Meeting the liver specialist: What should I know or ask?

Thank you, @rachel5239, for your kind words,
I'm curious about whether you are located near enough to Rochester to attend the Transpant Picnic? I think it would be fun to attend and to meet, in person, other transplant recipients. I am too far away in Kentucky.
Have you ever been able to attend it?

Wishing you the best with your transplant journey!

@rachel5239, I am so inspired by your positive message with your 38 year liver transplant history! I just returned home from my annual check-up at Mayo MN,. I am 16 years post liver/kidney transplant. And I am happy to be following in your footsteps❤️

I am 38 years post transplant. My life has been good. Best of luck to you with your journey.

Hi Rosemary,
Prior to receiving my transplant, I did have a history of depression. I lost my first wife at 32 years old to cancer, leaving me with three children 4 years old and younger. I chose to share custody with my parents as I was not coping well as we met at 14 years old. I managed to pick myself up and remarry and have two more children. Due to the fact it had been six years since my parents took custody of my first three children, we decided to leave them in the same school with their established friends and life. This always left me feeling an underlying guilt, but we believed it was best. Prior to the transplant I never had diabetes.
My transplant at this stage is doing well, I am seeing the lung transplant team every three months. I am not able to do everything I did prior to my transplant but have increased my capabilities more and more as time goes on. Ironically my oldest son is getting married today, something I would not have been there to enjoy if I had not had a transplant. One of the biggest issues I had to accept was that unlike a solid organ transplant, lung transplant recipients have a mortality rate much lower. In the first five years, fifty per cent of patients die. At ten years 87% die. But I do know of one man who is at 30 years and going strong, and others at 15 years. Initially this played on my mind constantly, but when you are over 50 years old and look around many don't even make it that far. I am at peace with the prospect of dying which essentially eliminates a major factor in my depression. I am finding things I can do as opposed to trying to do thing I can no longer do.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my comments, if I can help save one person, I have succeeded in my reason for contributing to the forum. It also helps me look at things from a different perspective and realise how lucky I am.

@melbourneaussie69, I commend for accepting that you no longer can do all of the things that you used to do! And I share your joy at living to see your son get married. It happened to me, too when my son was engaged before my critical health failure, and then I was able to be at his wedding after my transplant.
I can understand how statistics can be a real 'downer'. But, I urge you (and anyone else reading this) to remember that when you read that XX% of patients die --- another xx% are alive. The challenge is to aim to be one of the xx% by taking care of ourselves and listening to our transplant experts🤍

How was the wedding experience for you with your lung transplant?

I also had cirrhosis of the liver from an autoimmune disease. I was diagnosed when I was 16. I had my liver transplant when I was 35. I am now 38 years post transplant. It is a lifetime treatment. I can truth say I feel very good. I think my doctors are even a little confused. The 1st year is the hardest because of higher doses of meds. Eventually you end up getting what you need and things get a lot better. Of course, in 38 years I am sure they have improved a lot of things. Just tell the doctors how you feel and if you feel you are going downhill. Best of luck to you.

Hi Rosemary,
Prior to receiving my transplant, I did have a history of depression. I lost my first wife at 32 years old to cancer, leaving me with three children 4 years old and younger. I chose to share custody with my parents as I was not coping well as we met at 14 years old. I managed to pick myself up and remarry and have two more children. Due to the fact it had been six years since my parents took custody of my first three children, we decided to leave them in the same school with their established friends and life. This always left me feeling an underlying guilt, but we believed it was best. Prior to the transplant I never had diabetes.
My transplant at this stage is doing well, I am seeing the lung transplant team every three months. I am not able to do everything I did prior to my transplant but have increased my capabilities more and more as time goes on. Ironically my oldest son is getting married today, something I would not have been there to enjoy if I had not had a transplant. One of the biggest issues I had to accept was that unlike a solid organ transplant, lung transplant recipients have a mortality rate much lower. In the first five years, fifty per cent of patients die. At ten years 87% die. But I do know of one man who is at 30 years and going strong, and others at 15 years. Initially this played on my mind constantly, but when you are over 50 years old and look around many don't even make it that far. I am at peace with the prospect of dying which essentially eliminates a major factor in my depression. I am finding things I can do as opposed to trying to do thing I can no longer do.
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my comments, if I can help save one person, I have succeeded in my reason for contributing to the forum. It also helps me look at things from a different perspective and realise how lucky I am.