30 Year Lung Transplant Anniversary
In November 2023, Tammi celebrated her 30 year lung transplant anniversary. With her new lungs, she enjoys life with her husband on their small farm in Indiana and is an avid crafter.
At the age of 14, Tammi was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a disease characterized by progressive scarring of the lungs that makes breathing difficult.
For the next ten years, Tammi remained active despite her condition.
Tammi’s health began to deteriorate in her early 20s. She started to experience shortness of breath that significantly impacted her normal activities. After seeing her pulmonologist, she was referred to multiple lung transplant centers.
“Out of all of the transplant centers, I chose UPMC because they had the most experience,” says Tammi.
Tammi traveled from her native state of Michigan to UPMC for lung transplant evaluation. Here, she met pulmonologist Bruce Johnson, MD, who Tammi has now seen for 32 years.
After evaluation, Tammi was deemed eligible for lung transplant and was officially added to the lung transplant waiting list.
After a year and a half on the waitlist, the call finally came. Tammi’s sister and brother-in-law drove her to the airport immediately.
“I was excited and nervous. I had waited 18 months to get the call, so I was kind of in a state of shock. It was finally happening,” says Tammi.
In 1993, Tammi received a single lung transplant at UPMC.
In the months following transplant, Tammi stayed at Family House in Pittsburgh, an affordable housing option for UPMC patients while recovering.
“Recovery was hard. I got very sick with a blood disease. Thankfully, the infectious disease doctors at UPMC helped me get back on track. I battled with organ rejection for a bit, but once my care team got my medications figured out, I was great,” says Tammi.
Once recovered, Tammi returned to Michigan and her normal activities. She made sure to stay active with her new lung, exercising regularly and coaching cheerleading.
“After my first transplant, I ended up getting married and having my son, who has graduated college and is now working full-time,” says Tammi. “Without my transplant, I may not have had the opportunity to start a family.”
For the next 17 years, Tammi enjoyed life with her family. She and her husband moved to Indiana following his retirement from the Marine Corps. Shortly after their move, Tammi learned she needed a second lung transplant.
In 2010, Tammi returned to UPMC for a double lung transplant.
“I stayed with UPMC when I learned I needed a second lung transplant. I wouldn’t go anywhere else,” says Tammi.
Following her second lung transplant, Tammi stayed at Family House again. Her mom and husband served as her dedicated care partners.
“Family House was a godsend. It was amazing to have a place we could stay that was affordable and close to the hospital. I was able to attend my follow-up appointments easily,” says Tammi.
After returning home to Indiana, Tammi’s strong support system jumped into action. In addition to her husband and mom, her siblings, sister-in-law, and friends all rotated taking care of her.
“My son was nine years old at the time, and my neighbors would take care of him after school. Everyone was ready to lend a hand,” says Tammi.
Since her second transplant, Tammi hasn’t encountered any problems with her lungs. She has continually shown resilience and strength, battling and beating breast cancer over the last four years.
“The Lung Transplant program at UPMC is the whole package. They have everything, the doctors, the nurses, the coordinators, which is what keeps you alive. There are so many little things that can come up with a lung transplant,” says Tammi. “UPMC truly has the full care team.”
Tammi’s treatment and results may not be representative of similar cases.
