Today was a very great day here at Baylor! We started off the day in a group meeting with the other 5 people being tested this week. They talked about post-transplant care and finances and then they had a patient come in to talk about his experience. He had PSC just like me! He is in his 90's now and he kind of screwed up his medication so his disease is starting to return. It has been 17 years since his transplant. Seventeen years ago things were a lot less developed than they are now with transplants and the fact that he lasted that long with funky medicine makes me extremely happy!
Recovery, however, I am not looking forward to. The donor just gets to peace out after about week or so but I get to spend three wonderful months in Dallas. The first 12 hours after surgery I will need help breathing via an oral breathing tube. I will also have two tubes in my stomach until I can prove to them I can eat and take medicine by myself. I WILL SET A RECORD! They have no idea how long I've been taking humongous pills, so bring it! Those tubes are waaay not invited to the party.
I will also be restrained for a the first few hours so if you are one of the people planning to be there you should prepare to be a little weirded out. Most people stay a total of 7-10 days, the record is four. I'm going for four.
The reason I have to stay close after discharge is because they will spend the three months post-op trying to find a combination of drugs that will effectively keep my immune system from murdering my new liver. Once they have made sure it will not get evicted I can leave.
I also met one of 20 female transplant surgeons in the US. She is awesome. She told me the names of all the surgeons that could work on me and even though she said she was sorry that this was happening to me at such a young age I could tell she was excited to have someone so "easy" to work on. It was fairly evident in the way she said. "OOOH you're skinny!!! as she felt my abdomen. She also said "It's easier and safer to transplant fit patients. You should get six pack abs before I see you next time!" Well alrighty then. It's crazy person diet and work out time once we get back from this trip!
The day ended with them telling me I don't have to have blood drawn again because my doctor did it in November which was wonderful news because both crooks of both elbows are purple, swollen, and almost out of places for sticking. So way to go Dr. W for being on the ball!
Also, we made Christmas cookies and got ramen from the best Japanese place in Dallas, Tei-An which makes everything better all the time. :)
"It's no coincidence that four of the six letters in health are heal."
- Ed Northstrum
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