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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. |
