TRANSPLANT!!!!!!

LaBunna

OMG thank you--thank you---BUT you forgot to report on your hubbies progress!!!

JoAnn

Hello La Bunna, We all are doing the happy dance with your husband's transplant and progress. And we all are so happy that you have someone with you now.

Take care.......thoughts and prayers.........

La Bunna, I'm so glad you posted!  I was just wondering how your hubby is doing.  IMO, it might be a mistake to go from clear diet to a hamburger!  I would think that eggs or something of that nature might be better and not such a jolt to his system.  I can well imagine the scar, as mine goes in an arch from left side to right, with a vertical incision from just below the breastbone to just above the belly button (the spot where I ended up with 2 hernias.)  It's good news that he is doing so much, though.  Hopefully, they can address the rejection problem that he's having with meds.

You get some rest, sweetie!  You deserve it.

Hugs,

Connie

Post Edited (hep93) : 8/21/2008 1:20:53 PM (GMT-6)

I just want to share some good news for all of you..my cousin has had her new liver now for 14 years and is doing great...she is now 57...GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU!!

Hi to all!

I've been running myself ragged by driving back and forth to the hospital, answering and making calls to friends and relatives, taking care of the dogs and the house and getting myself fed (well, somewhat fed) and trying to get sleep (well, at least I lay in bed), etc etc etc....

Hubbie is doing fine now. The adjusted meds have controlled the rejection issue. The doctors are thinking he will be released TOMOORROW. OMG!!!!! TOMORROW!!!! How will I handle him here at home? OMG!
I am freaking out. What if something goes wrong? OMG!!!!!!

A P/T is going to 'stop by' to check on him, when? I don't know. My girlfriend is coming for an overnight this weekend to help me. But, wow. I sure am praying that he is OK to be home. He still seems so frail.
(On top of being skin and bones - with the old fat acites tummy and legs - when he was admitted, he has lost an additional 20 lbs. during the hospital stay) Frail is the word.

The really greatest thing that has happened - besides getting the liver and him not actually dying (which is obviously the GREATEST thing!) is that the encephalopathy is GONE! It is just GONE!

Yesterday he was talking to a doctor and I realized......."he is his old self". He's BACK!
It is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool!

He's smart again, he's erudite again, he's funny again, he is sharp sharp sharp! I love it!

So - this was meant to be quick as I have to go pick up our parish nun to go with me to the hospital - I have to run.

We'll see if he does, in fact, come home TOMORROW. I'll check in later.

Thanks and loads of love and prayers and hope to you all!

OMG LaBunna, that give's me so much Hope!!! I can just imagine what your going through Be sure to keep us all posted ok.

 

 

Judith

LaBunn

I have no words!!  No-- not really you know me better then that.  I can tell you without a doubt if you have made it this far you will be fine.  Just think back at everything you have been through.  If you can't remember it all just let me know I will remind you.  The absolute worse for me was when we were told he had cirhossis!  It was like someone hit me along side of the head with a 2 x 4 and sucked all the air out of the room.  Remember that horrible feeling.  You just knew he was going to DIE.  Well, my dear you have made it.  Your journey should be all up hill now.  You have to know you can do it!!!  You will be fine.  I can not immagine how wonderful it must be just to have him BACK mentally.  I can't wait.  Because of you're experience I really do have more hope as I'm sure a lot of people do on this forum.  I look forward to the day when we can talk. 

Take Care and please stay in touch

JoAnn

La Bunna, thank you so much that really does give me hope!  May I ask your husband's age? Mine is 67 and was told that he will have a better chance for transplant if he goes on the "B" list and you have pretty much made my mind up on that now.

 

 

Judith

La Bunna, you have given many people here hope.  That's very interesting and encouraging about the MELD score.  I remember when you were considering the "less than perfect" liver.  It seems you two made a wise choice.  Please keep us updated on hubby's progress.

Hugs,

Connie

JoAnn

1. We phoned a doctor we know and we phoned a RN we know. We needed to know - immediately - if a liver is damaged by a cocaine overdose.
We found out that it is NOT.

2. The donor was a young girl who 'partied' herself into being brain dead. She was a cocaine (sniffing it - not injecting it) overdose. She was a rare
donor, because usually drug overdoses are DOA. But she was a hospital here in Chicago for days... brain dead. The local organ donation group (can't remember their name... something like Operation Care or something) was able to have time to contact her family and ask if they would consider donating her organs. They agreed. This poor soul, who it seems was just out to have a good time, wound up donating her heart, her lungs, her liver and her kidneys to deserving recipents. Because she was in the hospital here in Chicago for days, the teams were able to test her up and down and backward and forward for all the bad things. (Like HIV and Hep C and all the other bad things...)

Thus, all the recipients on the list ahead of hubbie turned her liver down. It was a 'perception'....DRUG OVERDOSE.

You know what? We did our homework and JUMPED on it! And it is a perfect liver!

More later, the home nurse is coming.

LaBunna, oh my....... i wish you and yours the best I am so happy for you and your husband. Your story has so perked up everyone here and also my hubby. We have opted for the B list from the start as I have met more people believe it or not who have accepted livers under this list. I personally know 2 people and met more at the hospital when they were there for a med tune up. I watched a show once on liver transplants and they gave a liver to a woman in her fifties, this liver had some issue ( i cant remember what it was) that eventually cause a heart condition, the amazing thing was it takes 20+ years to effect the heart and she figured that was a good amount of time as she only had weeks left. So they took the liver out of the 30 year old man who was alive and he was given a partial liver from his friend so two transplants at the same hospital at the same time and both recipiants and donor did well.... amazing. If the man who also needed the transplant died his liver would not have been used... because of this condition, they said most people would have refused it. I so wish you and your husband all the best and an amazing recovery... I am thinking one year from now a second honeymoon is in order.......maybe renew some vows........

Sue

LaBunn

Your information is PRICELESS!  Do you think someone was watching over you and hubbie to get him such a good liver.  When they called you why couldn't you just ask them that question about cocain ??  Seems like it would have been easier then scrambling to make the calls.  Especially under so much stress.  OH WELL -- whats important you made the decision and even better, you made the RIGHT one!  What a good feeling.  Can you remember how long it has been since you have had that feeling?  Keep the info coming as you have time.  It gives me a spark of that good feeling. 

JoAnn

So glad and happy for you and your hubby. Your input helps me as well as others.
God Bless

Karen in Nevada