Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / March 14, 1991, edition 1 / Page 11
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s under the sun THE BRUNSWKXfeftACGN THURSDAY. MARCH 14. 1991 I ? S Lung Transplant Gives Seaside Woman A New Lease On Life BY DOUG RUTTER Alice Miller is pleased that she's doing the laun dry and cooking for her husband again. She's glad she can take the family's black Labrador re triever for a walk. The Seaside resident couldn't do any of thai prior to her lung transplant operation last fall. But a new right lung has given her a new lease on life. Mrs. Miller, a victim of pulmonary fibrosis, said she was helpless before the transplant. "I couldn't do any thing," she recalled in a recent interview. "He's been cooking for the past year." Frank Miller said the transplant has given him his wife back. "A lot of people think a lung transplant lums you into an invalid. They do a lung transplant so you can return to a normal life." Mrs. Miller, who was 60 at the time of her opera tion, was diagnosed in 1987 with pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that causes shortness of breath and gradually kills the lungs. The cause of the disease is unknown, and there is no known cure. Most people diagnosed with the disease breathing bccame so weak that she couldn't go through physical therapy. She was restricted to a wheelchair at one point. The couple was told that her lungs would be inef fective and she would die by the end of October without a transplant. The Millers say it was luck that a lung be came available two days later. The Iun{; was transplanted Oct. 6, and Mrs. Miller was out of bed 10 hours later sitting in a chair and walking down the hall. She was in intensive care 11 days. Although both of her lungs were diseased, she re ceived only a new right lung in the transplant. A younger patient probably would have received two new lungs, but Mrs. Miller said one good lung is enough for a person her age. At 60, Mrs. Miller was the oldest person to receive a successful lung transplant through the program at Chapel Hill. Dr. Thomas Egan, who heads up the pro gram, owns a vacation home at Brunswick County's Caswell Beach. The patient was released from the hospital Nov. 13, arc given about live years to live. Mrs. Miller didn't know when her five years started, but her condition gradually worsened. In January 1990, the couple drove to the Medical College of South Carolina in Charleston to see a pulmonary spe cialist That was the first time they heard about the possibility of a lung transplant "To me that sounded kind of far fetched," Miller recalled. "1 wasn't re ally prepared for it" Following a sec ond visit to the Charleston facility, the couple decided to seriously consider a transplant but stayed in an apartment in Chapel Hill and made daily visits to the hos pital for physical therapy. In the beginning, her daily walks I on the treadmill lasted four or five | minutes. But she gradually built the walks up to 30 minutes and added rides on a stationary bike. "1 thought it was wonderful, but there were times when 1 was up there that I didn't know if 1 did the right thing or not," she said. "It was bad. I'm not going to say it wasn't bad because it was. But you just have to forget about the bad and be thankful you're alive." They flew to St. Louis last May for a week of tests at one of the leading lung transplant facilities in the country. But Mrs. Miller, who waj on oxygen 24 hours a day at the time, was turned down bccause of her age. It was shortly after that setback that the Millers read an article in a regional newspaper about a lung trans plant program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They decided to give it a try, and following another series of tests, Mrs. Miller was accepted into the UNC program in August. Her name was put into a computer with the names of other people waiting for a lung trans plant The couple moved to Chapel Hill so they would be close to the hospital. Mrs. Miller started a physical ther apy program to build up her muscles and stamina. Because of her age and physical condition, the North Carolina native said her doctor couldn't give her much hope. 'They gave me about a 50-50 chance," she said. "And 1 thought, 'That's better than what I've got now."' Eventually, Mrs. Miller's lungs deteriorated and her Mrs. Miller said daily visits from her husband arc what got her through the ordeal. "It really means a lot to have somebody there," she said. "It's 90 percent of your recovery to have somebody there. I couldn't have re covered without him." Miller said getting turned down in St. Louis turned out to be a blessing in disguise. His wife would have been 19th on a list of donors there, and she probably wouldn't have received a lung in time to save her life. Mrs. Miller raved about treatment and care she re ceived at Chapel Hill. "I've never seen such a dedicated staff in my life," she said. "You felt a warmness. You weren't a number. They really cared about me." Because of the transplant, Mrs. Miller's immune system is suppressed. She takes 15 pills every morning and 12 pills every night to prevent infection and rejec tion of the new lung. She even takes a liquid medicine every day to kill any bacteria that the other mcdication might create. "Every day you're doing something to keep yourself alive." Besides taking the prescription drugs, Mrs. Miller STACF PHOTO ?Y DOUG AUTTI* ALICE MIIJJiR of Seaside is glad to be cooking again for her husband, Frank. A lung transplant last fall has given her a new lease on life. walks daily to increase her heart rale and build up strength and stamina. She joined a local health club that has a treadmill and stationary bike, and she wants to get into water aerobics. The Millers don't know who donated the lung, or even if it carne from North Carolina. But through the experience, they have become strong believers in the organ donor program. 'There are a lot of people right now that won't make it through the year due to lack of donations," Miller said. "If they don't have donors, there isn't any program." He said more than 7,000 people are waiting for kid ney donations. 'There are more than enough people dy ing with good kidneys. The problem is they're just not donors." H&R Block ; wants to save you money. ^ ^ We dig for every deduction and credit to which you are entitled. We'll find you the biggest tax refund you have coming. H&R BLOCK Resort Plaza, Suite 10, Shallotte Open 9 AM-6 PM Weekdays 9 AM-5 PM Sat., Phone: 754-6067 America's Tax Team. Put us to work for you! The following topics will be discussed: *Homebased Businesses 'Health Care 'Medicare Processing *Wills and Trusts ?The Senior Advantage Services REGISTRATION: To register, or for more information, call Brunswick Community College Small Bu&luess Center 754-6961, 457-6329, or 343-0203. Seminars have a limited enrollment. No admission will be charged. I. Co-sponsored By The Senior Advantage & Small Business Center Brunswick Community College Shades & Shadows ?? Shining Memories. Beautiful custom built lamps can give new life to your favorite vase, candlestick, figurine or oil lamp. Why store it when you can use it! *We offer lamp repair too! Take Hwy. 130 West, Near Whiteville 640-2758 ? Open Mon.-Sat. 10-6 ? (Just past BEMC) SEA COAST TRADING CO. Candlelight Cabinets by Aristokraft Crommenton Home at Sea Trail by Pope & Pope Construction | A SEA COAST TRADING ! Arisfekiaft 754-6630 ? 120 Blake St., Shallotte Complete Interior Design Service ^ Ceramic Tile ? Blinds ? Custom Bedspreads Draperies & Top Treatments Ruby Floyd 579-6091 ? hwy. 904 ? Seaside^ EVERYDAY FIDDLER'S SPECIAL includes fish, shrimp, deviled crab, clam strips, French tries, coie slaw and hush puppies. $8.95 GETI^FREE 2-F0R-THE-PRICE-0F-1 STEAK SPECIAL Sirloin steak, choice of potato, O r/sn t\C. tossed salad and bread... POR MONDAY-THURSDAY ONLY SEAFOOD ? DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS SANDWICH PLATES ? SALADS NOW CLOSED SUNDAY EVENINGS SANDFIDDLER SEAFOOD RESTAURANT HWY. 130 EAST ? SHALLOTTE ? 754-8168
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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March 14, 1991, edition 1
11
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