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Note:
Readers should always consult their physicians before taking any action
(or inaction) which may affect their health or involve decision making.
That’s the question. . . . . Well the following
folks who’d had a transplant took a survey given by JoAnne M.
Schume, e-mail twoluckylungs@juno.com, who is
a member of 2ndWind Lung Transplant Organization. She has allowed me
to post these most interesting results to the Survey she administered
to 2ndWind Lung Transplant Mailing List—copyright
protected. Contact Joanne Schum e-mail twoluckylungs@juno.com,
for permission to copy in part or any of the following Survey.
Survey
Results:
-
Number
of survey results returned total 93 (survey results do not include
the 11 pre-transplant returns):
Post-transplant:
82
Pre-transplant:
11
-
Number
that returned to work or school: 47 (57%); number that did not return
to work or school: 35 (43%).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions
Asked
-
What was the date of the transplant?
| Year |
88 |
90 |
91 |
92 |
93 |
94 |
95 |
96 |
97 |
98 |
99 |
00 |
Total |
| Number |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
9 |
14 |
13 |
17 |
82 |
-
What type (e.g., single) of transplant did you have?
| Type |
Double |
Single |
Live
Lobar |
Heart/
Lung |
Single
or Double
Not Indicated |
| All |
49
(60) |
27
(33) |
2
(2) |
1
(1) |
3
(4) |
| 47
returned to work (%) |
32
(68) |
13
(28) |
1
(2) |
1
(2) |
|
| 35
didn’t return to work (%) |
14
(40) |
17
(49) |
1
(2) |
|
3
(9) |
- What
was your lung illness?
| Illness |
CF |
Alpha |
IPF |
Emphy |
PPH |
COPD |
LAM |
PulmF |
Bronch |
Sarc |
Eisen |
Eosin |
Sili |
Yngs |
Total
(%) |
22
(27) |
13
(16) |
11
(13) |
7
(9) |
7
(9) |
5
(6) |
4
(5) |
4
(5) |
3
(4) |
2
(2) |
1
(1) |
1
(1) |
1
(1) |
1
(1) |
47
returned
to work (%) |
18
(38) |
5
(11) |
5
(11) |
1
(2) |
4
(9) |
2
(4) |
3
(6) |
3
(7) |
1
(2) |
2
(4) |
1
(2) |
1
(2) |
0
(0) |
1
(2) |
35
didn’t
return to
work (%) |
3
(9) |
8
(23) |
6
(17) |
6
(17) |
3
(9) |
3
(9) |
2
(6) |
1
(2) |
2
(6) |
0
(0) |
0
(0) |
0
(0) |
1
(2) |
0
(0) |
- What
is your present age?
| Age |
Under
10 |
10–19 |
20–29 |
30–39 |
40–49 |
50–59 |
60–69 |
| Total
(%) |
1
(1) |
4
(5) |
8
(10) |
15
(18) |
22
(27) |
25
(30) |
7
(9) |
| 47
returned to work (%) |
n/a |
3
(6) |
8
(17) |
12
(26) |
10
(21) |
13
(28) |
1
(2) |
| 35
didn’t return to work (%) |
|
1
(3) |
1
(3) |
3
(9) |
12
(34) |
12
(34) |
6
(17) |
- How
many months after your transplant, did you return to work or school?
| Months |
0 |
1–6 |
7–12 |
13–18 |
24 |
30 |
72 |
| Returned |
|
22 |
19 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
| Didn’t
return |
35 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| School |
4
(varied months) |
- How
many hours a week do you work or attend school?
| Hours |
6
or less |
7–19 |
20 |
21–25 |
30–39 |
40 |
40 plus |
| Work |
2 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
15 |
7 |
| Shift
work |
|
|
|
|
1
(three 12- hour shifts) |
|
|
| Didn’t
return |
35 |
| Volunteer |
3
|
| School |
4
(3–29) |
- If
presently working, what field of work?
| Field |
Number |
| Office/Secretary/Library/Data
Entry/CPA/Investment |
11 |
| Sales |
8 |
| Medical/Nurse/Radiologist |
5 |
| Fund Raising/Vocational
Rehab/Educational Research/Public Relations |
4 |
| Student |
4 |
| Government |
3 |
| Computer
Software |
3 |
| Teach/Music
to Senior Citizens/Kindergarten Teacher |
3 |
| Volunteer |
2 |
| Work at
Home |
1 |
| Massage
Therapy |
1 |
| Aerospace |
1 |
| Semi Truck
Driver - Corvette Parts |
1 |
| Total |
47 |
- If
you are in school, what grade or college level?
| Level |
N/A |
College |
Home
School |
11th
Grade |
| Number |
78 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- Does
your work involve any exposure to the public?
Number not returned to work:
| |
Yes |
No |
Other Employees only |
Don’t
Work |
| Exposure |
35 |
6 |
6 |
35 |
Comment:
“Lots of exposure, especially the ‘little public.’”
- If
so, approximately what percentage is with the public?
