Monday, March 23, 2009

Almost Transplant - Trial Run

On Saturday March 21st I received a phone call at 1am from my surgeon at the U of M Transplant Hospital that they had a match for pancreas and kidney. The donor was a 29 yr old female at Mayo with a brain tumor. Dr Dunn(my surgeon) wanted me at the hospital by 10am. So the calls began....Mom - Leslie - Laurie, we all packed and took off...gotta thank Laurie for driving with only a few hours sleep. We walked into the hospital around 7:30am and the process began.
Got checked in and the paperwork and tests started. Doctors examinations, blood work, chest x-ray, ekg, and a disinfecting shower from head to toe. Then the wait begun.
Dr Dunn came in my room to tell me what was happening. After the donor passes the organs will be removed and flown to the U of M Hospital to be examined by her. She told me with organs from a donor with a brain tumor the Pathologist need to do a biopsy on the brain tissue to see if is a High Grade or Low Grade. Low Grade means organs are safe for transplant. So we need to wait for those results.
I was told by the nurses things would start at 2:30pm, then it was 6:30pm. Around 8pm Dr Dunn had called and told me the organs were there and they look great but she was still waiting on the Pathologist results.
After laying in the bed most of the time I asked if I could get up and walk. So went down to the family waiting room with Mom, Laurie, Lisa, and Leslie. Walked back to the room because my IV alarm was peeping. My nurse took care of the alarm and told me my Doctor would like to talk with me around 9:30pm.
Laurie, Leslie, and I walked back to my room to wait for the Doctor. Around 10 the phone rang...it was Dr Dunn.
She told me she had the results but wasn't what she wanted to hear so she asked the Pathologist to run the test again. After both test, all the Pathologist could say was..."we are pretty sure the organs are safe" They couldn't give a 100% that the organs be safe. Dr Dunn told them she needed to talk with me. She gave me all the medical results and asked for my thoughts......
I told her, I can't go on "pretty sure", with getting 2 organs my chances double on possibly of cancer so 'pretty sure' isn't good enough for me to except the organs. She agreed that I was making the right decision. So she informed the transplant team that I will not except the organs.
Leslie went to inform the rest on my decision. I was then discharged, dressed and we packed and left the hospital at 11pm. A VERY LONG DAY!!!!
Was a very LONG day and emotionally on a roller coaster...very high then dropped very low. But I know I made the right decision and also know 'The Call' will come again. We will be ready for the next call.

1 comment:

mblueeyes said...

Brian, I know you made the right choice too even though it is a long day and horribly frustrating.
You have to get it right so I am glad you did what you did.
Miss you, I haven't talked to you lately but I don't want to bother you I know you got alot going on.
My thoughts and prayers are with you everyday you know that.