barb henshaw update WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2007 10:40 PM, CDT

[Guest guest]

I know our family is waiting to hear. I'm waiting for confirmation that what I understood today - is in fact correct. So some time tomorrow, I should have a firm grip on the facts and will be able to tell you whats going on - for sure.

When the doctor talked to us today during rounds, we were stunned and it was very hard to focus on what he was saying. I *think* (and it's not written in blood or bile) what he said was this...... With the portal vein being " clotted off " it will likely starve the liver and at some point - 1 to 5 years from now, Ken will need another transplant. So basically, he'll have " liver disease " all over again. Cirrhosis all over again - everything - again. Whats happening is " very rare " so far out from surgery. (We're just so tired of hearing rare.) If this would have happened a week or so after any of the four surgeries, they could have gone right back in and fixed it. But, we're too far out and with Ken's temp & lurking infection, they won't go back in. They can't risk upsetting his liver or any other organs. Plus, Ken isn't in as good of shape as he was. What caused this? Removing his spleen, (which they had to do) and his platelets going nuts.

The plan right now, put him on blood thinners. They gave him a shot last night and his platelets came down to 700,000+ I forgot the name of the thinner, but Ken will have to give himself 2 shots a day - the pills won't work in this circumstance. They are going to keep him a day or two, to watch the fever, we're hoping the clot will dissolve and this will be just a bad dream.

Once again, I hope I got this right. Who knows, I'm too tired to keep up with it all.

Drs Aubrey & Von, if either of you have any insight on this, I'd sure be happy to hear from you. barbhenshaw@...

-- Ian Cribb P.Eng.

[Guest guest]

No insight on what to do about hepatic vein thrombosis late after

surgery. I'm sorry to not be able to offer any hope this terrible

development. The shots are probably Lovenox which will thin the

blood and maybe reduce the fevers. 700K platelets is not low and is

appropriate given every thing going on. I assume that they have done

blood tests to try to identify the cause of clotting too easily.

Most of the time a specific problem with clotting can not be found

because current medicine doesn't understand clotting as well as we

should. Anyway some of the tests are; protien s, protien c, lieden

factor 5, cryoglobulin, elevated hct ...

Best of wishes in your difficult fight.

>

> I know our family is waiting to hear. I'm waiting for confirmation

that what

> I understood today - is in fact correct. So some time tomorrow, I

should

> have a firm grip on the facts and will be able to tell you whats

going on -

> for sure.

>

> When the doctor talked to us today during rounds, we were stunned

and it was

> very hard to focus on what he was saying. I *think* (and it's not

written in

> blood or bile) what he said was this...... With the portal vein

being

> " clotted off " it will likely starve the liver and at some point - 1

to 5

> years from now, Ken will need another transplant. So basically,

he'll have

> " liver disease " all over again. Cirrhosis all over again -

everything -

> again. Whats happening is " very rare " so far out from surgery.

(We're just

> so tired of hearing rare.) If this would have happened a week or so

after

> any of the four surgeries, they could have gone right back in and

fixed it.

> But, we're too far out and with Ken's temp & lurking infection,

they won't

> go back in. They can't risk upsetting his liver or any other

organs. Plus,

> Ken isn't in as good of shape as he was. What caused this? Removing

his

> spleen, (which they had to do) and his platelets going nuts.

>

> The plan right now, put him on blood thinners. They gave him a shot

last

> night and his platelets came down to 700,000+ I forgot the name of

the

> thinner, but Ken will have to give himself 2 shots a day - the

pills won't

> work in this circumstance. They are going to keep him a day or two,

to watch

> the fever, we're hoping the clot will dissolve and this will be

just a bad

> dream.

>

> Once again, I hope I got this right. Who knows, I'm too tired to

keep up

> with it all.

>

> Drs Aubrey & Von, if either of you have any insight on this, I'd

sure be

> happy to hear from you. barbhenshaw@...

>

>

>

> --

> Ian Cribb P.Eng.

>

>