When I Came Home

I had a few set backs, and was re-hospitalized twice for a couple of 'bumps in the road' they call it. But since then I have had good check up's and regular blood work that is so far so good!! I came home weighing 99 pounds. malnurished and I had a feeding tube for 3 months, that I had to hook up to for 8 hrs. a day.
I couldn't have taken this incredible journey without the help and support of my family. Dave, Britton and Brooke, my mom, my sisters, nieces and nephew, my brother in laws.. my friends, Brooke's friends. My family was there for me 24/7and was there for the good and bad. They got a lot of laughs out of me!! (ask Ashleigh)
My PCC church family couldn't have done one more thing for me!! They stepped up and prayed, visited, brought meals, helped w/ expenses and much more.
Thanks to all who came to see me at the hospital, at home, brought meals, called, texted. I think I took my phone to surgery w/ me!! LoL!!

Recovery

This journey is taking so long to post! But I will try to finish it up here! I was in surgery for about 4 hours. I recovered in SICU (surgical ICU) for about 2 hours until I could breath on my own and they could take my ventilator out. I was totally out of it and had no idea what I was doing or saying! (like I was kind of rude to people I didn't know) The family told me what all I said, and I couldn't believe it! The pain meds were wonderful!! I do remember all the things I said and hallucinated about while on 'drugs'!!
I had dancing girls coming out of my TV when it was off and when no one was in my room.. hmm..? I had a little kid living behind my bed, that would ONLY come out when I was alone!! I had Octopus crawling all over my walls.. When it was bed time and the it was lights out, that's when I would have panic attacks. My room would fill up with shiny sparkling cobwebs. I would lay all night and reach up and pick one out of the air and pull my fingers apart and the cobweb would stretch and then I could peel it off like glue. For 5 straight days and nights, I didn't go to sleep! My room was HAUNTED!! I would tell Dave to "Reach up and get one, their right in front of you"!! And he would say "No Lynn, I believe you"!!
That 5Th morning after no sleep, I asked the nurse "Did someone die in this room, because it's haunted!! She checked my med list and my pain meds were to strong for me. The next night, I slept like a baby!

Surgery

At 4:30 a.m. May 27, 2008 I was taken to the OR. When they came and got me from ER, saying good bye to my family was a wake up call. I really didn't know if I would see them again. We said our good bye's and I was taken into the OR. I don't remember a lot, but I remember it being cold, and white, and noisy!! I was on the OR table and my arms were stretched out like I was on a cross. They sat me up to get things ready, and across the room was a pink wash tub and two doctors holding this huge pink organ!! I said "Is that my liver"?? The nurse said, "yes it is, isn't it beautiful"? The doctors were putting the bile ducts into the ports. And that is the last thing I remember for about 9 days!!

On our way

We left the house and dropped Brooke off, and headed to IU. We got around the corner from our house, and my car was out of gas. So we came back home and got Britton's car and then were on our way. We were 'truckin' down 70, and we passed .. flew by a State trooper. His lights came on as soon as we passed him. We pulled over and Dave waved him to pull up beside us, he pulled up and Dave told him we had to get to the hospital for a liver transplant. The officer said "Go For It".
We got there in 20 minutes.
Dave let Britton and I off at ER and I checked myself in. Nervous and scared I told them I was here for a liver transplant. I got in a room right away and stayed there until 4:30a.m. when I was taken in for surgery.
My mom, my sister Marla, and brother in law Jason all came right away and just hung out in the floor! My friend Kristen came up to and stayed in my bed with me until I was taken back. It was a very small room.
The doctors came in and told me that my liver was flying in from Ohio. They told me I was getting a pediatric liver from Ohio, and that's all I knew. I prayed for that family.

Getting on the transplant list

So.. I'll try to keep this short~ I did about 3 months of testing for transplant work up, to make sure I was healthy enough to have the surgery. I had to have: a drug test, pulmonary test, bone scan, treadmill, heart cath, MRI's, CT's, chest x-rays, colonoscopy, see a dietitian, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker.. I was finally cleared for transplant and went on the Donor List on April 2, 2008.
I'll skip ahead to the day I got the call--At the time I worked for Plainfield Schools. I was an assistant with developmental preschool.
I got "The Call" Memorial Day night, at 11:45 p.m. The kids just went to bed, and Dave and I were still up. The phone rang and it said I U Hospital. I just stared at the screen and I said, "Hello" and the other end said "Lynn this is Kristy at IU hospital, and we have a Liver for you". I said "What did you just say', she repeated it, I had her on speaker phone so Dave could hear. While I was on the phone with her, I started calling people on my cell phone. -- She said you have 20 minutes to get to the hospital! Britton yelling from her room, "Can you take that off speaker, I'm trying to sleep." Dave went to tell her "Get up, your mom just got a liver"~ Brooke had a friend spending the night so we got them both up and had to take them to her friends house. Brooke had a test that day. I had nothing packed so I threw some stuff together and off we went. I was a nervous wreck!!

Where My New Life Begins

So.. I'll try to keep this short~ I did about 3 months of testing for transplant work up, to make sure I was healthy enough to have the surgery. I had to have: a drug test, pulmonary test, bone scan, treadmill, heart cath, MRI's, CT's, chest x-rays, colonoscopy, see a dietitian, physiologist, psychiatrist, social worker.. I was finally cleared for transplant and went on the Donor List on

April 2, 2008. It was tough waiting!

I'll skip ahead to the day I got the call--

At the time I worked for Plainfield School System.. with special need pre-school.

I was out of school for Memorial Day week-end, then I had 3 days of school left for the year. I got the call Memorial Day night, at 11:45 p.m. The kids just went to bed, and Dave and I were still up. The phone rang and it said IU HOSPITAL.. I told Dave, and just stared... I said "hello" and the other end said "This is Kristy at IU hospital, and we have a Liver for you". I said "What did you say"? She repeated it and at this time I had her on speaker phone so Dave could hear. I gave him the phone and started calling people.. Britton was in her room, Yelling: "Can you take that off of speaker!?? I'm trying to sleep"!!

Dave went to tell the kids, "Get up!! Mom got a liver".

How I Found Out I Was Sick

In September 2000, my family and I went to our Hometown Parade. My sister Marla and I decided to donate blood at the Indiana Blood Center 'bus'. Plus they were giving out free COLTS shirts that said, "I BLEED BLUE FOR THE COLTS". About a week later, I received a letter in the mail that said my liver enzymes were elevated, and I needed to see my doctor right away. So I made my appointment. My doctor ran blood tests and my liver counts were very high! This went on for about 6 months, checking my counts every month. My counts kept getting higher, so he refered me to I U Medical Center to Dr. Lehman. He is a Liver doctor that goes all over the country doing a procedure called an ERCP. A scope ran down my throat into my stomach into my intestine's. I was under Dr. Lehman's care for about 7 years. In October of 2007 my health started to decline quickly and I was turned over to another doctor, Dr. Naga Chalasni. He is a "Pre Transplant" doctor and would be my doctor, up until I needed a liver transplant. I was put on several meds to keep my liver functioning as long as possible. In February of 2008, my doctor basicly told me I needed to start my work up for Transplant.