News and Updates From Doug
Small Steps
August marked another important milestone in Doug’s battle to return his life as much as possible to normality almost two years after undergoing a double-lung transplant when he traveled to supervise a mineral resource survey in remote Papua New Guinea....
Progress, but slowly…
The good news is that there have been no medical setbacks since the April updates. Doug has very slowly gained more strength and endurance. He has started to resume efforts in Africa and the Pacific to foster future business development (thanks to the internet) in...
Hope Blossoms with Spring
Winter weather proved to be difficult for Doug, but Chico’s torrent of new blossoms with accompanying temperate weather has boosted everyone’s morale – and the upcoming eighteen-month lung transplant anniversary reminds how much we have to be thankful for. We are all...
The Wisdom Of Rear Admiral Tom Brooks…
As Christmas approaches, I am reminded of the recent sage advice proffered by my second Vietnam Commanding Officer, Rear Admiral Tom Brooks: “We have much to be thankful for”. As I reflect on the past thirteen months and recall Christmas last year — just...
Anniversary Celebration Ahead!
It’s hard to imagine that almost a year has passed since Doug’s life-saving bilateral lung transplant last November. There is much to be thankful for, not the least of which is the support of our many friends – old and new – who answered the call for help and were...
Two Steps Forward – One Step Back
Doug was admitted to Enloe Hospital in Chico this week after developing a digestive tract infection. Doctors advise this was a consequence of his severely compromised immune system, making him prone to bacterial attack. Doug is anxious to learn the cause of this...
Another Successful Examination Gives Cause for Optimism
June’s trip to UCSF for examinations by the lung transplant team has produced results which indicate progress in Doug’s rehabilitation program. There were minor changes made to the immunosuppressant schedule and cataract surgery (a consequence of the steroid...
Six-Month Milestone Achieved. Long Road Lies Ahead…
May marks the six month anniversary of Doug’s bilateral lung transplant at UC San Francisco, a significant milestone on the road to recovery. Over a two-day period, transplant team doctors examined test data from a CT scan and bronchoscopy in addition to other...
The Recovery Challenge is Just Beginning
After a mandatory six weeks of on-site post-operative surveillance which required residency in downtown San Francisco, Doug was allowed to return to the Chico cottage in late January. Besides rigorous testing of vital signs and aggressive monitoring of his “new”...
The Long Road Back
Doug has successfully received two donor lungs after a marathon 12-hour operation at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco and is now beginning the long process of recovery and rehabilitation. There is considerable trauma associated with an incision which stretches...