Hi Tara,

My husband received a liver transplant 3 months ago (exactly!) and is doing WONDERFUL! 

He was on the waiting list for almost exactly 6 months. He got a call from the hospital around 1:00 p.m., luckily in the afternoon. We live about 2 hours from the hospital, they asked if we could get there by 4:00 p.m.. My husband called me at work, I packed up and rushed home. He had already pulled together his stuff (we had a packing list, rather than actual bags packed. It was helpful in remembering phone chargers, puzzles, etc.) We got to the hospital by 3, they ran him through a bunch of tests to make sure he was healthy and able to handle the surgery. Around 4:30 we got told there was a delay in getting the donor liver there. By 5:30 they told us that because of a horrible thunderstorm the airport was shut down and the donor liver was on a plane that couldn't land. They eventually told us they would land at the next closest airport, about 1.5 hours away. They drove down and picked it up, and he went in for surgery at 8:30p.m.. I found it interesting that it could be delayed this long. They indicated that this wasn't a problem for my husband, but would be limiting if they determined the liver wasn't a good fit for him for whatever reason. It could have been too late for another potential transplantee to get called and processed. Fortunately, it was a "perfect" fit (hospital staff's words) and there were no complicating factors. Recovery was straightforward, a week in the hospital, followed by a week near the hospital. Once we got home, he just did wonderful. I think much of his speedy recovery has to do with frequent walks. Walks around the hospital floor, walks several times a day after he was released. 

By 1 month post transplant he was doing really really well. A few weeks ago he climbed the highest mountain in Colorado. Now he is finding he is healthier than he ever has been. Woo hoo!  

 

Good luck in the coming months. The waiting it really tough, but know there is another side. We'll be sending positive thoughts your way!

 

Welcome to the cafe! I am a multivisceral transplant recipient, and a liver was one of several other organs that I received. The first time I got the call  it was probably around noon or so, I cannot completely remember. However, the organs turned out to be too small for me, so I had to continue to wait. Then I received another call probably a little bit later in the afternoon, but this turned out to be another dry run. I was even told not to come to hospital before I had a chance to go. Then the call that lead to the actual transplant happened in the late evening. I was completely surprised. In total I had waited about three months, and I was told that I would be put high on the list early because of the poor condition I was in when I had my first transplant evaluation at Miami. I was fortunate in that I was staying in lodging called the Transplant House which was very close to the hospital. I had my transplant in Miami, FL, very far away from my home in Louisville, KY. It was decided that I stay close to the hospital so that I would not have to worry about getting there on time if the right organs became available. The true call happened in a God blessed way because as it turned out, I had my transplant surgery on the very day of my 25th birthday. My parents had been planning to come down to Miami to surprise me for my birthday, and I ended up surprising them with my news. It worked out rather well though because they already had flights scheduled to come and see me. They were thus able to come and be with me while I was being prepared for surgery which took much longer than I thought it would, but I was glad too because it meant more time with my family and speaking to others by phone before I went under. I was given a real good sense of peace from God right before I became completely sedated. I had a rough recovery due to some complications after the surgery. However, it was all worth it, and I was blessed to celebrate my sixth anniversary earlier this month. I hope that you may not have to wait much longer and that you may find sources of strength and peace to help get you through until it is time. Plus, you can always find support here and a shoulder on which to lean. I will keep you in my prayers. Many hugs and best of wishes.

what a stressful time for you.  We waited for a year for my husbands call, and then he improved and was put on the back burner - for 2 years.   When he was reactivated, we waited for about 6 months with his health deteriorating the entire time.  They sent us to stay near the hospital (we live in Phoenix, his surgery was in Pittsburgh) when he got to 1st on the list and almost unable to travel. 

 

He was admitted for some complication and they were going to release him the following day to go back to the hotel, I had left the hospital to get some dinner and had just sat down when he called me.  The doctor had popped into his room and said "I might have something for you, but won't know til about midnight if it will work".  So I went back to the hospital and we waited and talked until 2 am.  We decided that it was a 'false alarm' and were dozing when the nurse came in and said "are you ready?". 

