Happy re-birthday!

[Guest guest]

To Darin P! 11/04/2001

From the archives of 2001, message 30192:

Well,

The CALL came at 1:20 am Sunday. I am officially a post tx member now. My

wife created a diary, but my mental capacities were functioning well, so I

am proof-reading the material and hope to have a run down this weekend. Is

there anyone out there that does not have Microsoft Word (much easier for

me). If not let me know the format and I will save it that way.

Quick run down, we got the call and said to head down. They had a size and

blood match but had not run the biopsies. They said it would happen around

8:00 but to head down as soon as I could. I took a shower and packed and

headed down with my wife. Get there, spend 45 min in admin. Spend 10

getting to the pre-op room. They took blood and by the time they were done

at 3:30, they now wanted me in ops by 5:00. Still had to take xrays and

take the biodine bath. The doc shows up at 5:20 and says lets roll. I am

signing consent for blood products and the like while they are tying my

other hand down. " Allergic to anything? " . I reply hell no and light me

up!!.

I finally pass out around 6:45 give or take. The liver wasn't there yet

but was biopsied and in perfect health. They had to make sure there wasn't

any cancer outside my liver. At 9:00, they call ICU waiting room for my

wife and tell them that the tx is a go. I told my wife to learn two hand

signals (on the advice of Barb in TX,): First, thumbs up means I got the

liver (since I wouldn't know one way or the other) and Second, the bird.

That is right, the middle finger. That of course represented I am in pain

and shoot me up.

I was out of op at 1:15 and was awake at 2:30. I opened my eyes and looked

around. The asked if I was in pain and I flipped my wife off and winked.

There was a small leak in the breathing tube and asked if it hut - dumb

question. I moved my eyes back and forth and they yanked it out at 3:00.

Not too long. The docs said the tx was text book.

I got the NG tube (suction tube that goes up nose and into stomach - that

was horrible) out Wed morning and finally got to drink water this morning

(Thurs.) and liquid diet that afternoon and night. They said I could eat

solid Thurs night, but I passed and will do the light air scrambled eggs in

the morning. , I don't know how you ate pizza after on the fourth

day.

They are still playing with the Prograff (sp? - anti rejection) and

steroids. Ladies, if this is what menopause feels like (hot flashing) I am

truly sorry. I have to get up for awhile to let my back and sheets air

out. It takes about 45 minutes to soak the sheets with sweat.

I will write some more later and give the rundown as to what happened with

no less anecdotes probably.

Hope all is will (glad to hear 's numbers look good and don't read too

much into the CA19-9 numbers if they come back elevated, which are

unreliable and Andi glad your ERCP went well. Maureen, I am glad Jim wants

to work, but your right he needs to be cautious)

Best wishes and prayers to all.

Oh, Maureen, you were talking about the license plate. My wife promised me

an authentic Houston Texans jersey (new NFL team next year) and I couldn't

figure out what to get. I thought about " LIVER TX " and the number being

01. I just might do it!!!

Darin

UC-88, PSC-99, 2a (10-01), TX 11/04/2001.