Pre-Op plans and the final days of PSC
Just 12 days to go!
It’s starting to feel real! Over the last few days, as I’ve been up at night itching or just feeling sick, I’ve started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been so long since I haven’t been itchy or sick, that I’m not sure I know what to expect! I know the recovery after surgery will be tough, but it will be the first steps toward me feeling better and returning to a more “normal” life. I can’t wait.
I texted with Aly some this morning. Her enthusiasm for the surgery continues to strike me. Rightfully so, every time I talk about the surgery, everyone says how impressed they are with her gift. So what will the next 12 days look like?
It’s going to be a busy 12 days. My final pre-op workup started today with an early morning MRI. I’ve had this MRI many times before, but it’s never fun. It’s over 1.5 hours in a small tube with lots of breath holds and weird breathing patterns to help get better quality images. The technologist said my liver was “yuge” so the scans took a little extra time (as my sister said: “No one has a bigger liver than you. No one.”) Those images will be reviewed by the radiologists and my surgeons over the next few days.
I see my surgeon and his PA in clinic on Monday (March 13) morning. They will do labs and do my final pre-operation physical. We’ll review final details of the surgery and make sure everything is ready to go.
My case will go to the liver transplantation selection committee meeting at 1pm next Wednesday (March 15). This meeting consists of everyone involved with liver transplantation at UW-Madison. I’ve sat in on this meeting many times as a student. My case will be presented by my transplant coordinator and my liver doctors. The rest of the team will have a chance to chime in with questions or concerns. A radiologist will be there to review my images with all of the surgeons and an anesthesiologist will be there to make sure everything is done to prepare me for the anesthesia.
On the day before surgery (March 20), I will get a few more labs done to do the final blood testing to make sure Aly’s liver and my body will play nice together.
Then it’s time for surgery! We’ll get to the hospital early on the morning of the 21st. Aly will go back to the operating room first, and once they are sure everything is safe to proceed, they will take me back to the operating room (probably a couple hours after her). The surgeries should wrap up early in the evening. We will both spend at least one night in the intensive care unit. But if things go well, we’ll be transferred to the general transplant floor on the first day after surgery. It’s hard to know how long the hospitalization will last, but we’ll likely be in the hospital for a least a 7-10 days.
In the meantime, Ann and I will be busy trying to get ready for the surgery and recovery and will be trying to enjoy a little time together before the surgery. As always, we appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and all the good vibes you’re sending our way.
