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Posted 3/11/2011 8:42 AM (GMT 0)
Woohoo!  Hubby has been at medical centre since 8 Feb, and has today been told he has been accepted as a liver transplant candidate.  He has only had two of the three months worth of counselling, and had only stopped smoking since 4 March, but the transplant team are happy with his progress so far, so have listed him.  I can't believe it!!  So happy.

Only slight downer was that his kidneys have been failing again, and urine output very low.  Current MELD 25, up from 22 on Tuesday.  He is in the best place however, and they will be treating him with terlipressin again to try and get kidney function back on track.

All those prayers have been paying off!  Thinking of everyone else out there in the same/similar situation, or who have little to hope for... god bless you all. xx

Posted 3/11/2011 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations!! I am so happy for you both! I'll say a prayer for a healthy and speedy recovery!
Posted 3/11/2011 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
congrats on the listing. keeping you both in my prayers.

emma
Posted 3/11/2011 6:04 PM (GMT 0)

Well, that sounds like good news...but I'm a little unclear.  Has he been approved for transplant evaluation or has he actually been listed?  There's a lot of testing (including psychiatric) prior to being listed, and my understanding is that he would need 6 months of sobriety before being listed.  (Although ML's guy has been listed with less than 6 mos.)  His MELD is certainly high enough, so they could be fast-tracking him.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 3/11/2011 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts.

Connie, Hubby has not had a drink since June 2010. He has gone through the transplant evaluation and was denied on the 26th Feb, as the social workers thought he needed to attend counselling to ensure he did not intend to drink after potential transplant. They also wanted him to give up smoking. His assessment/evaluation took two weeks as an inpatient. He has seen all the specialists (including the dentist who ripped out six teeth) during that time. He continues to be an inpatient, as his health is so poor.

I did think the counselling process (he has only attended two sessions - again as an inpatient at the medical centre) may have taken longer for them to see some results, to reconsider their decision, but they must have seen some commitment and acceptance for his situation from him.

I just hope he gets well enough now to accept a transplant, should a liver become available.
Posted 3/11/2011 11:58 PM (GMT 0)

Goddess, thanks very much for the explanation.  You and your hubby will be in our thoughts.  I hope there is a liver out there with his name on it.  Please do keep us updated.

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 3/12/2011 12:48 AM (GMT 0)
Great news. Woo Woo. Mama Lama
Posted 3/12/2011 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
Goddess!

Great news!  I hope his kidneys get back to work and they find him a liver...and he treats it with the respect it deserves.  Fingers crossed here!

Posted 3/20/2011 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
Wonderful news - congratulations - there is so much work to getting listed - they are looking for compliance and jumping through the hoops can wear an already sick person.............out.

My husband was listed August 20, 2010 and received his transplant February 3, 2011. Once listed, the waiting just wore us out. Unfortunately the illness didn't bring us closer together - and I really thought it would - I guess the stress was more than we could stand........but since the transplant, life has returned to an almost normal life. Everyday Ron gets stronger and stronger. He had some physical set backs and two weeks after the transplant he was sent back to surgery for a bile leak repair. We are now looking forward to a new life.

Alcohol was never an issue - but I can tell you - depending on how your husband handles stress - ongoing counseling is a great idea.

Best wishes and happiness - sending your way.

Pam
Posted 3/22/2011 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for your good wishes.

Hubby's kidneys were improving but he had ascites tap Monday and he has had little urine output since, so maybe they have gone backward again. The fluid removed from his tummy was quite dark and a bit red looking, as is the fluid in his catheter bag from his urine output.

We are waiting on results of a polyp biopsy taken from his colon last week, which have not come through as yet. Either way, I think they will be removing the polyp Thursday. He has internal and external haemoroids in his colon, which are bleeding and, I guess thats why he has required blood transfusions.

His MELD is still in mid 20's.

Doctors are also worried about his umbilical hernia which is growing, and the skin looks very thin - it is quite transparent and looks like it will burst at any time. They have said they will do an emergency repair if this happens.

