Back to UAB

I remember the urgency in Dr. Patel's voice when he said we need to get you to UAB. He made the appointment, signed the disability papers, and check the box that said life expectancy 6-12 months. I knew I wasn't feeling great but I didn't feel like I was going to die in the next year. I could tell by how fast everyone was moving time was of the essence. The hospital I was working for did a great job on making sure the insurance policies I had were activated. It was vital to our finical well being.

At UAB I went through all the same testing as before, and a few new ones. When it was time to meet with the surgeon and hepatologist they had my CT on the computer screen. The surgeon showed us all of the different images and informed my wife and I that my portal vain had a 100% blockage, my liver was shrinking, my spleen was enlarged, and my brain was swollen. He was surprised I was doing as well as I was. He said my MELD score was holding steady at 18. My wife asked if I would be put on the transplant list and he said it's a very good chance I would but it's not official until UNOS agrees to it. I would receive a letter in the mail with the final decision. He said that my wife should be the contact person for me because I would not remember any instructions.

Well after about twenty six years of having Chronic Hepatitis C all of those saying like "it would be several years before I will start having serious problems" came true. For a brief moment it was like every office visit and procedure had played like a tape in my head. Then reality hit, I was going to die if I didn't get a transplant! If I did get a donor I was a high risk patient for surgery because I was also a diabetic. Then I realized the motor cycle wreck I had was because I had lost consciousness while I was on the road.

I finally accepted I was "a very sick man".