A favorite teenager of mine told me that this blog is quite boring. I guess it isn't too action packed in the eyes of a teenager, but my main purpose was to keep people informed & answer questions that many people have (& some are hesitant to ask). I guess the action will come when the transplants happen! So, here are some common questions...in case you were wondering...
Am I on kidney dialysis?~No, although my kidneys are failing, they haven't reached a point where I need dialysis. My nephrologist has always told me that the ideal situation would be for me to never go on dialysis--he hoped for a transplant before that time. So, since my liver situation warrants a transplant, my surgeon wants to be proactive by removing my diseased kidneys & give me 1 new one at the same time of the liver transplant.
Why can't I have a living donor?~Living liver donors (that's a tongue twister) are becoming more common; however, a donor cannot donate both a kidney & liver. If I had 2 separate donors for the 2 organs that I need, that would increase the chance for rejection. So, the best choice for my situation is a deceased donor.
Am I taking lots of meds right now?~I have been fortunate to only need 2 blood pressure meds. The medical staff always is amazed at that. I guess the typical transplant candidate has quite a long list. However, I'll be the proud owner of a pill box after surgery :)
Where am I located on the waiting list?~When a person needs a kidney, they go on a waiting list & accrue time to "earn your way" to the top of the list. This system works because dialysis can keep people alive when their kidneys aren't doing the job adequately. When someone waits for a liver, it is different because there is no treatment like dialysis to perform the liver function & keep the patient healthy.
Therefore, a system has been established to rank people on the liver waiting list according to their health. They are listed in order by something called a Model End-stage Liver Disease score (MELD). Three blood tests (liver function, kidney function, and clotting factor) are done & calculated to give a MELD score, which can range from 6 (less ill) to 40 (gravely ill).
My MELD score calculates to around a 15. That very low score is because my liver is functioning fine & my kidneys aren't too bad yet. At a 15, I wouldn't get a transplant for a very long time. My surgeon said that in cases like mine, they sometimes take into consideration the other factors affecting my health. The size of my liver is causing other problems, which don't show on the MELD score lab work. Therefore, he applied to the National Board that determines transplant issues & tried to get me more points to move up the list.
What a blessing--on September 12, I was granted more MELD score points & moved up to a 22 and then on December 6, Dr. Cameron re-applied & I was moved up to a 25--woo hoo! Sometimes patients are transplanted at those scores, so I'm getting closer!
When a liver becomes available, UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) starts at the top of the list and keeps working down the list through patients until they see a match by blood & then tissue type and other factors. So, to answer how many people are ahead of me--there's no way of telling that because I could be the first person to match the donor, even though I'm not at the top of the list.
As a dear friend at church keeps reminding me: God has the perfect match picked out for me. I just need be patient until He's ready for me to receive that gift. No need to worry--He's got this covered!
With love and hopefulness,
Belinda
Philippians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
Therefore, a system has been established to rank people on the liver waiting list according to their health. They are listed in order by something called a Model End-stage Liver Disease score (MELD). Three blood tests (liver function, kidney function, and clotting factor) are done & calculated to give a MELD score, which can range from 6 (less ill) to 40 (gravely ill).
My MELD score calculates to around a 15. That very low score is because my liver is functioning fine & my kidneys aren't too bad yet. At a 15, I wouldn't get a transplant for a very long time. My surgeon said that in cases like mine, they sometimes take into consideration the other factors affecting my health. The size of my liver is causing other problems, which don't show on the MELD score lab work. Therefore, he applied to the National Board that determines transplant issues & tried to get me more points to move up the list.
What a blessing--on September 12, I was granted more MELD score points & moved up to a 22 and then on December 6, Dr. Cameron re-applied & I was moved up to a 25--woo hoo! Sometimes patients are transplanted at those scores, so I'm getting closer!
When a liver becomes available, UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) starts at the top of the list and keeps working down the list through patients until they see a match by blood & then tissue type and other factors. So, to answer how many people are ahead of me--there's no way of telling that because I could be the first person to match the donor, even though I'm not at the top of the list.
As a dear friend at church keeps reminding me: God has the perfect match picked out for me. I just need be patient until He's ready for me to receive that gift. No need to worry--He's got this covered!
With love and hopefulness,
Belinda
Philippians 4:6-7 "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
