Let't talk about living donors

Intermountain  healthcare has a wonderful living donor program.  Healthy donors can donate a portion of their liver to a liver failure patient and this greatly decreases wait times for patients on the transplant lists.  https://intermountainhealthcare.org/services/transplant-services/become-donor/ this is a link to the Intermountain healthcare living donor web page.  Here also the link to the UNOS web page for donation there is a ton of information on this page. https://transplantliving.org/before-the-transplant/frequently-asked-questions/  .There are two lobes in every liver the right lobe is removed from a healthy donor and transplanted into the recipient.


Both halves of the liver regenerate becoming the size that each person needs. Our bodies are amazing.


A while back a lovely lady named Krystal that I work with asked me what the process and compatibility for liver donations are.  We talked for a while and she said she wanted to check into the process to be a  living donor liver for Lee.  I was blown away at the idea.  Krystal explained to me that she has always been a giver and donates blood as often as she can and a while back wanted to be a living donor for a kidney but did not qualify because she has a history of a kidney stone.  A couple of weeks ago Krystal met with the living donor coordinator and went through the first stages of testing which includes a fibroscan and blood work. 

About FibroScan

FibroScan is a specialized ultrasound machine for your liver. It measures fibrosis (scarring) and steatosis (fatty change) in your liver. Fatty change is when fat builds up in your liver cells.

FibroScan will help your healthcare provider learn more about your liver disease. It can be used alone or with other tests (such as blood tests, imaging scans, or biopsies) that also measure scarring or fatty change in your liver.

Krystal's next step will be a CAT scan to evaluate her liver.  She really likes the living donor coordinator and has learned all about the living donor program.  I am forever grateful there are such loving and caring people in the world that would give so much of themselves to save someone they do not even know. 
Krystal has started a blog of her own if you would like to follow her journey through this process here is a link to her blog.  https://kristalsjourney.blogspot.com/

It been a couple of weeks need an update June activities

June has been a busy month so far.
June 8-9 we took a road trip to Duchesene to help clean out moms house.  It was a very emotional weekend.  We did enjoy visiting with Lee's sisters and brother over the two days that we were able to stay. We drove our truck it is the first time I drove it on any road trips.  We stopped at the newly remodeled rest area just outside of Duchesne. 

June 10th Lee had his 6 minute walk test  he has to do this test every year to stay on the transplant list he walked 350 meters in 6 minutes.  The therapist that was conduction the test stated that this was what the average person doing the test could do.

June 11th Sadie had a vet appointment.  She was acting like she had a urinary tract infection and while we were in Duchesne she got a fox tail in her eye that needed to be checked out.  It took a really long time at the vet office we were there nearly 4 hours between just waiting on the vet to see her and all the things that needed to be looked at she also did not want to urinate for the urinalysis they were going to cath her for a sample and they scared the pee out of her.  We waited outside for the first little while there were so many dogs coming in and out that she was going nuts.  Sadie did not like waiting in that room in the end she had 10 days of antibiotics.

June 12th Was my moms (Jimmie's) birthday in Heaven I thought about her throughout the day as we went to Lees appointment in Murray to see the liver team.  Lee has to see the team every month now that he is closer to transplant.

June 17th was Lee's 52nd birthday he did not feel very good all day he slept in and just rested most of the day.

Later that night Lee was really not doing very well I could not even get him from the bathroom to the bed without a lot of work.  I called EMS and had them come help me get him down stairs and to the hospital.  Lee was admitted and transferred to Murray in the care of the liver team.  

Lee was only there a couple of days just long enough to get him well hydrated and get a unit of blood.  Lee had dehydration, acute renal failure and anemia.  He was able to come home Wednesday the 19th.

Thursday June 20th we drove to Salt Lake international airport to pick up my Aunt Jhonie she came to visit us for a week from Sacramento California. My sister Cathy and her husband Ed also came down for the weekend.

My favorite picture of my Aunt Jhonie and my mom.

Saturday June 22nd we went down and threw hatchets.  A big shout out to Heber Hatchets of Provo we had such a good time we did this to celebrate Lee's birthday.  It is something that none of us had ever done so it was a good outing.  We had a great time but Ed kicked all our butts getting more hatchets to stick then the rest of us.  Lee did really well and was able to stand a throw hatchets it was a little harder sitting in his chair.  They sell all kinds of soda in barrels the mugs are super cool and are only a buck for unlimited refills. 

We had some good food (meatloaf, fried taters, fresh corn on the cob, cowboy burritos and sheet pan pancakes) it was good visit while Cathy and Ed were here.  The dogs played and played and wore themselves out.Cathy and Ed headed to Montana on Monday morning Ed had his second eye surgery scheduled for Tuesday morning. 

Sunday June 23 Lee received a call  to be on stand-by there was a DCD donor that was a potential match.  With DCD doners there is a 50/50 chance the organ will be viable  unfortunate this organ was not viable so we just sat at home and waited for the call to go but it was a call telling us it was a no go.  

According to: www.donors1.org

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a second pathway to organ donation (the first is following the determination of brain death) which can occur when a patient dies from cardiac arrest in the hospital.

A potential DCD donor patient has minimal brain function, no chance of recovery and is on a ventilator.

When your physician determines that your loved one has no chance for recovery, and, as the next of kin you decide to withdraw life-support, you may be offered the opportunity of Donation After Cardiac Death.

Today June 25th is our 25th Wedding anniversary We did not have any big plans we just planned on staying close to home still praying we will get a phone call for a liver.   We did go out to eat at Red Lobster and had a great meal.  

Another call from Doner services

Earlier today we received a call from Donor services.  They were calling to put Lee on stand-by.  Lee was the second in line for a donor liver.  I received a call a call about 2:00.  They informed me that I needed to be ready to get Lee to the hospital they would be calling me back around 5 p.m. to let me know the status of the liver. Here is the donor connect website if anyone is interested to know what there service provides.   https://www.idslife.org/

That was a long 4 hours waiting for a phone call.  Unfortunately when that phone call came it was to let us know the recipient ahead of Lee received the liver.   We are hoping the third time will be the charmed one.  I noticed a pattern the first Liver offer was May 1st, the second offer was June 1st and we can only hope the third offer will be July 1st and it will be the one that is perfect for Lee.  No picture had to find a Meme.