I finally got the call. You know, the official one I’ve worked hard and been waiting too long for. I already had an OR booked so I knew the call would be anti-climactic. But after saying I could be my son’s living liver donor, my coordinator immediately followed it up by explaining that the rules have changed for donor testing. I have to return early next week to Emory for more tests. Yes, seriously.

 

The committee met Thursday evening to review our case. A doctor decided that all donors should have their hearts thoroughly examined with an echocardiogram before being allowed on an operating table. I’ll also have a chest X-ray because the doctors forgot to do that last week in my work up. You can tell they’re still tweaking their living donor liver program in real time since it just started back up in January. I’m going to be the fifth mom to do this since January when they relaunched this program after abandoning it for years. That alone makes me grateful that this is even an option. I can’t imagine having to watch helplessly while Wes got sicker and sicker waiting on a liver from a decesased donor. 

 

Once those tests rule out any problems with my heart, I’ll be officially official. Maybe I’ll get another phone call and it’ll be more exciting this time. Transplant day is set for Thursday, May 10! I report to Emory at 6:30 am. and my surgery begins at 8:30. Around lunch time they will run my liver through the Emory tunnel to CHOA in a cooler and Wesley’s surgery will begin. His will be 6-8 hours long. 

 

His recovery will be a few days in the pediatric intensive care unit before returning to the liver floor where we are now (and have been for 19 days now). He should be discharged somewhere around 2 weeks post transplant.

 

My recovery will be two days with en epidural, 4-6 days in the hospital and 6 weeks no lifting. My birthday and mother’s day will both be spent at Emory. The hardest part won’t be the physical pain. The hardest part will be the separation from my baby. It’s going to be my driving force to get back up again.

 

Now, let’s get this show on the road! I’m so ready.