Ted F. loves going to the beach.
“I can sit on the beach and watch the waves for hours and hours,” he says. “It gives me a lot of peace and tranquility. It’s a spiritual thing. I just love it.”
But before his double lung transplant, Ted’s chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) made it hard for him to get to a beach and take it all in.
Ted’s journey began in 2005, when he was diagnosed with COPD. He’d always been an active guy with a busy life, and, at first, that didn’t change. After retiring from his job as an options trader, Ted traveled the world and played a lot of golf—160 rounds a year.
But after about 10 years, Ted’s symptoms became more severe. He moved out of his multilevel home because it had become too difficult to climb the stairs.
“I’d walk 10 yards and be out of breath,” Ted recalls. “It was difficult to even live, to be honest with you.”
After losing a friend to lung disease, the New Jersey resident felt compelled to act. He’d been seeing a local pulmonologist for help managing his advanced COPD.
“The pulmonologist was basically trying to keep me comfortable, but I wanted a lot more than that,” Ted says.
Coming to Temple for hope
Ted’s daughter, who is a nurse, told him about Gerard J. Criner, MD, FACP, FACCP, Director of the Temple Lung Center. Dr. Criner is globally recognized as a leader in COPD treatment, and one of many lung disease experts at the Temple Lung Center. Ted wanted to have bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR), a breakthrough COPD treatment that was pioneered by Dr. Criner.
After an evaluation, it was determined that Ted was not a candidate for BLVR. However, Temple's comprehensive COPD Program offers many options for patients who may not be eligible for BLVR, and Ted was offered another option: a lung transplant. Temple is a national leader in lung transplant volume and outcomes, and often takes on some of the most challenging cases. Patients who are turned down at other institutions due to higher age, high BMI, or other medical issues may find their second chance at Temple.
“Dr. Criner offered me hope,” Ted says.
Ted underwent several tests as part of the evaluation of his physical and psychological health. Ted was found to have a heart-valve problem and prostate cancer - issues that may deem him ineligible for complex surgery. At Temple, those health issues did not prevent him from being eligible for a transplant. He had surgery to address the heart condition, and his prostate cancer did not pose a significant threat to his health.
Once he was cleared for a transplant, Temple’s multidisciplinary transplant team helped Ted prepare. The process included working with experts in nutrition and exercise.
“Every person has a function and tells you what you need to do,” Ted says.
