Thanks Jim,

I purchased a new N95 mask and spray in a well ventalated area. I'm not going to let some things slide like I did before respreator wise. I'll wear the mask even while gluing and applying filler.

 Steve,

    That's what I will need, a good mask/respirator.  I have quite a few Resin kits but have only done the OKB 1/700 stuff so far since no or minimal sanding needed. My Blue Water Navy Subs need serious sanding and those Hospital masks don't cut it.

  What's your pick as a first kit to celebrate a return to your life of leisure? 

    Jim.

(It's snowing here and I almost went out to shovel when I saw your post. Thanks.  Reading your post delayed me just enough. Someone came by with a snowblower.)

Man, after 25 years, your looking great Steve.  You seem to have more hair now than you did back then

Scott

Steve,

Very happy to see that all has gone so very well post op and that your felling better than you have in some time. Take things slowly and dont over do it.

All the very best to you and your family for now and into the future.

Kind regards

Damian

Been down that road you are going to travel. It's tough, but I know that you can handle it easily. I used to love Pink Grapefruit but still can't have it. Changed my diet 3 times, before, during and after the kidney transplant. Lots of food I used to love and now have to stay away. Changing it again because I'm now pre-diabetic. No insulin "yet", just another pill in the morning and another at supper time, but counting Carbs is a royal PITA.

Jim  

Nino, Scott, Damian, fox, thank you.

I was discharged from the hospital yesterday morning I had to do some shopping to help with my new routine organization, unpack and sort all the pills, nebulizers, and IV's since, I still have a PICC line for IV's for the next month and went to dinner. I was very tired and sore at the end of the day, which was somewhere around 1am.

I'm feeling great today and did a breathing test at the clinic. This time however, instead of blowing into the mouth piece and taking a few minutes to recoup,  t I blew all three times, one right after another and said "we done here?" LOL. My capacity went from less than 2 liters to 5!

My bench has been taken over by my meds for the moment since I'm living on top of myself in the spare room at my brother's house. But once I get the routine down I will get ot back.

Thank you everybody for your support, prayers, concern and friendship. I will keep everbody posted if anything unexpected happens. I am very determined to make this a success.

Steve

That is great progress Steve, and it is fantastic to hear. Again... it is great to hear good news. Keep it up! Thanks for sharing!

Steve

Grrr, Internet problems. Not sure I got through last week. If not, thinkin' of ya!

Maxie

That's fantastic news!!! Hope you can stay away from the hospital for a good long time! 

Yer doin great Steve!!  So glad to hear this.  I didn't know that rejection of the lungs is a lifetime issue.  I guess I thought that at some point your body would decide they belonged there.  It does sound like you are trading one set of problems for another, but this set of problems is SUCH an improvement!

It was good to see your smile in the pictures.  Glad to hear you are out of the hospital.  When are you going to be able to go home?  I am guessing you need to work with the fine medical staff where you are for a while.

Please take care,

D

As far as hospital pix go, you look good :-). Always good to see patients dressed up in the "civilian clothes", makes you feel less "hospitaly" :-).

Good luck with the recovery 

Steve, I've been off the website for a few months, and have just now read about your story. WOW!! This is GREAT news, friend! G;ad to know that all went well, and that you're healing just fine. Hope to see some models from you soon. God Bless you, Steve!!

Gary Mason

Thank you Gary!

I'm still doing great, the incision site pain is diminishing every day and I'm getting stronger. My wife is with me in my brother's spare bedroom so we are kinda living on top of each other. She's headed back to Boise on the 14th and I can reopen the workbench for business.

The amazing thing is my oxygen saturation is 100%, you can't get any better than that.

Thank you all!

That is awesome news Steve!!!  I wish you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you back the the model bench.  You better go beddie bye a little earlier though!  Rest up and recharge!  OK Mommy Mode off.

 Great news on your progress Steve. 

Steve,

A great outcome for your condition, you have great colour in your photos.

