Successful Transplant

[Guest guest]

I have been a member of this group for quite a few years and haven't

logged on in quite a while. I wanted to share a little of

my " success story " .

In 2001, at the age of 50, I was diagnosed with PSC. My MELD score

at that time was a 14. During the following years, I developed

severe ascites, nose bleeds, severe ammonia levels, etc.

I couldn't afford to not work, so I continued my employment as the

Network Operations Manager at Fort Meade, however, during a three

year period, I had three hernia surgeries (due to ascites), got to

work, but couldn't remember my name or the date on three occasions

(high ammonia levels), and on one occasion didn't make it home, ran

out of gas, and was arrested while walking to get gas by a policeman

who thought I was on drugs (high ammonia levels).

On August 16th of 2007, my doorbell rang at 2:30 in the morning and

it was the Harford County police saying that I needed to get to the

University of land Medical Center within the hour to receive a

liver transplant. I had no warning or no notice that I was that high

up on the list .... I knew I was sick and getting sicker, I knew my

MELD score was now a 25, but I had no prior notification.

I received the liver transplant and after about a week I was able to

at least walk with a walker in the hall of the hospital ... It was

difficult but I could do it. After about two weeks, my tempature

started to rise dramatically and my family was informed that I had 48

hours to live unless a new liver became available. Miraculously it

did, and on September 8, of 2007, I received the new transplant.

This time it was far more difficult to recover ... extreme swelling,

low blood counts requiring transfusions, and it took me nearly two

months to be able to walk.

Although I can still remember the bad times, the days before, the

difficult times in the hospital, the pain, the fear and all of that,

my doctor, Dr Campos said that I wouldn't even remember the bad stuff

in a year. It has now been a year, and he was almost right. I don't

remember unless I specifically think about the " bad times " and I now

continue life far better than I did as far back as 2002.

I am back to work full-time and now realize how much I really was

affected prior to the transplant. My mind is now fully back in the

game ... you might think you are fully engaged at work as PSC and

Cirrhosis worsens, but you may want to reconsider ... I swore that I

was fully functional only now do I know that I was not.

This is not intended to be a testimonial or to be a story of hope ...

it is however as story that I would like to have been told during my

bad times ... the times that I had given up hope.

Please remember that someday your doorbell may also ring. Never give

up.