liver transplant

looking for transplant chat room  john hatch

Thanks for the advise...my liver transplant was done at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit...I am sure they have support groups, will check...I am still looking for national or international group...took me two years to get a liver...feeling much better but not back to work yet. How are you??

La Bunna, I know your hubby wasn't first put on the transplant list in '09, since we're not there yet.  Could you correct that, please?  Thanks!

Hugs,

Connie

Hi John, Welcome to the forum. Congratulations on receiving your transplant. I am glad you are feeling better. I can only imagine how rough it has been. It is a long road from what I hear. My husband is not sick enough to be listed yet. I have been coming here for awhile for knowledge and support. Everyone here has been so kind and helpful. I will include you in my prayers.

La Bunna, thanks!  I know that was the longest 6 months of both of your lives!

Hugs,

Connie

Silvermint, I'm glad your mom was able to have a transplant that saved her life.  However, she has already healed from that, if it's been 6 yrs.  Also, an operation doesn't cause diabetes.  It may have kicked in around the same time, but operations don't cause diabetes.  I suggest you research these things.

Connie

John, congratulations on your liver transplant. My husband had his liver transplant on June 24, 2008. He has had a few complications. His incision has opened up twice in two different places, and he has had to return to surgery to repair the hernias. His last surgery was a little over three weeks ago. He is having the problem with low magnesium. I know this is not uncommon with transplant patients, but even the doctors and nurses are having a hard time understanding why he seems to be having more trouble than most. He takes 3600 mg of mag oxide each day and still has to go in twice a week to get a mag infusion of 4 grams each time. This takes about 4 hours each time he has to have it. I would like to hear stories from others who have had this issue to deal with and how long it has taken to even out. He is also confused some of the time, and his memory is not good. From what I've read and from what the doctors way, I believe this is caused by the overabundance of anesthesia due to the three surgeries in three months AND by the low magnesium. I'm just hopeful that it gets better over time. I realize three months is not very long.

Silvermint. Your mom may not have contracted diabetes from the operation, but it IS possible to get it because of the anti-rejection medication. That's what the doctors told my husband; and because of that, he is taking Metformin to keep his sugar down. That could be what happened to your mother.

ABM

John, Congratulations on your transplant! I have not posted here in a long time. But I have spent some time catching up on the post. My husband had his transplant March 16th, 2007 at UAMS in Little Rock AR. He is doing very well and is actively seeking employment. He did shake alot after the transplant and had trouble with sleep. I know it was the prednisone he was taking. He was weaned off of it in 3 months. The anti-rejection drugs can also cause this. It does take a few months for their body's to get accustomed to the new drugs and the "precious gift of life". My husband had diabetes prior to the transplant, it was liver induced. He still has diabetes now, it is controlled with Lantus. It was also found that his old liver did have cancer, when it was biopsied from transplant.  He had Pet Scans every 3 months post transplant for a year. Thankfully they have all been negative and now he does the Pet Scans every 3 months. He had to have a hernia repair, caused from the ascites. He also has HepC and will have to do treatment. The hepatologist is hoping to wait for a new treatment, which he believes will be approved in 2012.  While the road to recovery may seem long, the road getting to transplant was harder! My husband is a walking miracle and a day does not go by without thanks!! This forum helped me get through some of the darkest days while we waited!! Thank-you Pink Grandma and Connie!

Teresa

Hi, Teresa!!  So good to see you posting and know that your husband is doing so well.  And finding out that the old liver was cancerous...whew!  I am still hanging in here and doing fairly well, though very tired from having to go out of town over the weekend and trying to play catch-up at home.  And Christmas is nearly upon us and I haven't decorated yet or finished shopping...nevermind wrapping and sending!

I don't have to go back to Mayo for blood work and scans until March.  So it's good to get a little break.  I'm going to have to ask my hepatologist about the new hep C treatment.  Don't know if I can hold out that long (2012), but am not really keen on doing the current treatment.

Don't be a stranger here!

Hi Teresa, Just wanted to thank you for posting an update on your husband. It really helps alot to hear from people that have experience with the transplant and post transplant process.

Hi Ranger, thanks for the update. Did this past year fly by for you????

What a neat treat for your wife. Your absolutely right......she was probably in need of a weekend with the girls.

Good luck with your treatment. Hope that it goes well............

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

Ranger, that's great news that you are doing so well!! 

Teresa, from my research, of the 50% who do clear the virus 25% relapse.  So it's really only a 25% success rate.