really weird. It was like my lung was being tickled. Just a really weird sensation. Anyway that was the rough part. Next came the suction. My mother was there throughout the entire procedure. The doctor even said "I will blow the air toward your mother" and he did. You could hear it. It seemed to be a lot of air. Mom said he kept taking out air until the tiniest amount of blood came out. He had me take a deep breath and blow it out hard twice. Then he put a gauze with medication on it and put a lot of pressure on it. Then he had my mom hold it and put pressure on it while he got some more gauze and bandaged me up.  This procedure saved me from a hospital stay and from getting a chest tube inserted.  I can keep my weekend plans!  Life is GOOD!

Celebrate Life, 

Alma

My pulmonary doctor at Duke is on you tube...

Rare organ transplant gives single mom new lease on life 

Dr Zaas speaks on this incredible triple organ transplant recipient.  She received lungs, heart and liver from one donor.

http://youtu.be/vhHHLf2yZmY  

Celebrate Life, 

Alma

Happy Birthday to me...I celebrate 3 birthdays now

Today I got to celebrate my birthday.  My first birthday after my 3rd chance at life.  I say 3rd time because I survived lung cancer back in 2005 and now I received a lung transplant on 5/3/11.  I have 3 birthdays now.  However, this one is different.  It is very strange to think that this was a birthday that could have never been for me if it wasn't for the organ transplant organizations here in the U.S.  I am grateful to the organ donor family and to God.  I am also grateful to my parents who were with me EVERY step of the way.  I am grateful to my family, my friends, my co-workers and my caregivers.  I am grateful to the WORLD!  Thank you to each and every one of you.  Life is good and breathing is better than chocolate!

Celebrate Life,

Alma

Heart Transplant Recipient - Ironman Triathlon

Ironmanlife: Racing Thanks to a Heart 
The best part is that his t-shirt reads - In memory of my donor.
http://ironman.com/columns/ironmanlife/kevin-mackinnon-profiles-one-of-the-athletes-set-to-compete-at-ironman-70.3-ireland#axzz1X42GdcoL

A clinical study for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Novartis is enrolling adults with IPF in a study.  They are testing the safety and effectiveness of a new medication.  There are various locations throughout the US.  You can contact a study site here or click here to find more detailed information in www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Pneumothorax – Collapsed lung #2 of 10,000+

I just had a bronchoscopy on Monday.  I got out of the procedure around noon and went out for lunch because my appointment with the my doctor was at 2:30.  While we were eating I felt some shortness of breath and I asked my mom if I had experienced this last time I had a bronch.  She said yes but so I let it go although it odd to me.  We proceeded to go to the doctors office early upon my request because I just did not feel right.  In the parking deck of the hospital I took my oxygen level with my pulse oximeter and it was at 92.  Now that is not normal at all.  I am usually 97 to 100%.  I told my parents that I needed a wheelchair and so I was on my way to the clinic.  In the walkway connecting the parking deck to the hospital I took my a reading of my oxygen again and it was down to 86%.  Now I stated that I needed oxygen.  Dad was mentioned that I did not have a nasal cannula and I said get me the oxygen I will inhale the oxygen right from the tank.  So that is what I did and felt better immediately.

It's weird, I was totally aware of my shortness of breath as I have experienced it for over 7 years but the biggest questions was why, what was going on that this was happening.  We got into the clinic and my mom went ahead and asked a nurse to help me.  She dropped all her paperwork and came to my assistance immediately.  My oxygen level was 83 by then and my heart rate was out of control.  Within minutes I was hooked up to 12 liters of oxygen and several people in an exam room with me.  They ordered an EKG and chest xray.  My symptoms were shortness of breath, a pain in my shoulder an rapid heart beat (no kidding I was scared, anxious and at some point I was almost in a panic state.  Breathe deep, yeah right!)   

The xray showed a pneumothorax.  My lung had partially collapsed.  I was sent to the bronch suite where they proceeded to place a chest tube to release the air.  My major problem during the procedure was the pain in my left shoulder.  I had had it when I got to the clinic and that is one of the main reasons why they did an EKG on me.  The pain killer that I was given during the chest tube procedure did not take away the pain.  Just seconds after the chest tube was inserted I realized that I was breathing 'normal.'  From the bronch suite I was taken into a hospital room where I stayed for several days.  

My first day there I could not walk around.  I was too exhausted from the anesthesia and the trauma I had gone through. The second day I tried to walk but the pain in my shoulder and lung area was too much so I only did 3 laps around the hospital floor.  I had hot packs on my shoulders for over 36 hours before I felt some relief.  The PA told me that it was a referred pain due to the fact that the chest tube was very close to the diaphragm.  The following day they took the chest tube out and they said to go and walk and that they would take a chest xray in about 4 hours to see how my lung was doing.  I proceeded to do 30 laps (which was 2 miles) got into bed and fell asleep for about 40 minutes.  A chest xray was taken and it showed that a hole was still in my lung so the PA said to walk again and that they would take another xray in about 4 hours and for me to walk again.  I proceeded to walk another 30 laps.  They took the other xray and the hole was still there but holding steady.  It had not gotten bigger (thank the Lord)!  Their follow up it to get another chest xray within 48 hours.

I hope you never have to go through something like this but I wanted to share my experience.  The doctor was really sorry.  He apologized a few times and mentioned that he had done well over 10,000 of these procedures and that I was the 2nd person that this happened to.  Well it is not the best lottery to win but there could have been a lot worse things that could have happened.  All shall be well soon.  So get out there and

Celebrate Life,

Alma