{"id":408,"date":"2026-05-14T02:37:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T02:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforteamham\/?p=408"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:57:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:57:42","slug":"a-month-of-healing-30-days-post-heart-transplant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cota.org\/cotaforteamham\/2026\/05\/14\/a-month-of-healing-30-days-post-heart-transplant\/","title":{"rendered":"A Month of Healing – 30 Days Post Heart Transplant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Message From Kya<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

To my supportive friends,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past weeks have been absolutely wild. If someone told me I would have a new heart and be feeling stronger than before my transplant, I wouldn\u2019t believe it, especially after just a month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More days than most, giving up was at the front of my mind. Surgery is hard by itself, the body takes a while to adjust, and mine will be doing so for a while. Then you add medications that alter your mood, your movement, things you see, taste, and hear\u2026 everything. It really gets to you sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I appreciate each of your prayers, visits, cards, calls, warm vibes and thoughts during these crazy times. The cards I receive play a special part in making recovery manageable. In the hospital we would tape each one to the walls in my room. All the colors, images and loving words inside made me feel motivated to fight harder every day. Those cards have been moved to my Nashville bedroom and continue to lift me up daily! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a heart that was once lived in another body continues to be a hard thing to fully reconcile. I feel my heartbeat constantly, which is not new and happened with my old heart, but experiencing the pumping of a heart with origins not of my own has been an adjustment by itself. In an unexpected way, I feel the donor’s presence. I also consider the heart I received to be \u201cour\u201d heart, not just mine. You might not understand this perspective, and that is okay! I just wanted to share a little insight on how it feels to be me right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am so grateful for you all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all of our<\/u><\/em><\/strong> heart,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kya <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Medical Journey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When we last wrote, we were anxiously waiting for discharge. On the 30th<\/sup> day of her hospital stay, Post Transplant Day #18, Kya was finally discharged to our temporary housing in Nashville. Now she\u2019s coming up on two weeks out of the hospital, and every single day at home is a good day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weekly Appointments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

She has weekly clinic appointments and routine testing to monitor for rejection. Last week\u2019s visit turned into several additional appointments to rule out and address a few concerns, and she also had a procedure to drain extra fluid from around her heart which brought her noticeable relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday she had another biopsy, and we\u2019re grateful to share that it showed only minimal signs of rejection, meaning no major interventions are needed right now. She will continue with clinic appointments and cardiac rehab in the coming weeks as the team continues to watch her progress closely in these early weeks and months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adjustments At Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At home, we\u2019re following all the medical guidance to protect her from germs and viruses. That means lots of hand washing, wearing a mask in public, avoiding large crowds, preparing nearly all food at home, and double\u2011checking ingredients that could interact with her medications. We\u2019re also keeping a strict schedule of vitals and dosage times. Many of these routines will be lifelong, though over time her current 50+ pills a day should drop to about half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If all goes well, we might get to spend a few days in our own home soon. We\u2019re looking forward to seeing our pets and enjoying the comforts of home. If things continue on the right track, we hope to be home on a more permanent basis within the next six weeks.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Live a Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Watching Kya play pickleball and move with strength again has been incredible. Even tonight she was walking at a pace I haven\u2019t seen in years. As she put it: \u201cI can live a life instead of just surviving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kya’s progress is the brightest part of our days, yet the financial side of transplant care is always present in the background. This morning, while awaiting a response from insurance, our potential bill for care was posted as $1,597,018.23 ($1.6 Million). Insurance will cover a substantial portion of the hospital care, but transplant care doesn\u2019t end with the hospital stay, it\u2019s lifelong. That\u2019s where COTA changes everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COTA steps in to cover the transplant\u2011related expenses insurance doesn\u2019t: medications, procedures, travel, lodging, and the ongoing care Kya (and Eli) will need for the rest of their lives. Their support ensures that families like ours can focus on healing instead of drowning in the financial aftermath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why our sticker, tank top, and t\u2011shirt orders (open through May 22) matter so deeply. One hundred percent of proceeds go directly to COTA to support our family and other transplant families walking this same road.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit the site to choose your colors and order today: COTA for Team Ham | A713 \u2013 Creator Designs – Easy Tees’y<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also make a direct donation. Just click the yellow, “Support this Campaign” or \u201cGive\u201d button at the top, right-hand side of this page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For real time updates, follow us on socials:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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