I just hope he keeps hanging in there.....
Posted 3/22/2011 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
Pam, I have been reading your blogspot and am so happy for you both. Your blog keeps me encouraged that there may be hope for us too. Thanks for your honesty in how you felt the stress affected your relationship - I feel the same way. I have been reading the caregiver posts recently, and agree that it is so hard to remain positive, encouraging our loved ones to eat, and not be sensitive to their remarks.

My daughter said to me yesterday, 'Mum, you are a woman, you can do anything...' and started singing Helen Reddy's anthem for women everywhere.... it really lifted my spirits, and brought out the nurturer in me. I know my hubby could never have handled this if the roles were reversed, but I think information is a key player. He has never been one to seek out info, where I can't stand the unknown, and need to know as much as possible. Thank God for this forum and the useful information, humour, therapy and friendship is provides.
Posted 3/22/2011 9:45 PM (GMT 0)

"I can't stand the unknown, and need to know as much as possible."

Goddess, that's me to a T.  If I know what's going on, I can deal with it.  Not knowing is very stressful for me.

All the best to both of you.

Hugs,

Connie 

Posted 3/24/2011 6:47 AM (GMT 0)
Latest update is that hubby's polyp was not cancerous so that is good news. However specialists have now determined that his zinc levels are too low. Kidneys still not great. HE still present, I think some lactulose doses have been missed with tapping/albumin etc - does zinc have anything to do with HE? Poor guy just wants to get out of hospital, one step forward and two back all the time.
Posted 3/24/2011 2:52 PM (GMT 0)
Good news that the polyp was not cancerous. Hopefully soon you will be making only 2 steps forward. No more stepping back. Take care.
Posted 3/24/2011 7:42 PM (GMT 0)

Goddess, as far as I know, low zinc has nothing to do with HE.

Good news that the polyp was not cancerous.

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 3/24/2011 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
We are hoping his transplant comes soon. Mike and Carol
Posted 3/24/2011 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
Ditto.
Posted 3/24/2011 8:58 PM (GMT 0)
Another Ditto.
Posted 3/25/2011 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
for sure ditto and prayers and thoughts... for you guys Sandi
Posted 5/17/2011 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
Goddess, are they giving your husband albumin when they do the tap? I do know that everytime a TAP is done it can cause issues with the kidneys, even more so when they remove to much fluid at a time.
Sue
Posted 5/17/2011 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Goddess ,Fabulous news for you and your man ,what I don't understand about the US system is the evaluation time . I have been seeing Prof V for twelve months and when I saw him last he just said to turn up at RPA when requested and be interviewed a few times and they'll have the final say on whether I'm on it or off the list. Basically he told me ,just turn up and everything will be fine , he's given all the recommendations I will need . He's on NSW Health Boards . But this is about your great news I wish you and your man the very best health and wealth.
Mick
Posted 5/17/2011 4:23 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sue,

Yes they do give him albumin when they tap him.

Hubby has been having a rough trot lately, again....

He went into hospital for tapping on the 27th April, and since then has been in ICU twice. First time he spent 6 days there with HE, where he had to be intubated. He was taken back to the wards only to develop a staph infection in both tummy fluid and blood, so he is in ICU again, being treated with antibiotics etc but at least he is not on a vent this time. They tapped him again whilst in ICU, and the fluid is very blood stained. He has been getting lots of albumin, blood products and clotting agents to help.

If he can turn this around and get back on the ward again, he is at the top of his blood group for transplant. I hope it is soon.
Posted 5/17/2011 11:09 AM (GMT 0)
Prayers coming your way - hang in there! Pam
Posted 5/17/2011 12:51 PM (GMT 0)
Mike was at the top of his list for about a month...after a long wait and alcohol cessation program.  He was in hospital 3 times and at ER 3 more times with various problems, including acute kidney failure.

The trick is to be sick enough to be at the top of the list and well enough to endur the HUGE LONG surgery.

Hopefully they have put him back together well enough to get his new liver.

Best to you both...and lots of hugs,

Carol and the Newly Improved MIKE

Posted 5/17/2011 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
Goddess-sending you and your husband positive thoughts and prayers.

Emma
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