Liver Transplant... Almost

I’m tired of getting startling phone calls in the middle of the night. Yesterday evening the house was quiet, everyone was sound asleep but me. I had just turned off the last of the lights and was walking to bed when the phone rang.

The sound echoed through the house as I stared at the relative’s number on the caller ID. I let the phone ring exactly three and one half times before I had the courage to pick it up.

“They found a new liver for him!” the voice on the other end shouted. “He’s on his way to another hospital for a transplant!”

Unbelievable. All I could say was “for real?!” Everyone in my house woke up and exchanged equal phrases of astonishment. After the call, we sat around the kitchen table and didn’t know what to say. I’m sure all our mouths were hanging open. The fact that a transplant may be a few hours away just seemed surreal. Of all the people who need new livers, I couldn’t help but wonder why all of the sudden there was one available for an old alcoholic. I’m pretty sure he was thinking the same thing himself. We would not be told who donated the liver, or the reason they didn’t need it anymore, but we are all beyond grateful that they made the choice to be a donor.

While the doctors involved were exchanging paperwork and coordinating efforts from remote locations, my relative was on his way to a metro hospital in the back of an ambulance. (He later laughed and said he got a free $10,000 ride). It was just two hours or so after receiving the news that a liver was available that he was in a new hospital beginning pre-op testing. Then he waited… and waited… and waited. Family members started to arrive to offer support and encouragement, but after the initial rush of joy that this may actually be happening, it was just a matter of hurry up and wait.

For a transplant to happen the donated organ goes through testing of its own. This is to make sure that before a team of surgeons performs the transplant they know the liver will be in the best shape possible and it will be up to the recipient’s body to accept it (with the help of anti-rejection medication). It makes a lot of sense from a practical standpoint also; you wouldn’t want a patient to go through such an extensive procedure to find out the organ was bad to begin with. Then they’d run the risk of being in worse shape than when they started and weakened from surgery.

As the whole family waited at the hospital or in their homes for updates the night wore on. It wasn’t until 7:30 am the next morning, approximately nine hours since I received the news that my phone rang once more. This time the news wasn’t so good though and the caller wasn’t too excited.

The team of doctors and surgeons made the difficult decision to abort the transplant procedure before it started. Through their testing they determined the liver was bad and the operation would not work with the organ they had. We were crushed. Every medical professional involved must have felt some sort or disappointment also – it takes so much effort and cooperation just to get a patient to a hospital and ready for surgery. It was then we found out that the whole event can happen 10 times or more until both the donated organ and recipient are a perfect match and in good enough condition to proceed.

My relative made it to the operating table, but never saw the knife – this time. We’re viewing it as transplant practice, but I’d be lying if I said none of us are upset. To be that close to a refreshed life and not receive it…

…Like winning the lottery and having it taken away nine hours later.