Hi Rosemary,
Prior to receiving my transplant, I did have a history of depression. I lost my first wife at 32 years old to cancer, leaving me with three children 4 years old and younger. I chose to share custody with my parents as I was not coping well as we met at 14 years old. I managed to pick myself up and remarry and have two more children. Due to the fact it had been six years since my parents took custody of my first three children, we decided to leave them in the same school with their established friends and life. This always left me feeling an underlying guilt, but we believed it was best. Prior to the transplant I never had diabetes.
My transplant at this stage is doing well, I am seeing the lung transplant team every three months. I am not able to do everything I did prior to my transplant but have increased my capabilities more and more as time goes on. Ironically my oldest son is getting married today, something I would not have been there to enjoy if I had not had a transplant. One of the biggest issues I had to accept was that unlike a solid organ transplant, lung transplant recipients have a mortality rate much lower. In the first five years, fifty per cent of patients die. At ten years 87% die. But I do know of one man who is at 30 years and going strong, and others at 15 years. Initially this played on my mind constantly, but when you are over 50 years old and look around many don't even make it that far. I am at peace with the prospect of dying which essentially eliminates a major factor in my depression. I am finding things I can do as opposed to trying to do thing I can no longer do.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my comments, if I can help save one person, I have succeeded in my reason for contributing to the forum. It also helps me look at things from a different perspective and realise how lucky I am.