@gammie8, I want to comment both of you for building a relationship with the liver care team. These are the experts who will guide you through the entire process. Before/during/after the transplant. My girlfriends tease me that I am so lucky because I have so many doctors nd nurses looking out for me and monitoring my health.
I am 73 (shhh!) now and got my transplant when I was 60. I was extremely ill before transplant due to suspected cancer in bile ducts and the unsuccessful attempt at my regional transplant center to make a diagnosis. I was inactivated from transplant list. and referred to Mayo MN. While I was waiting for the trip to Mayo, =my kidneys failed, and things got real complicated...I did get flown to Mayo from ICU and did not have cancer, and was reactivated on the liver transplant list - and evaluated for a kidney, too. I was bedbound and wheelchair bound, and with PT progressed to a walker. I worked hard, and followed doctors directions, so that I could be strong enough for a successful surgery. My surgery went 'without a hitch' according to my surgeon. I felt better immediately after the surgery. I was rolled to my room from recovery in a wheelchair while sipping on a vanilla milkshake! I spent a week in the hospital, and then 2 weeks as an outpatient before discharged to return home (Kentucky).
And you know what? My doctors said the exact same thing to me when I was feeling so bad, "You will feel better after the transplant". They were right!

I have a couple of discussions where transplant patients with different organs and different locations, have share messages of Hope. I think you will be inspired.

Snapshots of hope: Life on the other side of transplant.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/snapshots-of-hope-life-on-the-other-side-of-transplant/
Organ Donation and Transplant: What is Your story?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/organ-donation-and-transplant-what-is-your-story/

Hi Gammie8,

I am new to the board and reading older posts. I am on the transplant list and hoping for a call soon. I am over 70 like your husband. Did he finally get his transplant? Is he doing well? I hope so.

Thanks,

In The Now

@gammie8, I hope you and your husband are doing well and that you have had some good news regarding transplant. I had my transplant this year, at 73. I was diagnosed with PBC in 2016, and worked full time up until last year. For the past year or so prior to transplant, I was quite tired every day, it felt like I was dragging a giant weight around. My boss who is a wonderful person allowed me to work at home when I needed to. The hepatologist I was seeing referred me to Mayo because her health system will not transplant after age 69 (which she doesn't agree with, but ...). This turned out so well for us! Though we had to travel to Phoenix (and still do, for checkups), it was worth it. I love my Mayo team, they are such a caring and highly skilled team, and I owe my life to them. I wish for the best for both of you!