After the Fire Drill

Just a quick follow up to the fire drill we had last week:

Dr. Maley called Sandy on Friday and offered a few more details. The liver that was offered was deemed unacceptable because of the patient's health (yes, I see the irony and humor in this). Actually, the patient was an obese male and the liver, upon biopsy, was too fatty.

We also learned that the liver had been offered to some other recipients on the list first. Those patients also passed on the offer, and that is how it came to be offered to Sandy. This confirms that she is not first on the list, but it did show us a bit about how the queue is processed. It is also encouraging to know that they feel comfortable being particular about the liver they transplant into Sandy. We'd like it to be as healthy as possible, too!

An interesting side note is the fact that this liver was thrown away. The statistics about the shortage of organs are staggering, and 10-20 percent of the people on organ transplant lists die each year waiting for an organ. I should add some links to this blog so that you can read more, and perhaps you will consider signing the back of your drivers license.

Back to our fire drill-- Apparently, our experience is not uncommon. We can be called at any time, and Sandy may be ordered to the hospital only to be sent home without the surgery. So, the wait continues. We'll trust that this is going to happen, that she'll get a good organ, and we'll be ready to move when called.