Ok so here goes for trying to answer some more of your
specific questions. I have been to the nearest transplant center in
Seattle Washington but have been told that I was not quite sick enough
and that to even be considered I would have to lose a significant amount
of weight to prove to a transplant board that I was a healthy, worthy
candidate (kinda like an alcoholic being told to stop drinking)...Also
because of the massive costs associated with a transplant minimum of
$500 Thousand, not to mention the estimated $300 a month for the rest of
my life for anti-rejection medication, the state who I currently have
medical through as an indigent has very strict parameters for how a poor
person goes about getting on the actual transplant list. There is only
one list and it is a national list presided over by an
organization known as UNOS - you should consider going to their website
and checking out the info for yourself...I am sorry if I mislead you in
our conversations but there is something known as a living liver
donation which is where a small part of a healthy person's liver is
taken off and then transplanted into the patient with the unhealthy
liver. It is truly amazing but is not covered under state medical and
isn't currently done in the state of Washington. There are only five
transplant hospitals in the US currently doing them and I believe Oregon
and California are the closest to us here in Washington. Regarding my
actual diagnosis and understanding of it, the type of cirrhosis which I
have is NAFDL which is 3/4 of the way to a completely de-compensated
liver verses a well compensated one. A healthy person progresses from
well compensated, to fatty liver to NASH (Non-Alcoholic Stetto
Hepatitis) to NAFDL and finally to end
stage de-compensated liver disease (death or transplant) I am in this
third stage and to my understanding there is no recovery only
progression but I can be at this stage for some time and then it usually
progresses rather rapidly into final stage giving one 6-9 months to
live if the patient does not receive a transplant.
I
am not entirely opposed to moving but am trying not to put my God into a
box and have some faith that he can heal me and help me to get a
transplant right here because he is that miraculous and amazing. Once
you are placed onto the transplant list it is all about regions and your
ability to get to the nearest transplant center in enough time to make
the transplanted liver viable and healthy. That is why I would
currently be listed at the Seattle transplant center because there is a
small window of opportunity once a liver becomes available. You can't
necessarily buy your way onto the transplant list but if you can pay
for the surgery and all of the required medications afterwards, this is
taken into account (and this I cannot do, obviously), then there are
things like blood type, size, age, stage of failure your liver is in and even mental health
is taken into account etc...all this is taken into account when being
considered for whether you will be put on the list or not, so currently I
am not on the list. I have lost 37 lbs since beginning this journey
but I was told at least 80 or more would be best so I am continually
working towards that. As you can guess this is difficult due to
fatigue, the onset of Diabetes, osteoarthritis, and all the other daily
symptoms I am experiencing but I continue to attempt weight loss.
I
am always open to discussion regarding this entire process and to the
Will of God. I do once again thank you for your heartfelt
inquiry and look forward to other conversations with you in the
future...in the meantime I continue to try to bring God Glory in all I
do and say...that is my little part I can play in the larger
picture...thx and God Bless
They want it more than those who don't."
Adam Bornstein
Lori L
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