 

It was very emotional - tears all around (even the nurses cried with us).  I kissed him and went to the waiting room to try to sleep until a decent time to start making phone calls.  He was out of surgery about 16 hours later...and doing well.  He doesn't remember anything from the 22nd until the 26th of December.

 

We hope your call comes soon - the waiting is the hardest part.  Once you get the call, everything happens so fast.

 

Stay strong - have a wonderful day!

Hello Tara and welcome to TX CAFE!

I was on the waiting list for 3 yrs,rec'd my first call in Nov '09 saying they had a possible match. Since I live 12 hrs from the hospital where I was going to,I had to be flown in. So they called at 9 pm asking me how I was feeling,any fever or anything. Then they said to be at the airport for 11 pm,we went a little earlier and then got a call on the cell saying that the liver they had retrieved was not healthy enough,no go! Well that was heart wrenching,my husband & I went back home. Waited some more and got weeker and weeker week by week. Until we got the 2nd call on thurs at 6:30,we we're at the restaurant ordering our food. The cell wrang and it was the tx co-ordinator saying they had a match...well this was the right call. We didn't get on the plane till midnight and got in London On. at 2:30 am  and I didn't go into surgery til 7:30 pm on July 30/10. It was a long 10 hrs for my husband and then i had internal bleeding so they sent me back in and took them another 4 hrs and I was in ICU for 5 days and they didn't know if I was going to make it. Well it's been almost 15 months now,I'm here to tell my story! I still get hard days,I haven't gotten back to work yet,I'm very emotional when I do talk about my tx,it wasn't easy but I'm on the road to recovery!   So I hope you get Your Gift Of Life soon and that everything goes well for you,stay positive,try and do some walking,it helped me tremendously getting back on my feet. By the way,I was back home on the 28th day after the surgery,So it's all good! If you have any questions,I'd be glad to help you! Take care my friend!

Hi Tara, I had just gotten home from dialysis and was sitting down to dinner when Stanford Hospital called me and said that they had a liver and kidney for me and to packup and get up there.  I had been on the waiting list for a year. I already had my things packed and the hospital was only 35 minutes away and off i went.  What hospital are you going to?

Hi Tara,

My Dean got the call while on the third hole of the golf course.  We were told the call always comes at night but he got the call at 9:30 in the morning.  I had a bag packed from the time he was listed and had a pet sitter lined up and a back up pet sitter.  Of course, we needed the back up sitter because the call came on the only weekend my pet sitter was out of state for a wedding!  Dean was listed for a little over a month when the call came.  The waiting was very hard and stressful even though his wait was short but worth it.  He is 14 months post transplant and doing well. Good luck!

Linda

Hi Tara!

Welcome!  Waiting was the hardest part for me.  I was scared to death of the surgery, did not want to die, but wasn't ready for the surgery when I was called the first time, on a Sunday evening at 9PM.  I was on the list 2 weeks, hadn't done my homework, I was not ready, and I declined the liver.  A month later I was hospitalized for dehydration and almost died, came about well, but went downhill from there.

I was on death's door when the next call came in, 11AM on March 9th of this year, and received my Gift the next day.  It was all up hill from there.  A  multititude of fantastic people helped me through the rest of my fears, and I had my transplant.  I was out of the hopital in 6 days, 6 days of being treated by the most knowledgable, kindest poeple on the planet.  I am 7 months out now, back to work, enjoying life with a new zest, appreciating life more than I ever had.

I carried my phone everywhere, even to the toilet, when I was waiting.  For me, the waiting was the hardest part.  My heart would jump at every ring.  It is behind me now, for which I am very thankful, and I wish you the best of luck.  I had my Transplant at Tampa General in Florida, the most wonderful place in the world.  I am predjudiced.  They gave me the Gift.  Godspeed!

Mary V.