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Salamander
Fire Walking

Call from Big City Hospital
Wed Apr 09 2003

I just got off the phone with the liver transplant coordinator at my hospital. She wants me to come down for a full re-evaluation and work-up. She feels it would be to my advantage to put me on the "needs" list for livers.

The "needs list" allocates livers that are less than prime to people on the transplant waiting list. It's a bit of a "special needs" situation, that will get a liver to someone faster than if the just waited on the regular list.

I told the coordinator I was less than happy with being put on the needs list. I told her I was not comfortable with getting a not-quite-optimal liver if I wasn't in imminent danger. She hastened to assure me that they didn't give out any "bad" livers, which makes me wonder what these special needs livers are, if they don't qualify for the prime list.

I go down for reevaluation next Friday at 9:30 a.m. With luck, The Professor can go with me, since it is his spring break. I'd like him to at least meet some of the people who have been working with me downtown, and to get a feel for what to expect. I have a strong suspicion he isn't going to want to go, though.

I'll have to call Dr. Liver too. I don't want to get myself railroaded into anything here.

12 Comments
  • From:
    MoonriddenGirl (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    Why shouldn't you feel nervous? Surgery is major business--even minor surgery. Most of us get uptight about dental appointment, gyn check-ups. Transplant?

    Anyway, now that you've started getting nervous, the sooner the better. Tell your doctor I said the transplant people need to hustle. {{you}}
  • From:
    Coolkids (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    Interested in sitting my English papers?

    :-)

    ck
  • From:
    TraumaMama (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    I was taught that last comma was optional and strictly depended on if the writer was feeling stingy with commas or not.

    Someday I would like to go back and take a class on the proper use of :, ;, , and (). (See, no extra comma, I feel stingy today). When I went back to college I tested into the level of English I needed...but I seriously need some help. I do have some cheat sheets I bought in the student bookstore, but yours sounds like a good book.
  • From:
    Greensparkles (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    Hope you get to sleep in Saturday! btw...I've got your lint*
    : D
  • From:
    MoonriddenGirl (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    Oh, I am sorry. :(
  • From:
    Lilith (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    *shoves L+M out front*

    Here, Pali, have a whack at this.

    Sorry to hear about your MELD.
  • From:
    Franny (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    i'm a little curious re: the condition of the livers for people on the needs list. if you find out, can you let us know?? thanks.
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    I would be very interested in what classifies a liver as "not quite prime".
    Alli
  • From:
    Lilith (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    Is that USDA stamped?

  • From:
    TraumaMama (Legacy)
    On:
    Wed Apr 09 2003
    Hmmm, this might turn out to be a very hard decision for you...I am also curious as to what the difference in "grades" of liver might be.
    I'm glad the Socialist will be there with you.
  • From:
    Shay4l (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Apr 10 2003
    Drat! I felt sure you were MELDing upwards :o/
  • From:
    MoonriddenGirl (Legacy)
    On:
    Thu Apr 10 2003
    I've been poking around for a while, and i can't find anything to indicate what the deal is with these livers. Please do let us know.