THE CHIEF OF THORACIC SURGERY AT
NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE.
MYRA AND DOCTOR, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU.
MYRA, LET’S GET STARTED.
THIS IS SO AMAZING TO ME.
A DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT AFTER
COVID.
YOU WERE JUST DISCHARGED FROM A
REHAB FACILITY THIS WEEK.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN FEELING AND
HOW’S THE RECOVERY PROCESS BEEN
GOING?
>> THE RECOVERY PROCESS HAS BEEN
CHALLENGING BOTH MENTALLY AND
PHYSICALLY.
I WENT IN THERE, I WAS UNABLE TO
WALK MORE THAN 90 FEET.
YESTERDAY DURING THE DISCHARGE
EVALUATION, I WAS ABLE TO WALK
OVER A THOUSAND FEET WITHOUT
TAKING A BREAK.
AND SO --
>> THAT’S AMAZING.
>> YEAH.
ALTHOUGH I FEEL THAT IT’S BEEN
SLOW PROGRESS, YOU KNOW, JUST
BECAUSE I WAS SO INDEPENDENT
BEFORE AND I’M NOT ABLE TO DO
THINGS AS I USED TO.
EVERYONE’S AMAZED AT THE
PROGRESS I’VE MADE SO FAR.
>> DR. BHARRAT, IF I COULD BRING
YOU IN HERE.
WOULD MYRA HAVE SURVIVED IF SHE
HADN’T HAD THIS DOUBLE LUNG
TRANSPLANT?
>> NO.
SHE WAS TERMINALLY ILL AND SHE
HAD PRETTY SEVERE AND PERMANENT
LUNG DAGE.
WITHOUT THE TRANSPLANT, SHE
WOULD NOT BE ALIVE TODAY.
>> HOW DIFFICULT WAS THAT
SURGERY?
>> YOU KNOW, WITHIT WAS THE FIRS
ONE WE HAD EVER DONE SO THERE
WAS A LOT OF UNKNOWNS ABOUT THE
TRANSPLANT.
MYRA WAS QUITE SICK GOING INTO
THE TRANSPLANT SO THAT MADE IT
QUITE CHALLENGING.
IT WAS A CHALLENGING OPERATION,
PERHAPS THE MOST DIFFICULT
TRANSPLANT I’VE DONE IN MY
CAREER.
>> MYRA, I KNOW YOU HAD A
PRE-EXISTING CONDITION, BUT
GENERALLY YOU WERE PRETTY
HEALTHY.
YOU ENDED UP ON A VENTILATOR, AN
ARTIFICIAL HEART AND LUNG DEVICE
FOR MORE THAN SIX WEEKS.
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR TIME IN THE
HOSPITAL?
OR WAS THIS JUST LIKE A BLUR?
>> I HAD NIGHTMARES THE ENTIRE
TIME.
IT KIND OF MESHED IN WITH
REALITY.
I COULD STILL FEEL THINGS EVEN
THOUGH I WAS SEDATED.
I STILL HAVE FLASHBACKS OF
THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN REAL
LIFE, BUT DIDN’T ACTUALLY HAPPEN
OR MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
FOR EXAMPLE, I HAD NIGHTMARES
THAT MOST OF THEM WERE ME
DROWNING AND I RELATE THAT TO ME
NOT BEING ABLE TO BREATHE AND
STRUGGLING TO BREATHE.
IT’S NOT JUST I WAS ASLEEP AND I
WOKE UP AND I MISSED SIX WEEKS
OF MY LIFE.
>> SO DR. BHARRAT, WHAT’S MYRA’S
PROGNOSIS?
WHAT CAN SHE EXPECT GOING
FORWARD?
>> SO MYRA CONTINUES TO GET
STRONGER EVERY DAY AND SHE’S
YOUNG.
YOUTH IS ON HER SIDE.
SO DESPITE GOING THROUGH FULLY
TOUGH COURSE IN THE HOSPITAL,
I’M QUITE CONFIDENT EVERY DAY
SHE’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET
STRONGER.
SHE’S ALREADY BREATHING WITHOUT
ANY EXTRA OXYGEN.
SO THAT’S GREAT FOR HER.
HER NEW LUNGS ARE WORKING GREAT.
>> MYRA, YOUR STORY TO ME IS
JUST INCREDIBLE CONSIDERING A
LITTLE MORE THAN SIX WEEKS AGO
YOU WALK INTO THE HOSPITAL
BARELY ABLE TO WALK IN.
AND NOW YOU WALK OUT ABLE TO
WALK MUCH FURTHER THAN YOU HAD
BEEN WITH TWO NEW LUNGS.
THERE’S A MESSAGE HERE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MESSAGE
IS?
>> I THINK THAT I AM HERE WITH A
PURPOSE AND WHETHER THAT PURPOSE
IS JUST TO SHARE MY STORY AND BE
LIVING PROOF THAT LUNG
TRANSPLANTATION FOR TERMINALLY
ILL COVID PATIENTS IS AN OPTION
IS THE PURPOSE.
OR IT MAY BE THAT I’M HERE TO
SHARE THE MESSAGE WITH OTHER
PEOPLE THAT DON’T BELIEVE IN
COVID-19, THAT THINK THIS IS A
HOAX.
IT IS REAL.
I HAVE THE SCARS TO PROVE THAT
THIS IS REAL.
I NEVER WANT ANYONE TO UNDERGO
WHAT I WENT THROUGH.
>> MYRA, WHAT’S YOUR HOPE FOR
THE FUTURE?
>> MY HOPE FOR THE FUTURE IS TO
CONTINUE LIVING MY LIFE AS
NORMAL.
HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, REGAINING
ALL OF THE INDEPENDENCE THAT I
ONCE HAD AND CONTINUE TO HELP
OTHERS THROUGH MY LINE OF WORK
AND IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING
YOUR STORY.
DR. BHARRAT, THANK YOU, AS WELL.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
HAVE A GOOD LIFE, MYRA.
>> THANK YOU.