Congratulations on a successful transplant! They did it because of the size of the spleen and it was putting too much pressure on the hepatic vein. Of the five "fingers" off the artery that enter the spleen, the cut off three of them expecting the spleen to reduce in size which at that time was 26 cm x 9 cm x 20 cm with a volume of 2,360 ml. My platelets were down to 20 with my lumbar degenerating quickly so they wanted to get the platelets up so I could get my back surgery done but the platelets dropped immediately and I didn't get it repaired. I also have a collapsed sinus that needs surgery to reopen it but again the platelets are too low and the INR is too high. The SAE was a failure for some reason that they can't figure out. Now besides having varices in the esophagus I have them on the spleen too. Too much pressure.

I'm having parenthesis in large volumes of 5-8 liters every six weeks. That shouldn't have happened because of the SAE either or my hair falling out or loss of taste or major joint pain. Both they and myself are at a loss as to what happened. So that was why the TIPS discussion came up in September but they wanted to wait a few more months hoping that getting further away from the SAE may get my body back to the "normal" way it was.

I haven't talked to my hep since September so I don't know what the plan is but I'm getting annoyed with lack of response from the messages I've sent him and the nurse navigator is now dodging all questions. I'm giving him one more shot at explanation and plan forward on the 21st before I decide to transfer to another hospital or stay the course.

Sorry, rambling. It's just nice to chat with someone when you don't have to explain all the terminology to just to try to explain something.

Separate question: Post trx besides the new immunosuppressants to you still have to take diuretics, MiraLAX and watch every grain of sodium?

Thank you for responding...