After a long day as a ‘lady in waiting‘, I was eventually sent home from the hospital; no new liver, not even a souvenir t-shirt! Not yet.
After all was said and done, the donor liver in question wasn’t of good quality and was rejected by the surgeons, something that apparently happens about a third of the time. I am glad to have gotten the call nonetheless, it acts as a good reminder that it is not a matter of if I will get a new liver, but when. It also gives me an idea of how many other people are in my blood group and size that are waiting, which seems to be less than I imagined. I have hope.
I complete a long day feeling very very lucky to be in a state of health that affords me the mental and physical space to have patience for the right donor situation to emerge without feeling desperate. I also am relieved that my son starts to understand more and more about the situation so that I can minimize the potential impact on his life. Lastly, I’m reminded how wonderful the ongoing support of family and friends has been and continues to be. I feel truly blessed by this, and it is coupled by my respect and faith in the liver transplant team at the Royal Free Hospital who feel more and more like trusted family. Life is good.