(upbeat music) - Uplifting music.

- Hi, I am Jacqui Tricario on location at the New Jersey Sharing Network's 5K Celebration of Life here in New Providence, New Jersey.

I'm so pleased to be joined now by Dr. Shanda Johnson, who is a double lung transplant recipient.

Dr. Shanda, thanks so much for joining us.

- Thank you.

And I'm welcome to be here.

- Yeah, I'm so glad that you're able to be here at the 5K this year.

I wanna start first about your health journey.

Take us back before you received the two brand new lungs from your donor.

Take us back to that time and what your day to day life was like.

- So I've been sick for, I was sick for like five years with a, what they said, terminal lung disease.

I had a condition called CHP, which is chronic hypertensive hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

So you know, I was on meds and seeing the advanced lung team and day to day I was on oxygen starting in 2019.

So I was going to work and doing everything.

- On oxygen?

- With my oxygen tank.

You know, and I was a college professor so it wasn't that bad.

But I did have to step away from my nurse practitioner piece just a little bit.

- You were working with little ones?

- Yeah, I was working with kids, but I was still working with them.

But they would give me like the well kids and then as I got sicker, I had to step away, and do the online virtual visits.

- Because of the germs that these kids, I mean I have kids, they have a lot of germs.

(Jacqui laughs) - They have a lot of germs.

So I did, I switched to all virtual visits and lab checks and all of that stuff 'cause there's still a need for that.

So, I missed them.

And then in 2023, right at the five year mark, I started to decline and then one day I just couldn't get my breath.

So I called my sis, I called my transplant center and they were like, "Just come in."

And I'm like, okay, "How do I get there?"

So I called my sister-in-law like, "Are you busy?"

She's like, "No."

I'm like, "I need to go to the doctor."

She's like, "Okay."

I'm like, "UPenn."

She was like, "Let's go."

And then she's like, "Are you sure we're gonna make it there?"

I'm like, "Yeah, this is where I need to go."

So I really honestly thought I was just gonna go in.

They were gonna keep me for like a day or two, titrate my oxygen up.

- Okay.

- And I was gonna- - Get you more stable.

Yep.

- That didn't happen.

- How long were you there for?

- A year.

- A year in the hospital?

- Yeah.

Different like, we call it LTAC, long term acute care.

And then I got the call and then I went back to the main hospital.

My transplant was at UPenn and I was transplanted.

And I ended up staying in the ICU for another five months.

- Another five months.

So this is a very long time to be in the walls of a hospital.

Can you tell us a little bit about the support team that was surrounding you during that time to get you through this time in your life?

From friends, family, the hospital staff?

How important was that support team for you?

- It is the ultimate thing because your mental health is as important as your physical health.

And being inside, not being able to control anything but when you gonna take your shower and when you're gonna go to bed.

Everything else is scripted down to your meds, physical therapy, occupation, even your food.

So it was very difficult.

But I'm blessed because I had a large support system.

So because I'm a nurse, I had my nurses like they know what to do.

So they came in and then my family led by my twin and my sister and my son.

They made sure in terms of family support, who needs to be there when.

And they also coordinated with my girlfriends, my group of girlfriends who are also nurses and other people to say, "Okay, you need to go this time.

We don't wanna overload her."

- They knew how to take care of you.

They knew what needed to be done.

- Yeah.

So I have a big support team.

Now when it comes to the hospital staff, again, they already know.

But the one thing I did say to them is, and I suggested and they were like, "Yeah, we gotta do better with that."

When you list somebody, right?

You all- - The transplant list?

- Yeah.

You all hope that your call is gonna come.

Okay, we do a big evaluation.

They do a psych evaluation and then what happens if your call doesn't come in three months, six months, nine months?

Like me?

Like you just keep waiting and waiting.

And I said to them, "You have to circle back and check on them for how are they doing, maintaining their anxiety, maybe depression?"

Because it's anxious when that call comes or you are friends with people, we have a big support group, they're getting called and you're sitting here like, "Well when is my call gonna come?"

- Well how were you able to get through that time mentally?

Like how were you able to stay positive?

- Well, I'm a saved believer, so I always pray every day and I just said, "Just God, just calm my mind.

It's gonna come when you are ready."

But also we have a support group, a Facebook online support group.

So we meet every Monday on Zoom.

So that helped.

And then the transplant center does support groups and you go in there and I was blessed that when I was at the long-term care center, the person next door to me, she was there.

