Still on track

Dr Caldeira
Transplant Surgeon

The donor organ continues to check out. Now transplant operation isa scheduled for late morning or early afternoon. I've been in a comfortable room on the post-transplant floor since 4:00 AM. This is a private room with a couch, recliner and chairs. Vickie can "stay over" with me, she is currently bedded down on the couch and I had a "chill pill". Nurses, docs and techs scurry in and out as we wait for news. In another room, somewhere else in the southeast US, another family is gathered. That family is dealing with a tragic event. The donor is brain-dead and they are in grief. 

My prayers are for comfort and healing in their loss of their, now brain-dead, loved one. I thank them for the gifts of life they are giving to me and others. Their doctors and councilors are with them and will be through this all. They will say their goodbyes and let him die, leave the hospital and began their lives as his survivors.  Remember them also in your prayers 

This type of "beating-heart" cadaver allows the heart to be transplanted without it being ischemic (without blood flow) for a long period of time. That is the best for the quality of the organ. The recovered heart will be chilled to about 45*F to preserve it and ready it for transplant. The "harvesters", a team of organ recovery specialists have come by jet or helicopter and will recover the solid organs - heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. That equates to up to right transplants from this donation. Eight lives will continue or be lived more fully from this one gift. The donor will have passed life on to us in these gifts.

The truth is that all of this is scary but I am comforted by your prayers and support.
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Later

Surgery is still scheduled for today. The surgeons will have a visual on the donor organ around noon. If everything still checks out I should be in surgery between two and three. The transplant will take between three and four hours so I should be out of surgery between five and seven.

Once it begins I won't start remembering anything for a day or so due to the drugs. I will look and feel pretty bad at first. I'm being pre-medicated with powerful anti rejection, anti viral and anti bacterial drugs now. Some of them are messing with my thinking and are giving my a tremor. Typing this is getting harder so I'll put this down, now

Vickie will be able to see me  -  I'll be in ICU several days. Once the tubes come out I'll get to a regular room (two - three weeks).

Tom and Nancy will be with Vickie here at TGH for the surgery (thanks!)





JohnCorl@gmail.com