AN Alloa woman has swapped her electric scooter for a bicycle as she returned home from her life-saving double lung transplant.

Brave Lisa Hertwig is taking small steps on the long road to recovery while she still has regular check-ups, but is already getting active after ditching her oxygen tank.

After rushing to go under the knife in Newcastle last November, the former cystic fibrosis patient returned to the Wee County just in time for Hogmanay.

She told the Advertiser: “My recovery in hospital was very difficult as I hit many problems along the way, which meant I spent five weeks in ICU (intensive care unit).

“It feels very strange to be home. And quite surreal to not be wearing oxygen wires and my ventilator whilst I sleep.”

She still has to be very careful and is taking anti-rejection medicine which lowers her immune system to prevent her body from refusing the new organs. More than ever before, she needs to avoid coughs and colds as they would be very dangerous at this stage.

Lisa continued: “Last week, I went [on] a bike cycle – that was such an achievement and a special moment for my family and friends. I played football in the park with my younger cousin. I have danced in my living room to music and walked down the town and back.

“Before my transplant I depended on my oxygen 24/7 and my electric scooter. Sports and physical activity were never an option and [it was] hard to imagine ever doing them again.”

As the Advertiser reported earlier, Lisa had spent more than three years on the transplant list and had two false calls before her operation finally went ahead.

It was third time lucky when the lungs turned out to be healthy enough and Lisa is now planning to catch up on lost time.

She is also carrying on with her campaign to encourage more people to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register.

The 25-year-old said: “I feel blessed. A family decided to donate their family member's organs and there is no better gift to receive.

“They have gave me my life back, gave hope to my family and all gave us a sparkle back in our eyes. To go from dying to living, there is no better feeling.”

Lisa said she will push on with raising awareness as there are still, on average, 22 people dying each day waiting for an organ. She added: “There is always room for improvement with these statistics. I will continue to do what I can via my Facebook page and future campaigning.”

The brave woman said she now needs to improve her levels of fitness and is joining a local gym. She also wants to gain a motorbike license and go travelling in America as well as elsewhere around the world.

She concluded: “I no longer have to sit having a shower as I can breathe and being able to put a washing on is now so easy.

“From the little things to the big things they really all feel just as amazing.”

Sign up to the register at organdonationscotland.org and save up to seven lives.