Update #55 - Return to Cleveland, Return to the Blog

In a world where no news is good news, the reappearance of this blog page is not a welcome sight.

Late this past spring, Trent picked up what for most of us would be a minor cold but for him was an automatic threat to his new lungs. Over the past few months, in spite of changes in medications, inpatient treatments and trial therapies in Cleveland, the cold has set off a chain reaction that has caused a steady decline in his lung function and his overall health. For anyone who has seen him in the past few weeks especially, this information is only a confirmation of what you already know.

As I type, Trent and Jill are headed back to Cleveland Clinic after a particularly difficult day, week and month. While treatments have been (and will be) continuing, Trent's doctor, Dr. Budev, has also begun the testing necessary to present him to the Transplant Board for a second transplant. As it was the first time around, the process is long and arduous, and the result is not guaranteed.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Dr. Budev and her team have been with Trent from the beginning and have been hands-on (meaning Dr. Budev has done his bronchoscopies herself, something she would normally pass on to an intern) since day one. Trent and Jill are part of their family, and the team has been fighting with and for Trent as much as each of us has been inspired to fight because of who Coach Todd is.

2. For most lung transplant recipients, episodes of what is called "acute rejection" (the situation Trent's cold set off) normally happen within the first six months after receiving new lungs; Trent was almost completely healthy for TWO YEARS! While this news is incredible, is also has his transplant team at a loss for how to handle his very rare situation, especially because of how quickly it has progressed.

3. Trent and Jill have been very forthcoming with Sophia and Bryce, and the whole family has had a phenomenal support system in place all along. Hopefully this post will serve only to re-expand that network.

We will have more information once Trent arrives in Cleveland, but for the time being, please kickstart your prayers again. I'll update as we know more.