She came like three weeks before me.

And we were both both waiting for- - Was this Angela?

- Yeah.

Yeah.

We both was waiting and we became the best of friends.

The best of friends.

So you know the outcome for her.

And I was just devastated.

Devastated.

- Yeah, she unfortunately passed away while she was waiting for the gift.

- Yeah.

- So sorry.

- Yeah.

Yeah.

And she got called three times and we call 'em dry runs.

So she was like, "Why?"

Because I was like, "Listen, I'm not telling anybody when that call comes, only my family.

Because if we get sent back-" - You don't wanna get everybody's hopes up, including your own, I'm sure.

- Yeah.

So people were like, "You don't seem happy."

I said, "It's not that I'm not happy, I'm very cautious of my feelings.

So I wanna see the other side, like when I come out, I know it happened."

- Talk about that when you come outta that and I'm sure the emotional rollercoaster that this whole process has been, especially with receiving these two new lungs.

Talk about afterwards.

I know it's been a little bit of a struggle, but also has given you so much more back that you didn't have before.

- Yeah, so recovery was long and you know, because I was able to go outside and do some walking and strengthen myself with PT OT, they just like, "Oh, she's gonna be fine.

She's gonna be fine post-op."

But it was a lot of complications because I have a small chest cavity.

So the lungs that they had to find were had to be from a small person or a child.

And the, you know, the kids go first, so, and they were finding some matches, but from like a six-foot tall person.

That's not gonna fit in my chest cavity.

- Yeah.

- So post-op, you know, I was out for a while.

Like when I woke up, it was already April, going into April.

And I'm like, and then I was trached, so I couldn't talk.

And that stayed until July.

So it was like communication-wise and I had to learn to do everything over.

I'm talking everything, walk, talk, everything.

- You've come such a long way, huh?

- Yeah.

Eat food, everything had to be relearned.

So I was in therapy until December and then I left that type of therapy and then went into a different therapy.

So I'm still in therapy because of my gait.

So I would use a walker.

Recovery is just, it's different, - Ups and downs, I'm sure.

- You go one step forward and take four steps back.

- Yeah.

But you here today is a miracle.

And to have you here at the 5K, the 15 years celebrating this year.

This is the third year with your team, team Bee Strong.

- Yeah.

- And, but you're the first year as a transplant recipient.

What does that feel like for you?

- I'm so happy I get emotional because I didn't think I would be here.

So being able, even, I'm not gonna walk today, but just to be here for my team, everybody's like, "We're so happy."

And I was admitted a couple of weeks ago to the unit that I first went to and every nurse that took care of me had me in 2023.

So the excitement that they see, like, "Oh my God, she's back."

Not that she's back, but- - You're here, you're doing it.

Yeah.

- And she remembers us all and they was just like so amazing.

You know, I just take one day at a time.

Literally.

People often ask, "How do you do this?"

And I say, "One day at a time."

- And you're reinventing yourself in so many ways, especially with your career.

Talk a little bit about that and just how you're becoming more involved with organ and tissue donation.

- I'm now an advocate.

Like I'm an advocate.

I just talk about it to everybody 'cause everybody has their beliefs or myths about what organ transplant is.

And if you check that mark on your driver's license and what's gonna happen, they just gonna steal it.

And I'm like, "That's not what they do."

You know, they have to make sure you know you are a viable candidate and that if something does happen to you that you know it's okay with your family, even though you, you know, marked it, your family may not know you marked it.

So, I always have a conversation.

So, and now that people see me and that I actually went through it, they're like, okay, now we, you know, I've had a lot of people say, "You know, because of your posts on Facebook, we've gone back to change it to yes we'll be a-" You know, whatever viable organs that they is, you know, good, they'll put it down.

- Well, you have a new purpose and a, and you're just doing amazing work and God bless you and hope you continue to do well and be able to spread the word about this amazing gift.

- Education and advocacy.

- Exactly.

That's what we're here for today too.

Thank you so much Dr. Shanda, we really appreciate it.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you to our Senior Correspondent, Jacqui Tricarico.

And for Jacqui and our entire team here at "One-on-One," we thank you so much for watching.

See you next time.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by New Jersey Sharing Network.

Hackensack Meridian Health.

United Airlines.

Kean University.

Newark Board of Education.

PSEG Foundation.

Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

And by Operating Engineers, Local 825.

Promotional support provided by NJ.Com.

And by New Jersey Globe.

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