Dave Rehm
Hi, my name is Dave and my wife of 18 years is Kim. My story starts out like
this, in the late summer of 1998 I started having problems with my right ear
ringing and frequent dizzy spells, so I went to see a otolaryngologist here
close to home which is southeast Iowa. Well the first thing that happened was
a complete physical exam, CT. scan, chest x-rays, hearing tests, hot and cold
air in the ears,the whole nine yards. They told me to go on home and they
would let me know in a few days what they found and what course of
action we should take.Well guess what a few days later they did call and said they saw something in one of the chest x-rays they didn't like and would like to talk to me. I thought oh this couldn't be anything serious because other than the ear problem I was feeling pretty good, working everyday and having lots of fun. Well when I went to talk to them there was a cardiologist, a pulmonary specialist, and my original otolaryngologist there, and I knew by the look on there faces something serious was up.First the cardiologist said he thought it looked like the right side of my heart was enlarged, and the pulmonary guy said he could see some spots in my lungs that he didn't like, which was probably causing the right side of my heart to work harder and making it enlarge. But they said let's give it some time and see what happens over the next six months. I agreed cause like I said before I didn't think it was that serious. Wow the ear problem wasn't so bad after I heard all that, well the six months went by and I went back for another check-up they suggested more tests, an echocardiogram, and a heart cath,yep you guessed it things were getting worse. After that they said I had serious problems and they suggested I go to a place in St.Louis, MO.called Barnes Jewish Hospital, I'd never heard of the place, they thought I should be evaluated for a lung transplant, I thought what, a lung transplant it's not that serious cause like I said I wasn't feeling that bad.So they set me up the appointment and sent all my records down, which by this time it's late 1999, Barnes said they could see me the first week of June 2000, I thought no problem I can wait that long, no hurry, but over the next few months things did get worse fast. I started having big problems getting enough air just doing minimal tasks, it got to the point where there was no way I could work, this was very hard for me to take because I'd always been a very active guy. I did two hospital stays, a week each before that first week of June. Well I'll try to make a long story short, after my evaluation at Barnes it was for sure I needed a double lung transplant, pulmonary fibrosis is my problem, at first I said why me theirs no way this can be happening to me, but it is and theirs nothing I can do about it. I had never known anyone who has had a transplant, or anyone who had been a donor, but I do now ! That's the reason for my letter, I'm not what you would call a real religious guy, but I do believe in God and Heaven, It's always been my belief that when a person passes away that It's not his or her body that goes to heaven, It's their soul and the things that people remember about you that go. It is a very sad and frightening experience to loose a loved one, I've been through it, but why should we deprive another human being of a second chance at life, in a way it's letting a part of your lost loved one live. I know your saying yeah he's saying this because he needs lungs, but that's not true at all I had just never thought about it. Since the first of the year both Kim and I have become donors. All I'm asking is that you think about it, talk to your family about it, and think to yourself what if you were in the shoes of someone who needs a transplant. Thanks for taking the time to listen. Sincerely, Dave |
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