As of June 26th, 2012 Larry was officially put on the heart transplant list!!! WOOHOO!!! Not only is he on the list, but he is ON TOP! Number one in his blood type. Which means we can get the call at any time. As scary as it may be, we know it has to happen to make him better. They always said that the LVAD was just a bandaid on the heart until he can get a new one. They call it a bridge to transplant. It doesn't really seem real that he is now on the list. All that he has done in the last year to lose the weigh and get as healthy as he can to get on the list has finally paid off. At the same time, I am scared to death for him to have this surgery. Most of me is enjoying this time we have while we are waiting for the call, but part of me is scared and anxious and worried and excited all at the same time. We are both ready for the call, every time Larry's phone rings I practically jump to my feet. We have a small bag packed and in the trunk ready to go when we get the call. All we have to do is drive to the hospital, but it seems like we have already been waiting forever. I know it's only been a month and a half, but when you are waiting for your new life to start, it seems like it has been an eternity. It's like you know you are going to get it, but you don't know when its going to happen. In Larry's words "it's like being pre selected for the lottery, but you don't know when you are going to get the money." It could be tomorrow, it could be months from now. Hopefully it is tomorrow, and we keep praying for it to be, but only God knows when it is going to happen. It's also hard to wish that someone dies, before your husband can live a full life. But that is the circle of life, and God's will. I want to thank all of you who are organ donors! And ask those of you who aren't to please consider it. You aren't going to use them when you are gone, and when you can save multiple lives with just a few organs, that is a miracle. And trust me, those people who get the organs are more grateful than ever that you saved their lives. They don't take it lightly at all.
UNOS is United Network for Organ Sharing and is the private, non-profit organization that manages the nation's organ transplant system under contract with the federal government. Larry is Multi-Listed under UNOS which means that you are listed on multiple lists throughout your area. So he is on the list in many different cities that are close enough to fly the heart in. UNOS has a website if you are interested in more information. www.unos.org.
The actual heart transplant surgery is much easier and faster than the LVAD surgery. They say it is only about 4 hours and that the recovery time is not as long either. As long as everything goes well, they like the patients to be up and walking the next day after surgery. He will have multiple Dr. visits the first couple months after the surgery to make sure his body is not rejecting the heart. And when I say multiple, I mean twice a week for months. With any organ transplant, there is always a chance of rejection and they do as much as they can before and after the surgery to ensure that your body is not rejecting the organ.
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