Happy re-birthday!

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To Wes (and )! 5/25/02

From the archives of 2002:

Message: 37862 From: mbgadom

Subject: Returning member: Husband post transplant

Hello,

My name is . My husband has suffered from psc since 1992. I

was previously involved in this support group a few years ago. I am

writing today to share of a story that we have been through and

hopefully to give others encouragement.

When my husband, Wes, first got sick, no one had a clue what was

wrong with him. After a battery of tests, progression of feeling

worse, and dimishing faith in the medical field, three years later

the diagnosis of PSC along with already diagnosed UC was given. In

fall of 1995 he went on the transplant list. Now I know all of you

have been living somewhere in the mind state where we were and

remained for seven years. Our son was born the same month my husband

got ill. I feel into depression and Wes into denial. By the grace of

God we made it thru each day, month and year. We tried to

live 'normal' lives, but the fear of the future was always above us.

Yes my husband was very ill, a walking tired banana he called

himself, but not ill enough according to the doctors to be

transplanted:(. He worked and then crashed everyday. I worked and

then worked somemore, everyday.

Well, as the illness goes, he progressively got worse. Winter of

2001 began the hardest road. He rapidly lost 30 pounds, admitted

that he couldn't continue with work and slept for hours on end. It

was time. The doctors were now concerned that it was past time, go

figure. They feared that like our hero Mr. Payton, that Wes now had

cancer in his bile ducts. How low we felt. God again was on our

side, and after much testing they proved Wes to be cancer free. He

was placed next on the transplant list!!!! Well, life with a beeper

and waiting can really be interesting. We felt like we were in the

ninth month of pregnancy! Just waiting and wondering, everyday! We

had several attack plans that correlated as to the timing of when the

beeper would go off. Our son, then nine, needed care and a normal

routine if we had to leave in the middle of the night. Well, God

answered my prayers and the beeper went off on May25th! It had been

a LONG four months. And if much more time would have passed I am

certain that he would not have made it. The transplant experience is

a very scary experience. But we made it!!! It has a story all in

itself that I will share in a later post.

My words of advice for all of you living with psc in your lives is

to first pray. Whatever your God is, ask for protection and

strength. Second, learn as much as you can about the illness, your

hospital, the procedures and the doctors. Be ready with intelligent

questions. And most importantly remind yourself that 'worry is the

opposite of faith'. Those are words we live by. I am glad to have

found this support group again. If I can be of any help to any one

of you, email me or post a reply.

Sinecerely,