Number not returned to work: 35
| Percent |
100 |
95 |
85 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
25 |
20 |
15 |
10 |
5 |
| Returned |
8 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
| Didn’t
Return |
35 |
- Please
list any infections or health problems you have experienced since returning
to work (this list of infections includes all 82 respondents answers)
| Category |
All
Respondents |
Those
Working |
Those
not Working |
| No
infections/health problems (%) |
28
(34) |
15
(32) |
21
(60) |
| Infections/health
problems (%)—types listed below: |
54
(66) |
32
(68) |
14
(40) |
| Mild
Infection/odd colds/sinus infections |
32
(60) |
|
|
| CMV/Pseudomonas/Aspergillous/RSV/Pneumonia/Rejection/BOS |
16
(30) |
|
|
| Muscle
Problems |
1
(1.5) |
|
|
| Renal |
1
(1.5) |
|
|
| Stomach
Virus/GI |
4
(7.0) |
|
|
- What
type of precautions do you take at work, school, or home to protect
yourself from those persons who may be contagious (e.g., masks, washing
hands and so forth)? (This
question you had the choice of listing as many precautions you wanted
to, so the total number does not equal 82.)
| Precaution |
Number |
| Wash Hands
Frequently |
5 |
| Watch/Listen/Avoid
Sick People |
22 |
| No Answer |
18 |
| Purell type
hand Sanitizers |
29 |
| Avoid Areas
with Many People |
4 |
| Mask when
Needed—hospital, airplane |
16 |
| Wipe Surfaces
with Antibacterial Product |
8 |
| No Food
or Drink Sharing |
5 |
| Avoid Touching
Public Surfaces (door knobs, handles, rails, elevator buttons,
community microwave, coffee urns, refrigerator, pens, pencils) |
5 |
| Not Touch
Face or Eyes |
4 |
| Common Sense |
4 |
| Lysol Spray |
3 |
| Avoid Personal
Contact with Public |
2 |
| Sit at Edge
of Classroom |
1 |
| Use Surgical
Gloves when Needed |
1 |
| HEPA Filter |
1 |
| Keep Hydrated |
1 |
| Avoid Smoke |
1 |
| Gargle to
Keep Mouth Free of Germs |
1 |
| Have Others
Wash Hands Frequently |
1 |
| Open Windows |
1 |
- What
are the reasons for returning to work (financial, health insurance coverage,
and so forth)? (This question allowed for listing all the reasons, so
there are more than 47 replies.)
| Reason |
Number |
| Enjoyment |
31 |
| Financial |
28 |
| Keep Mind/Body
Busy |
22 |
| Insurance |
19 |
| Family Business |
1 |
| Want to
help others |
8 |
| Productivity |
1 |
| Socialization |
7 |
| Return this
gift some way |
4 |
| Self-esteem |
1 |
| School be
with others same age |
1 |
| Achieve
Goals |
4 |
| Ambitious |
1 |
| No Answer |
29 |
Comments:
“Like sense of belonging, too many years on the couch”;
“Keep brain alive . . . instead of isolated at home”; “Purpose
in life”; “Enjoy feeling part of the world”; “It’s
important to live your life dream”; “My
passion”; “Always
wanted to be a doctor and experience life on my own.”
- With
your present work or school, are you able to exercise regularly on a
daily or weekly basis?
Those 47 who have returned to work responded: Yes
= 39 (83%); No = 8 (17%)
Those 35 who did not return to work: Yes = 16 (49%); No = 0
(0%); No Answer = 19 (51%)
| |
Daily |
5x
a week |
3x
a week |
2x
a week |
Weekly |
Some |
Not Much |
Not
as much
as I should |
No
Answer |
Working
Total 47 (%) |
4
(9) |
6
(12) |
6
(12) |
3
(6) |
2
(4) |
2
(4) |
1
(2) |
5
(11) |
18
(38) |
Not
Working
Total 35 (%) |
5
(14) |
2
(6) |
4
(11) |
|
|
1
(3) |
|
2
(6) |
19
(51%) |
Note:
Two of those not working, but who exercised, didn’t specify an
ammount.
Comments:
“Not as much as I should, job prevents me from working out”;
“Too tired”; “I could, but I don’t”; “Working
full time, too tired for exercise”; “Gotten more difficult
since returning to work.”
- If
you were to begin catching infections frequently, would you consider
cutting back hours, changing your field of work, or quitting? (This
question was answered by both those that have returned to work and those
who have not.)
| |
Yes |
No |
Don’t
Know |
No
Answer |
More
Careful |
Cut
Hours |
| Number
(%) |
40
(49) |
12
(15) |
4
(5) |
18
(21) |
4
(5) |
4
(5) |
Comments:
“Never quit, change field”; “I would stop anything
that threatened my health”; “I would consider my health
first”; “My health is priority”; “Yes, quit
reluctantly”; “I look at my health as the most important
thing in my life”; “No, I couldn’t, have to work.”
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