Prayers please for a phriend...

Mason, you've prayed for him before and he got better.
This is the latest info I got off the PHA discussion boards:

"Mason has been MIA for a couple days, so I (a phriend named Colleen) called his mom again tonight to see how he is. He's not good. He is in Kaiser LA ICU again, intubated and sedated. His mom said the docs do not understand what happened. They said he wasn't in rejection. They also said they didn't think he was going to make it overnight (this was Thurs night). Today (Friday), Mason has shown some signs of improvement, but still has an incredibly long road to go. His entire family is in LA right now, and they are all really shook up. Please pray for Mason!! Or have good thoughts for him if you aren't the praying type!! He really needs them right now!! I will keep you updated when I get news!!"

Mason's story and picture were included in the "Phriends' Stories" booklets that were passed out at the 3rd Annual Phenomenal Hope for a Cure fundraiser. Here is his story:


My journey began late in 2005. I was 17, working and going to school full time. I started to notice shortness of breath in the mornings. I thought I was just getting out of shape and didn’t worry too much about it. After a few weeks one morning I was pushing out quads, (I worked at a off-road shop) and became very short of breath and passed out. I was rushed to the ER. They told me I had pneumonia and sent me home on antibiotics. I took about a week off work and rested but I didn’t really feel any better. I went to a few different doctors, but they didn’t know what to do or what I had. One thought it was asthma and the others weren’t sure. One doctor scheduled an echo and x-ray. But I couldn’t wait any longer. So I went to a hospital in CA. It took about a week of tests and evaluations to get a diagnosis of PPH. I was sent to a PH specialist in Los Angeles for a right heart cath. The doctors discovered that my PH was severe and that I needed start on Flolan immediately. I was told that it usually works well and quickly. I didn’t mind mixing or any of the stuff that goes with Flolan. The problem was I had PVOD (pulmonary veno occulsive disease).
PVOD is hard to treat. It clogs the veins leading from your lungs to your heart, and causes your pulmonary arterial pressure to rise just like any form of PH. The Flolan lowered my PAP but made my PVOD worse. By February I was bed-bound. If I had to walk more than 100 feet I had to use a wheelchair. I was listed for transplant a few months later and waited 11 months for my transplant. After the transplant I had a great recovery and was a full time walker in the first month. I had 5 months of greatness, no problems at all. Then I got hit with rejection, fungal infection, flu and pneumonia. That has slowed me down a bit and there are still some bumps. But I’m still glad I got it. If I get a few more quality years, I’ll be happy.




Thank you for your prayers.

Annette