You have had quite a journey there and sounds like a long journey ahead of you too. But as you say, at least it will be a long journey, better than the alternative.

So take care of yourself and I (we) look forward to watching your quality builds for many years to come.

All the best,

Piers

Thank you Piers.

I had to return to the hospital last week for a 4 dose IV treatment. There is a antibody mismatch between the donor any myself and I need to have the IV administered once a week for 6 weeks then monthly until November. Luckily I won't need to go back to the hospital for it and I can get it done at an infusion/home care center. It takes 6 hours and that's kind of a drag, too bad I can't bring a build LOL. They caught this mismatch before I started rejection so that great. My volume today at clinic was above 4 liters. That is amazing progress for having the transplant 1 1/2 months ago.

Steve

While the infusion time is a drag, and you can't build during, at least you can bring some research material to read to pass the time and prepare for the next great build I know is in you.

Good to hear they caught it in time and have a solution. 

All of us are still on board, pulling for you my friend.

Thank you GH!

Been away from the computer for a while but it's great to hear things are going well Steve. Good deal the issue was cvought well before any reaction. All the best!

Thanks PJ.

Steve;

 I don't envy you .I had an aneurism removed from the back side of my heart .

 Went through the whole drill . Doc says I have C.O.P.D. , Funny no diagnoses like that before . Anyway , your comment on Ox.Sat . Mine has always been above 96 and lately it is always 99 .

 No real lung problems , but a lingering cough .Clear lungs though .Yes , Steve , I smoked from three to four packs a day ( Unfiltered ) and dropped to one pack and then No Packs .That was hard too .

 What folks don't realise about what you went through , is you will be on anti-rejection meds the rest of your life ! So From one Cracked chest to another . "Live life and Prosper  ". as SPOCK would say .

One more point Steve ;

 Why do they have to measure Lung capacity in Liters ? Whatsa matta with good old American P.S.I. ? Or S.A.E Volumetric standards .

Steve,

So glad to hear you are doing well. Also, glad they found the mismatch and they are able to treat it. 

Thank you TB and Bruce,

TB, thast's great that your sats are so high! Younger people don't enjoy such nice numbers. You know, there is such a diffrence between wearing oxygen and having properly working organs. The oxygen is just a band aid and even though you can get the saturation up to 100% with it, it is not the same at all as having lungs that can do that. It's amazing the diffrence. Now I'm working on getting my muscles back to a level where I don't feel a little worn out if I do some do honest work.

COPD is a fairly new umbrella term for several issues from asthma to emphysema and a lot in between. COPD, or issues that are under it, means one can not exhail all the air in the lungs which is why it is called a "restrictive" lung disease. This is why people can be diagnosed with COPD my have a fine life, some may need an inhailer and some may die from it.

As far as the metric measurements, it seems all sciences are going to or have gone to metric long ago. Everything is measured in liters and kilograms now. My hospital in Boise weighs me in kilograms but the one down here still uses pounds for my weight.  I'm sure they do that for us older folks who are hard headed.

If they always measure in liters I can relate to changing numbers and I think of a liter of soda.

Steve

I’m a little late in getting in on this thread as I was sick for sometime but I’m so glad to read that everything is great for you.  Mrs. Toshi and I are praying for a nice quick recovery for you!

Your friend, Toshi

Thank you my friend.

Well tomorrrow Mar 9th at 8:00 am is my 1st transplant anniversary (at least the start of the operation) In celebration I just bought myself the most expensive kit on my wishlist. Well, it's done now, something I would probably ever be able to do again.

I'm looking at building it for the Japanese ships GB scheduled in Aug 2021 which will give me a chance to get the detail set which costs more than most 1/350 ships.

I'll put it on the recent acquisitions thread when it arives in a few weeks.

BTW I'm still doing great without any issues and am planning on returning to Boise for good May 4th.

Congratulations!  Really awesome news - and wow - what a kit!