Seizures
Things have not been headed in the right direction these past few days. Yesterday Marshall started having some seizures. The doctors did a CT scan, an EEG on the brain and various other diagnostic tests but they have not been able to determine what is causing the seizures. I am worried that this is going to make him ineligible for the transplant. They wanted to do a spinal tap to see if there is infection in the spinal cord but because that is a risky procedure they have been trying to get his INR down so that his blood will clot better. All day yesterday they gave him plasma and platelets but they just can’t get things to a point that they can do the spinal tap. Most likely the seizures are being caused by the fact that his body is in such bad...
Read MoreMELD score maxed out
Marshall’s MELD score has been steadily going up and he is officially maxed out today at a 40. It has been an emotional few days as he is obviously getting very ill. I could hardly believe it earlier this week when the insurance company suddenly decided that they weren’t going to cover the transplant because Marshall had not met the weight loss requirements. Here we were are on the top of the list and at a maximum MELD score and the insurance refusing to pay for the transplant! This seemed like it was turning into our worst nightmare and I have been physically ill worrying about what will happen. Our surgeon had promised to call and talk to them and I got word yesterday that the insurance has again agreed to cover the transplant. You cannot...
Read MoreTop of the List
Marshall was admitted to the hospital on May 11th for cellulitis. They have been treating him with antibiotics and pain meds as he is in a lot of pain. He has had cellulitis a couple of times in the past, originally brought on when he was injured by some coral on one of our trips to Mexico. Because of the cellulitis, his MELD score has jumped up to 33 today, and the doctors told us that he is actually at the top of the list for his blood type. They are expecting that his MELD will go back down as he is treated, but they will be able to keep his score at that number for a week. We are all hoping that he will be able to receive an organ while his score remains high.
Read MoreLooking Forward, a New Year
As we begin a new year one can’t help but look back at what has passed and ponder what lies ahead. The end of the last year was particularly hard, I spent more time in the hospital between Thanksgiving and New Years than I have in any other similar length of time. A total of three hospitalizations, two coma’s and a Christmas I can’t remember. It would seem that the new year could only be an improvement. As I do look forward and contemplate the new year I am struck by several stark realities. My health will only continue to decline until I receive a transplant. My gallbladder has already failed and I live with pain from that and my liver on a daily basis. My MELD score seems hopelessly stuck in the low twenty’s...
Read MoreActivation Milestone
I have been "listed" for sometime but all that really means is that you are being monitored and tracked by UNOS (www.unos.org) and submitting lab test at the prescribed interval. You are not actually "waiting for a call." Activation requires another round of testing to ensure no major changes in the health of you respiratory, cardiovascular or other major organ groups.
Read MoreLiving Donors
Living organ donation dates back to 1954, when a kidney from one twin was successfully transplanted into his identical brother. Today, the number of living organ donors is more than 6,000 per year. And one in four of these donors are not biologically related to the recipient. By offering a kidney, lobe of a lung, portion of the liver, pancreas, or intestine, living donors offer their loved one or friend or stranger an alternative to waiting on the national transplant list for an organ from a deceased donor.
Read MoreYou Can Give Life
One Man’s Story Trailer
The last 6 months of a two year journey to receive a liver transplant. Told in one minute of pictures and music.
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