Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Uh, Day(s) in the Life

As many of you already know, my wife Geri is dealing with end-stage liver disease and going through the process of getting on a liver transplant list.  Part of the listing process requires being checked out and cleared by pretty much every type of doctor you can think of, and that for us means a lot of running back and forth to the Cleveland Clinic and other offices.  Today, for example, we got up at 6 am and barely had time to let our dog out and wolf down a cup of coffee before we headed into Cleveland for an early lab draw, followed by an appointment with a pulmonary specialist, followed by an appointment with a transplant surgeon, followed by a thorocentesis in which a third doctor drained 1300 ml of fluid from her lung. Now we're back home, shortly after 5 pm and I just got dinner cooking.

Yesterday, we were at the Clinic for hours attending a liver transplant informational seminar. Tomorrow, we'll be there again for an anesthesia clinic, dentistry appointment and maybe more.  This is our new status quo, and has been for some time.

I called off work Wednesday and Thursday last week, canceled my trip to Maryland over the weekend, and didn't get to see my dad and step-mom who were in town from West Virginia yesterday and today.  First things first.  So don't please feel bad if I haven't answered your message or published your book yet. I will, I promise.  Maybe I'll finish reading a friend's chapbook while I'm sitting in a doctor's office. Maybe I'll share a YouTube video or political article from my phone because that only takes a few minutes and that's all I can cobble together to focus on something other than liver transplant stuff.  Maybe I'll even watch part of an Indians game when I get home at night because I'm too drained to do much more. But I promise I will give you the attention you deserve as soon as I can.

Peace, love and poetry,
John

13 comments:

  1. Glad you are able to be with Geri thru all this. I was interested that dental evaluation is part of the work up but then remembered my friend Angela had to do the same. She had several questionable teeth extracted in preparation to get on the donor list. They want to make sure there will be no chance of extranious infection that could sideline the process.
    I hope all this moves along swiftly. So everyone will have a healthy Geri back. I know Geri wants that too. <3

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  2. I didn't know. I will pray for you and Geri. I wish this wasn't happening.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Tim! Yes, she had to retire about a year ago.

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  3. Oh John, I had no idea. I'm sure you're aware of directed donations from living donors. I have a perfectly nice liver up for grabs.
    http://www.americantransplantfoundation.org/about-transplant/living-donation/about-living-donation/

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