Yeti GOBOX Collection

Prayers needed – liver issues/surgery

Steelsearchin

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2013
Messages
495
Location
Kzoo, MI
Back in February 2012 my cousin Jim was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), which is a chronic liver disease that can lead to different types of cancer and/or death. Basically the disease causes restrictions in the liver ducts that can compromise liver function. When it hit him, things were very much touch and go. They had to put a stint in to help drain things (inserted through a tube in the mouth that goes through the stomach and into the liver…fun stuff…). They also got him on a bile thinning medication, replaced the stint a few times, and moved him to a gluten-free diet.

The liver is an interesting organ. Cadaver livers are often used to help patients in need, however live-donor livers are also an option since the liver has the ability to regenerate. Essentially doctors now can take half of the liver from a live donor and place half in the recipient. In May of 2012, discussions began for a liver transplant. Since we had grown up like brothers, I wanted to be considered. My wife and I spent a few days praying about it and decided I should be evaluated even though we had two young kids. To make a long story short, after a bunch of tests, interviews, and biopsies, the transplant team decided they didn’t like my liver as a transplant candidate, but the good news was my cousin was doing a little better. The Lord works in mysterious ways and seven years later, he’s still kicking without the aid of a transplant.

There have been a few bumps along the way, and he’s now at a point where a transplant is needed. Fortunately he’s had a number of other family members step up to the plate and his sister has now been approved to donate. Tomorrow is the big day and both of my cousins will go under the knife in the morning. Jim’s sister will be the first to ensure that all is as it should be- and if it all looks good, Jim goes next.

I believe the transplant team at Henry Ford still has a 100% donor success rate, but as they told me years ago, “somebody is always the first...” If I recall correctly, they do around 10 of these live transplants each year, so it’s not rare, but not exactly common. The transplant is a treatment for PSC, not a cure. All it will do is reset the clock and give him a new set of parts to work with.

If you would, say a few prayers for him tonight/Monday and pray that the surgeons are able to complete their duties and both patients recover quickly.
Time sure flies- we both now have kids who love to hunt and fish. It’s hard to believe some of these pictures were 25 years ago. Now the bucks are a little bigger, the fish a little stronger, and the tales a little longer…

Thanks!

-tom

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