After a Double Lung Transplant, Ted F. Is Back in Action

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.

Ted found some of the recommendations challenging. He was reluctant to go on supplemental oxygen, even though he needed it. It was a matter of pride, Ted says. It took some tough love from nurse practitioner Michelle Vega-Olivo, a member of his transplant program team, to help him understand why this was needed.

“I started listening, and I started doing what I had to do, and it was a wakeup call,” Ted says. “If it wasn’t for Michelle, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Six months after he was placed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list, Ted received a call notifying him that two healthy donor lungs were available.

“At first I was elated, but then I was scared to death,” Ted says.

Ted drove straight to Temple, and on July 18, 2023, he underwent a successful double lung transplant surgery, a 12-hour operation.

Ted stayed in the hospital for three weeks, much of that time in a special lung transplant unit.

“But they had me up and walking really quick,” he says.

‘The miracle kicked in for me’

Ted was living at the Jersey Shore not long after he recovered from his lung transplant. It had been five years since he had walked on the beach without assistance.

“I just counted my blessings,” he says. “That’s when the miracle kicked in for me.”

Before his double lung transplant, Ted could walk just a few yards without losing his breath. Now he has 93% of his lung capacity, he says, noting that drawing in a breath “feels fantastic.”

“It’s beyond your wildest dreams,” Ted says.

Ted is looking forward to many activities he couldn’t do before his lung transplant, like playing golf. He’s even planning on joining a race on the Jersey Shore. It will be a 10-mile event, which Ted did once before back in 1995. He doesn’t care if he finishes the run — he’s already amazed at how far he’s come.

Looking back on his journey, Ted expressed gratitude for his expert and compassionate care team at Temple.

“It’s like an unconditional love they have for their patients,” Ted says. “The nursing staff, the doctors—you can feel the love. They are the best in the world.”

Helpful Resources

Looking for more information?

• Lung Transplant Program at Temple
• Blog - Life After a Lung Transplant
• Patient Story - A Team Effort: Coach’s Son Helped Him Train for Lung Transplant Success