Thursday, Feb.15 - John's vision is returning slowly but all the other indicators are extremely positive. He is healing faster than anyone expected and the doctors have decided that he is strong enough to discontinue the strongest narcotic painkillers. This has left John in some discomfort and in a post-narcotic funk. None of this is surprising to anyone and its all being handled. The search is on for a place for John to live in the area for the next few months while he gets his ongoing recovery/rehab. He's scheduled to leave the hospital in about 2 weeks.

Monday, Feb. 13 - His vision seems to improve very slightly each day but not fast enough for the doctors. The medicine that transplant patients take to prevent the body from rejecting the foreign objects could be the culprit for his lost vision. They are examining this and the other options because the drug he is on is the oldest and has the fewest side effects of the rejection medication alternatives. UNC has a wonderful staff of experienced and dedicated people. He is in the best place he could be for this transplant.

Sunday, Feb.12 - The news is great...John is breathing on his own with a remarkable 98% lung capacity. Vital signs like blood count, blood oxygen, blood pressure, are all normal to strong. He has complained of poor site, double vision and blurring for a week. A few specialist have examined him and found no reason for the problem. Some surmise that it could be part of water retention and swelling after any operation. So yesterday they did a CAT scan of John’s brain and discovered that a lesion may have formed during the operation or from the medication. They will do another CAT scan and an MRI. Maybe they can spy another reason for the vision anomaly.

Wednesday, Feb.7 - John, his parents and fiancee are together in Chapell Hill. Once a day, or so, we get a call with some news which is then passed on - one way or another. This morning we got word that John is coming along very well. The plastic breathing tubes were removed from his nose which we take as a sign that he is breathing better on his own.

Monday, Feb.5 - About 8pm we got a call from Ron that John had been sitting up a bit today. He's doing just fine! We heard yesterday that he had been just lucid enough to know he felt uncomfortable...(who wouldn't be?!).

To all who rely on this site for these updates - Sorry for leaving you all Sunday and Monday with no word - boring technical difficulties was all. I look for news to post each morning and evening for all to read. Your prayers and good wishes mean so much.

Saturday, Feb.3, 2001 - About 2pm we heard from Ron that John had made it through the surgery. Stay tuned.

Keep your best wishes and highest hopes directed to John and his medical team at the UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Friday, Feb.2 2001 - At around 4:20 PM John was alerted that the donors lungs were available and that he should get to UNC Medical Center.

At 7:15 PM John, his fiancee Stacy and his Mom left the ground in a Twin Jet Medivac from Morristown Airport heading for Chapel Hill.

At 9:05 PM the nurses and doctors were completing the pre-op routine, taking blood and preparing him for surgery even though the decision to proceed was not official. Other surgeons had removed the lungs from the donor at another hospital in the state, and were examining and testing them for health and then transporting them to UNC.

At 11:05 PM everything was GO! John told the doctors that he was ready! They started by connecting John to the artificial lungs while waiting for the donors lungs to arrive.

This operation can take anywhere from 8 to 14 hours from the time they begin.

The truth is in here. Take a look at our latest article on what CF is, be inspired by the books reviewed in our Resources page or check the latest news from the world of genetic research, medicine and health with our new WebFeed Wizard.

A FABULOUS DINNER IS BEING PLANNED FOR A VERY FEW LUCKY PEOPLE ...who are smart enough and quick enough to contact Karen in Columbia, Maryland and make reservations NOW! Call 410-222-7744 and this is the treat in store for you.

THIS SATURDAY NIGHT - Feb.3rd!

The menu consists of varied culinary traditions all found centered around the Mediterranean Sea.  Karen has simply included countries surrounding the Sea itself to find the recipes.  Therefore, the recipes range from Southern Europe, to Western portions of what is referred to as "The Middle East", to Northern Africa, and to Mediterranean Islands. karenbuon@yahoo.com

The JOHN'S FRIENDS Organization is a not for profit organization. There are no paid officers.  It is an international organization, focused on raising money for lung transplants for individuals with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Our goal is to educate people on CF and lung transplantation.