Essentials South Africa – August 2019

feature

Alyce Collins/Bauersyndication.com.au/magazinefeatures.co.za

photograpy

Bauersyndication.com.au/magazinefeatures.co.za

An organ transplant has drastically improved the life of Rima Manomaitis,

but while she’s in better health today than she has been for years, the

operation was not the cure she and her family were hoping for

but I’m not cured

r

ima Manomaitis, 29, was

diagnosed with cystic

fibrosis when she was just

four months old and her

parents noticed she was

struggling to gain weight. Her life

drastically improved after receiving

a lung transplant two years ago but

that doesn’t mean she has her health

back. rima continues to live with

cystic fibrosis, gastrointestinal reflux

disease, pancreatic insufficiency,

chronic sinusitis and cystic fibrosis-

related arthritis.

devastating news

I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when

I was four months old – doctors did a

sweat chloride test to determine whether

I had it, and I think hearing the news was

a shock to my parents. I was too young to

realise what it was or what was going on,

and my parents were in charge of all my

cystic fibrosis needs – I actually grew up

thinking it was completely normal. I had

to do nebuliser treatments twice a day,

get manual physical therapy, which is

when someone uses their hands and hits

you on the upper and lower back, sides,

and upper and lower chest to break up

the sticky mucus that’s in the lungs all

the time, making it easier to cough up.

In the years leading up to my lung

transplant all of my breathing treatments

were increased and I was doing four

nebulised treatments in the morning and

evening and several more throughout the

day, to help open up my airways. I was

also on IV antibiotics for 10 months to

keep me stable enough until I received

the call to say they’d found a donor.

I had to take pills in the morning and

evening as well as enzymes every time

I ate anything because I’m pancreatic

insufficient, meaning my pancreas can’t

produce the enzymes it needs itself. I also

had to see my doctors every few months

to do lung-function tests and check my

general health.

tHe neXt steP

I first found out that I may need a

double lung transplant late in 2009.

My lung function was down to 30% and

that’s usually when doctors consider a

transplant. I stayed stable for a few years,

hovering in the mid-twenties for lung

i’ve got new Lungs