Profiles |
 |
 |
A B C D F H I K L M N O P S All Documents
George Avery
Liver Transplant, Son's Gift Saved His Life
By George Avery
You don't realize how sick you are until you are back on track and feeling like your old self again. After months of testing, a liver biopsy revealed that I had end-stage liver disease caused by cirrhosis. I got an appointment to see a liver specialist at UCSF on April 24th, 2001, and was immediately admitted to the hospital for a liver transplant evaluation. I quickly realized that time was not on my side. I am 72 years old and have O positive blood, so I was low on the list for a cadaveric liver.
It was then that the idea of a living related liver transplant was introduced to my family and me. My son and two daughters were all tested to see what type of blood they had. They all came back O positive, but my son Bill was a better match due to his size being similar to mine. Bill was planning to be married in early August, so we had to proceed quickly with the necessary testing. My liver had failed to the point that my kidneys were failing and the condition was hard to control.
After many consultations with the hospital social workers, transplant surgeons, anesthesia and nursing, the surgery was scheduled for June 4. My son's surgery started first and two hours later I was taken to surgery. Twelve hours later I was taken from surgery to the intensive care unit where I stayed for approximately 36 hours and then returned to my regular room. I was discharged from the hospital 12 days later, two days after my son's discharge. I had to return to the hospital shortly after my discharge to fix a bile leak with additional surgery and drains. I have since done very well and my energy level is slowly improving. I went home with great instructions including medications and a 24-hour number I could call if I had any questions.
The entire staff of doctors, nurses, social workers and aides at UCSF all worked together to save my life. By the way, Bill was married Aug. 4, two months to the day after our surgery and we were all there to celebrate that day!
Read Bill Avery's story.
Story written in 2001.
More Information:
|
