Brian's dad was put on the transplant list for a liver about 2 1/2 weeks ago. We got a call to go last Wednesday to the hospital that they had a potential liver! We waited around and were told at 2:40 a.m. it would be about 15-20 minutes before they came to get him, but around 3:20 a.m. the Dr. came in to say that the liver was a fatty liver and the Dr.'s weren't willing to risk the transplant. So we all went home and waited.
Friday night the phone rang at 9:30 p.m. and it was Jerry's wife, Tracy, calling to say that they had another liver. Only this time they were told to get the hospital ASAP! We made a mad dash over to UK again and by the time we got there the transplant team and nurses were already in his room getting him prepped for surgery. And Jerry and Tracy had only been there about 15 minutes before we got there!
We were able to visit for a minute and pray with him before they took him down for surgery. It was funny, as they were wheeling him down the hallway we had people lined on both sides giving him a farewell. Then we were able to all squeeze into the patient elevator and ride down together.
I snapped this picture as one of the Dr.'s was having him sign the last of his paperwork before we got on the elevator.
Then we waited!
His surgeon came and talked to us around midnight and they were getting ready to start.
We were too loud for the ICU waiting room, so we had to move to the overflow room of the cafeteria. :)
They updated us every two hours and they finished around 8:00 a.m. that next morning. The Dr. said that as soon as he got the new liver in and everything hooked back up (totally non medical terms, I know:) that it started producing bile and pumping blood! Praise the Lord!!!
I snapped this picture of the entrance of UK Chandler Medical Center when Jerry was in the new ICU wing. It's really a nice facility.
(Tracy updated everyone with this picture on Facebook Sunday morning)
He was pretty out of it on Saturday, the 27th, but by Sunday morning after they took out the respirator he was ready to sit up! He didn't get any pain medication until Sunday around 2:00 p.m. - 30 hours post operation. They were all amazed that he was feeling so good and already wanting to get up just 1 day after his surgery, but I say that God is an AWESOME God and is able!!!
Sunday night he had to cough really bad and one of his small blood vessels that they had tied off busted open and they had to go back in and repair that. But other than that little setback, he has been doing so great. We just can't thank God enough for this! We went to see them today and he may even get to come home Friday. Our hearts have been so heavy for the donor, whose family so graciously gave the gift of life to others through their loss. We have been praying for them also through all of this.
Jerry's twin brother also had a liver transplant about 5 years ago (he's the one standing behind Jerry in the first picture in the purple shirt). They both had the same hereditary disease. Here is the link to an article in our local paper about Jerry:
1 comment:
So glad everything went so well. Can't wait to see you all in a few weeks!
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