Another member asked that I share this story with them and then suggested I share it with everyone. I know some of you have heard part of this but here's the whole story.


Prior to reading this you should read my profile. I did not find this site to join an alcoholism group but rather to find a place to talk about my health issues.
I have suffered from serious chronic illness since age 21. At age 27 I developed a rare liver disease called Primary Sclerhosing Colangitis. It is a disease that causes the bile ducts in the liver to constrict and malform, the bile backs up destroys the liver the liver poisons the body. It is the same disease that Walter Peyton the football player was diagnosed with and died from within a year. It makes one very susceptible to liver cancer. The average time to death or transplant was 10 years when I was diagnosed in 84 it's now 12-15 with medical advances.
My disease was not caused by my drinking but I'm sure it didn't help. I continued to drink after diagnosis but almost strictly in one night binges when my wife was not around. I had a God shot when she kicked me out in 94 got sober joined AA a couple of months later.
In 1997 I had two major esophageal bleeds caused by my liver disease and was placed on the transplant list. I did fairly well with a very slow decline over the next few years. In 99 I had my colon removed as I was developing colon cancer which would eliminate me from transplant list. In 2005 I finally had to quit working as I just didn't have enough energy to continue. In 2007 I moved back home to my birth city where my whole family lives subconsciously knowing I was dying. Last winter I joined this site and basically spent the day in bed my energy level at zero. On 6/2/2008 I went to Portland where all my doctors were and checked into the hospital. After a week my doctor came to me and let me know it was my time, I had a few weeks at best without a transplant. I was being fed intravenously and had gained 40+ lbs in fluid. I prayed for God's will and nothing else.
A few nights later I got a call from the transplant center down the road and they said they thought they had a liver for me. I had gone from bottom of list to top in 10 days time. I was ambulanced there and then it all starts to get kind of fuzzy. I had to go through several tests MRIs etc and was pretty drugged up. I remember the surgeon comng in and asking me if I was a father I replied yes and she said happy fathers day you're getting a new liver. I remember being wheeled into the operating room and all the people and table after table of instryuments laid out (big ugly instruments), the boards on the wall with lists of things to do and resposibilities. I remember saying the Lords Prayer as the mask went over my face.
Evidently my liver was so shot that it had filled my entire abdominal cavity with absesses (they probably would not have done the surgery had they known). My surgery broke records it took 14 hours, 35 units of blood and 35 units of plasma.
My recovery was slow and I remember always feeling like something wasn't quite right. After 6 days in intensive care and another three weeks in the hospital I was a day or two away from going home. Suddenly I started vomitting and I was basically unconscious for 4-5 days. I remember occasionally coming to during that time seeing the anguished look on my relatives faces and just thinking God Your will be done. My kidneys and renal gland went into complete failare they almost put me on dialysis they told my relatives I had a 10% chance of making it and after a few days I woke up. I was completely shot at that point I couldn't eat enough to sustain myself so they fed me intravenously and then through a tube that went through my nose for three weeks in the hospital and three more once I got home on 8/15/08.
Today I have gained 16 lbs about 12-15 more to go ( I went from 194 to 134 during my time in the hospital). I am up and at a meeting every day and every day I get stronger and gain more stamina. My liver is working perfect renal and kidney functions are still not perfect but with medication balancing they feel this will improve. I still have a large thrombosis in my main hepatic portal vein that may eventually require more surgery.
Life is so good today. I am so greatful. I am so thankful to the donor and thier family. I'm thankful for all the blood I received the 70 units during surgery and another dozen during recovery.
I struggle with one aspect there are many times I don't feel worthy and many times I don't feel as if I can ever do enough to honor the gifts I have been given. Why did God choose me to live when so many people much more worthy than I die every day. These are questions I'm going to struggle with for some time. Until I figure it out I guess I'll just keep redoubling my efforts to help those who are still struggling with alcoholism and the other diseases I have.
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