The Wait For a New Liver... Is Complicated
I was # 1 on the transplant list for the mid-Atlantic area.
The doctors made the decision based on the following criteria:
Urgency - I had acute liver failure and was given 12-24 hours to live.
Age - I was 27.
Overall health - Good
Lifestyle - I did not smoke, abuse drugs and was a light drinker.
Compliance potential - J stressed I would be compliant with a required life-long medication regimen to keep my liver healthy. He knows my personality is steeped in reducing risk, following routines and remaining in control of myself at all times. He and Stormy would call me “Gloom and Doom” in college because I had no desire to party hard and would chastise them for their reckless behavior often!
Complicating Factors
In the midst of waiting for a new liver, two complications posed a significant risk to my survival and my ability to stay on top of the transplant list. First, its helpful to understand the functions of a healthy liver. A healthy liver breaks down toxins and changes them into waste for removal. In addition, a healthy liver produces plasma proteins which promote blood clot formation. My liver was no longer functioning, which resulted in toxins reaching my brain and causing increased pressure. Also, my blood was not clotting properly, so there was concern I could “bleed out”.
To address the pressure issue, the plan was to bore holes into my skull to relieve pressure. The risks were high, but if the pressure continued, my brain could swell, causing damage and possibly removing me from the transplant list. J has a vivid memory of a doctor rushing in before the procedure, waving an image, and announcing my condition had improved enough to cancel the procedure!
One problem down, but the only way to treat the blood clotting issue was a new liver. My liver was contaminated, a whole liver was the only option.
The way it was told to me, the next scene was out of a movie. A doctor came into my room. A liver had been found and a team was immediately dispatched for retrieval.