Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Transplant Services >
  • ... >
  • Lung Transplant >
  • Patient Stories >
  • Steve Constable
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Who Is a Candidate?
Lung Transplant Process
Your Transplant Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Who Is a Candidate?
Lung Transplant Process
Your Transplant Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment

Steve Constable: Lung Transplant Patient Story

Steve Constable

The Challenge: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

In December 2011, Steve Constable and his family were busy getting ready to move into their new home. While packing, Steve began to feel tired and short of breath. At the time, he assumed he was just out of shape. But by January, as they settled into their new house, he could barely lift a few boxes without getting too tired. Steve’s family took notice and encouraged him to see a doctor.

After several visits with a local pulmonologist, Steve was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a disease that causes scarring or stiffening of the lungs and makes every day activities difficult. While there is no known cause of IPF, symptoms include shortness of breath, weight loss, and fatigue.

After seeing his mother pass away from IPF, Steve knew just what to expect.

“I knew what the outcome was. I had about two to three years to live,” says Steve.

The Path to the UPMC Lung Transplant Program

Steve’s pulmonologist referred him to the UPMC Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease. After a series of tests, his doctor suggested a lung transplant. Until that point, he had never realized that a lung transplant was possible.

Steve underwent his first transplant evaluation in 2013. Despite being very sick, he was still too healthy to be placed on the transplant waiting list. At that point, he became determined to do everything possible to stay healthy, both physically and mentally, while waiting for a transplant.

“I monitored my oxygen levels, made sure I ate well, and exercised at least once a day,” says Steve. “I was getting ready and preparing and at the time I wasn’t in bad shape at all.”

By late 2014, his condition became more complicated and he returned for a second transplant evaluation. One month later, on a snowy Monday morning, Steve received a call from a transplant coordinator letting him know that he had been placed on the transplant waiting list.

The Solution: A Lung Transplant

Due to his rare blood type, Steve was only on the waiting list for one day when a donor became available.

He underwent a transplant on January 28, 2015. While his recovery was not easy because of a complication with his vocal cord that required an additional surgery, Steve never lost faith in himself or the transplant team, and after only a few weeks, his condition began to improve.

“I had to learn to walk and eat all over again,” says Steve. “But once I got started I was able to see improvements every day and those first steps were incredible.”

The Results: Staying Healthy and Active

Since his transplant, Steve has returned home and is focused on staying healthy. He has gotten back to all of his normal hobbies, such as hunting, fishing, and spending time with his two young granddaughters.

Along with the support of his family, friends, and the transplant team, Steve believes that his physical preparation and his faith helped him through his transplant and saved his life.

“Before knowing that a lung transplant was an option everything just stopped, but now I have a renewed sense of hope and a future,” says Steve.

Steve’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.

Learn More About Lung Disease and Lung Transplant

UPMC Transplant Services:

  • Our Lung Transplant Experts

UPMC Department of Pathology:

  • Lung Disease Research

UPMC Health Library:

  • Lungs and Airways
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE