• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

BARF Member Needs Double-Lung Transplant--PLEASE HELP!

Flimsy Slowham

Flimsy Slowham

Is this thing on?
Joined
Jan 12, 2006
Location
Santa Cruz
Moto(s)
'03 MZ Baghira
‘98 Honda Superhawk
‘78 KZ650
My fellow barfers. I'm a long-time motorcyclist who has nearly had to give up the hobby due to health issues. I'm in need of a double-lung transplant due to a rare genetic disease. I'm still able to ride by putting oxygen bottles in the pannier I strap to the back of my SuperMoto (an MZ Baghira), and feed the tubes up through my helmet and into my nose.

I'll be listed soon for transplant and probably will get "the call" that a match has been made on donor lungs by the end of the year. I'm needing a little help covering the associated costs of the surgery (it's a $1.3 million dollar operation). We have good insurance, but we need to move into a furnished apartment in Palo Alto for 3 months following the surgery (at Stanford), I'll be out of work for up to a year, etc., etc.,

Any help is appreciated. GoFundMe link is here: https://www.gofundme.com/flipslungtransplant

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!:ride
 
good luck! my dad had a single lung transplant three years ago, he was awake and talking 2 hours after surgery and walking around his room in 2 days. modern medicine is awesome. His transplant buddy (got a lung the day before him, was walking laps around the hospital floor doing laps on day 2.

so three is hope, I hope your recovery is way faster then a year and you are up and riding in no time.
 
Thanks Freak! Always great to hear success stories. I do think Stanford tries to prepare us for the worst-case, but I do read that double-lungs are a bitch of a surgery and recovery. Nonetheless, I'm strong and healthy (other than the crap lungs) and really feel like I'm going to skew the averages in a good way :thumbup
 
yes, my best advise to you is to stay active and do the PT/stay physically fit. My dad does not and it shows (its a use it or lose it sort of thing). I believe he will be the opposite of you and bring the life expectancy averages down.
 
Yikes, sorry man. Dr.'s are pretty clear that those who sit on the couch don't survive long, and those who use their new lungs (and thus, the body says, "ok, wait a minute, maybe these are suppose to be here"), have a better shot of not rejecting the organs. I hope he turns the corner and can start getting out even to take some walks and use them more...
 
Damn, that's brutal. I wish I could offer you a place to live but unfortunately our house is very tiny
 
HappyHighwayman said:
Good luck, I hope you make a full recovery. I work for Stanford, you're in good hands.
Click to expand...

Thank you Highwayman--yup, one of the best in the country to do these types of surgeries. I have full confidence in my transplant team. Thank you for whatever you do for Stanford--every single person I've had contact with over the last 3 years of tracking this disease has been exceptional. I know how fortunate we are to have world-class health care right here in our backyard and I don't take that for granted.

Axeman--thank you; we'll work something out on the living situation. They say if I do well with the recovery I can move back home maybe after 6-8 weeks, so hopefully it won't kill us $$.

If you guys wouldn't mind sharing my story on your FB pages or whatever (Highway man--don't know if you can since you're at Stanford), I'd really appreciate it. I know the more people who see it and share it, the better shot I have at getting through this without too much financial pain.

Ride safe all, and I'll see you out on the road again sometime soon-
:ride
 
Hey Phillip.

PM me your address and I will send you a check from BARF.

Super tough situation. Beautiful family.

Really wish this gets done and life will get back to normal.
 
Phillip, I have more time than cash right now.
If you need any help with anything please don't hesitate to shoot me a PM. I promise I will "come-a-running"
It sounds like you're in good hands but that's an awful lot for anyone to have on their plate. Use your resources (like barf) liberally. I will help you any way I can.
 
gixxerjeff said:
Phillip, I have more time than cash right now.
If you need any help with anything please don't hesitate to shoot me a PM. I promise I will "come-a-running"
It sounds like you're in good hands but that's an awful lot for anyone to have on their plate. Use your resources (like barf) liberally. I will help you any way I can.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeff--one thing I've learned (finally), is to ask for help when needed. I'm a warrior at heart but have eased up on the stubbornness! Thanks for your offer--will certainly reach out if the need arises. :thumbup
Peace-
Flip
 
Flip.

I am in Palo Alto too.. if you need someone to talk bike trash with during recovery I am capable. :laughing
 
Good luck to you. That has to be stressful. Today and two other times in the past week I've had scopes and probes shoved down my throat for a minor issue. Its unpleasant and I keep telling myself during the procedures that it could be worse, its nothing like facing a transplant. But you're in good hands and so lucky to have family around, they will get you through this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top