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What is the probability of receiving a liver transplant?
Transplants | Last Active: Mar 18 4:25pm | Replies (27)Comment receiving replies
My husband had his liver transplant 17 months ago at Tampa General He was on the UNOS list with a MELD score of 32. He was 61 at the time of transplant. It took 4 months to get on the UNOS list, which was pure torture because there was no chance of transplant until you are on the list, but once he was on the list, it was 3 months until he was called with a perfect match. He was called once before his actual surgery with a match, but at the last minute, they gave it to someone else, who was more sick. That was heartbreaking, but everything worked out and I hope that person is living life to the fullest. We have been told Florida has the shortest waiting times for organs.
Replies to "My husband had his liver transplant 17 months ago at Tampa General He was on the..."
@lsheerin, Congratulations to your husband on getting his liver transplant.
I understand the heartbreak of getting that first call for an organ and then having the team give it to someone else. That happened to me with my kidney transplant. However, despite the heartbreak, I had mixed feelings about not getting that first organ (which, by the way, I thought was a perfect match for me) because that first call came less than a month after being listed. Things were progressing so quickly, and I just wasn't ready. But 'm glad to say that I did finally get my transplant four months after being listed and am doing well.
Hopefully, it won't be much longer before your husband's fatigue is resolved and he's able to get out and really enjoy his new life. All the best to both of you!
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@lsheerin, I agree that the waiting is a difficult period of time, especially as one's health continues to fail, as was my experience. However, I was fortunate that the wait resulted in me getting 2 beautiful organs. I had a simultaneous liver and kidney transplant, which is one donor, one surgery, and 2 organs that were a good match for me.
I hope that your husband's transplant team explained to both of you, at the time that he was evaluated and listed, that organs can be rejected for a multiple of reasons and that the MELD score is just one of the criteria for getting the surgery.
How is hubby doing? Has he returned to any of his former activities?