This is not only a new journey for myself but also a new journey for my family and friends so I wanted to answer some frequently asked questions. There is no question off limits so please email me or leave me a comment if you have any questions that are not covered.
Did you see any Angels or the Gates of Heaven?
No, I wish I would have seen Joe's Mom but I don't have any memory of any white lights or Angels. My only vivid memory is when I hallucinated that my surgeon didn't have any eyes.
Do you know anything about your donor?
Donor information is kept confidential. I am able to write the family a letter and they have the option to receive it or deny it. The letter cannot contain any personal information and after one year, they can choose to reveal their identity.
Are you in pain?
I have some pain around the incision but its not that bad. They cut all my nerves and stomach muscles so I am still numb in the stomach area. I have more pain in my back from compensating having no stomach muscles.
How much medicine do you have to take daily and what are the side effects?
I take a lot of medication but it should taper off in the next six months. I take 2 pills at 8:30am, 8 pills at 9:30am, 6 pills at 7:00pm and 2 pills at 9:00pm. I also take 1200mg of magnesium 4 times a day and swish and swallow some nasty liquid after every meal and before bed. My main side effect is that my hands shake. There goes my dream of being a surgeon! I also have a short temper since I am still on a high dose of steroids.
Can you live a normal life or do you have restrictions?
I have what I call a "new normal life". I have a strict diet I have to follow- Low carbs, low sodium and low fat. I have a whole list of food that I can't eat but it's too long to type out. My new life also consists of labs to check my blood levels twice a week and lots of Doctor's appointments. After the first year, I can resume all activities I once did and even travel outside the United States.
How do you remain so positive?
What other choice do I have? After almost dying, I am lucky to be alive. I would hate to waste this second chance on being negative. I do have my moments of pity and I get anxiety every time I go to the Doctors but I want to cherish every second of this new life. You don't realize how lucky you are until its almost been taken away. Yes, it sucks that this happened to me but I need to remember that God doesn't give you more than you can handle. If I can get through this... I can get through anything. My favorite quote sums it up...
"Happiness is a choice, not a destination."
Great post Natasha! I love your happiness quote. You can and are getting through this.
ReplyDeleteI have a question for you- I've heard you can't carry a pregnancy after you have a transplant because it could put too much stress on your body. Is this true?
Great question!! The answer is Yes and No. My transplant team said that carrying a pregnancy is possible but they want you to wait at least a year and they would need to change all of the anti-rejection medicine since the ones you normally are on would cause MAJOR birth defects. Although they don't discourage pregnancy, there is the risk that it can cause major stress to your body and could cause the new liver to fail.
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