1. < Transplants

Transplant Evaluation - What to expect

Posted by bamagirlgina @bamagirlgina, Mar 12, 2018

We received a call today from Mayo-Jax saying our referral had been approved for transplant evaluation and to schedule an appointment. We were told to expect to say up to 3 weeks for testing every day, the entire day. We were not expecting that long of an evaluation and told them we would call back tomorrow after we looked into travel/lodging arrangements. We will plan to stay the entire 3 weeks but just wondering what the general time frame it was for most people. Did it usually take the entire three weeks? And can someone give me an idea of the battery of tests/evaluations that will be included. Thanks!

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Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Apr 9, 2018

@mauraacro, I found this statement in the Transplant Pages Toolkit: "Most living liver donors are a family member or friend. Mayo Clinic requires that living liver donors have a relationship with the person receiving part of their liver."

https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/transplant/tab/resource-36/
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1 reply
jeanne5009 | @jeanne5009 | Apr 9, 2018
In reply to @kequick "Hi @bamagirlgina - great info shared by @jodeej and @rosemarya! Mayo's goal is to complete a..." + (show)
@kequick

Hi @bamagirlgina - great info shared by @jodeej and @rosemarya! Mayo's goal is to complete a thorough evaluation in the shortest time. While our transplant staff tells patients to be prepared for up to three weeks of appointments, sometimes everything is completed in one week. Most patients are complete within two weeks, but some patients will require some time in the third week to complete the process. The required testing is specifically determined for each patient based on his/her condition – there’s not a “one size fits all” approach to liver evaluation. Once your medical records are reviewed, your initial itinerary will give you some indication of how long your process may take, but some of tests may be moved, cancelled, and/or others added once your husband begins the process. Hope that helps!

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That helps me very much. I will plan to get my daughter down from NJ for a week.

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jeanne5009 | @jeanne5009 | Apr 9, 2018
In reply to @jodeej "@kequick and @bamagirlgina with our first appointment we had trouble getting the appointment with the dietitian...." + (show)
@jodeej

@kequick and @bamagirlgina with our first appointment we had trouble getting the appointment with the dietitian. We ended up having it when we came back for Tim's 3 month check. They had it scheduled for 4 or 5 weeks after our first appointments because that was the earliest they had an opening. After I explained how far we had to travel and that we both worked, they changed it for us.

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Yes for some reason those nutritionists are in demand. Cant imagine why..lol.

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mauraacro | @mauraacro | Apr 9, 2018

That's so interesting, thank you.
Now I'm curious as to why it is important that liver recipients & donors need to be close but for kidneys, they can be strangers. Off to search for answers.

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9 replies
jeanne5009 | @jeanne5009 | Apr 9, 2018

I have set my appt for May 21st. Hopefully when I get the itinerary I will have enough time to schedule air fare for my daughter to meet with the social workers and locate lodging for what I expect to be 10 days to 2 weeks hopefully. Im lookimg forward to this. I am currently under the vare of the Tampa General Transplant group and they are also very dedicated professionals.
Im signed up for the webinar on April 26. Is there anything else I should do to prepare?
Thank you for helping me learn the ropes..

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4 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Apr 9, 2018
In reply to @jeanne5009 "I have set my appt for May 21st. Hopefully when I get the itinerary I will..." + (show)
@jeanne5009

I have set my appt for May 21st. Hopefully when I get the itinerary I will have enough time to schedule air fare for my daughter to meet with the social workers and locate lodging for what I expect to be 10 days to 2 weeks hopefully. Im lookimg forward to this. I am currently under the vare of the Tampa General Transplant group and they are also very dedicated professionals.
Im signed up for the webinar on April 26. Is there anything else I should do to prepare?
Thank you for helping me learn the ropes..

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This is great news, Jeanne!
You'll notice that I moved your message to the existing discussion about Transplant Evaluation since everyone seems to be sharing great tips for how to prepare here, including yourself. 🙂

Also note that the webinar is on Tuesday, April 24 at 12 noon Central Time. So if you're in the Eastern time zone tune in at 1pm Eastern. Simply go to this page to watch the webinar live. It will also be archived here:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/webinar/video-qa-and-behind-the-scenes-liver-transplant/?date=1524528000

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jodeej | @jodeej | Apr 9, 2018
In reply to @mauraacro "That's so interesting, thank you. Now I'm curious as to why it is important that liver..." + (show)
@mauraacro

That's so interesting, thank you.
Now I'm curious as to why it is important that liver recipients & donors need to be close but for kidneys, they can be strangers. Off to search for answers.

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@mauraacro I asked that question! I was told it's because it aids in the healing process if there is a bond between the two.

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mauraacro | @mauraacro | Apr 9, 2018
In reply to @mauraacro "That's so interesting, thank you. Now I'm curious as to why it is important that liver..." + (show)
@mauraacro

That's so interesting, thank you.
Now I'm curious as to why it is important that liver recipients & donors need to be close but for kidneys, they can be strangers. Off to search for answers.

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That is amazing, thank you!

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dorifg | @dorifg | Apr 11, 2018

I am scheduled for my evaluation for kidney transplant at the Phoenix Mayo Clinic in May for 4 days and yes I am excited but scared too. I am not a fan of invasive tests and the thought of tests like a colonoscopy are freaking me out a little 🙂 I had a kidney/pancreas transplant in 1994 and after 22 years the kidney failed. The pancreas is still working so I am still taking immunosuppressants. This year I have also developed some gastroparesis so it has been a challenge to find food I can eat especially when I have no appetite. Some days I only have protein drinks and I have little energy due to low calorie intake. So I am also worried about fasting for a lot of these tests too. But I will do what I have to do and hopefully will get good results from all the tests.

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