My First Liver Transplant

After a successful Kasai and a 'normal' childhood, at the age of 14 my liver function tests started show signs of early liver failure and my consultant told me that i would most probably need a liver transplant within the next few years. It was a slow decline based on my lfts but suddenly after the millenium new year i fell really ill, but all my symptoms were those of the flu so we just assumed it was the very bad cas of the flu. However, 2 weeks passed and i was getting worst and one night i started shaking in bed, was in immense pain and had difficulty breathing so mum decided to take me to A&E and i was admitted on the paedeatric ward at Kings. The following morning i was visited by the nurse specialist and my consultant as they had come to break the bad news that i needed a liver transplant. Although i already knew that i was facing transplant it still came as a shock as it came on suddenly and was not prepared emotionally and had alot going on in my life at the time as i was in my final year at college. It felt like my whole life was crushed and didn't know how to take it, therefore i couldn't give them my consent to list me.

As i was turning 18 that year they transferred my care over to the adult team and this was alot to deal with for me. The transition was very daughting and I had alot of questions that needed to be answered before i agreed to sign the consent form. When they told me that transplant wasn't a cure i did not want to go ahead with it but when they told me that i only had about a year or so of poor quality of life left if i didn't have much of a choice me as i was not prepared to die as much as wasn't prepared for transplant. After three weeks in hospital being treated for cholangitis i went home not yet listed. I spent most of 2000 in and out of hospital with bouts of cholangitis and after alot of persuausion from friends and family i eventually gave in and signed the consent and was listed that June. I also finished my business course at college that year.

It was on the eve of June 4th 2001 when that life changing call came that there was a possible liver for me and that an ambulance was on its way to pick me up. Throughout the journey i didn't know what i was feeling, as my emotions were all over the place. I didnt know whether i was scared, excited that all my sufferings might be over soon or relieved and i prayed all the way to the hospital.

When we got to Kings my transplant co-ordinator brought me to the ward where they prepped me and done all the necessary tests. After all the tests were done it wa a matter of waiting to go into surgery. I finally go the all clear that it was a definate match and went into surgery at 7am the next day. My surgery lasted 14 hours and my body started to respond to my new liver almost immediately. I spent the night in LITU and then was transferred to the main liver ward for a few days until they transffered me to a less critical ward where i spent the rest of my admission recovering.

In terms of liver functions i was doing so well and quickly lost all my ascities and jaundice. However getting back to 'normal' was a longer process as i had to learn how to walk and eat again. I gave my dieticien hell at the time as i was her first patient as a qualified dieticien and she still says to me today that i was such a challenge as i refused EVERYTHING! I then contracted an infection in my wound so they had to take out the sutures and left it open to heal naturally, which took 3 months to completley close and heal.

I was finally discharged on July 5th, exactly one month after my transplant. I did have a few bouts of cholangitis and rejection post transplant which required admissions but apart from that i had never felt better, it was like i was given a whole new life and i was finally enjoying the rest of my teenage year and started university that year and moved away from home until i got ill again 3 months later and was not able to return to as i had missed out on too much work so i worked for the until the next academic year and started again at a different university but then again the same thing happened 3 months later and so i had to pick myself up again and drag myself back into work till the next academic year. I refused to give up trying as getting my degree is one of my goals in life so in September the following year i enrolled again this time at a university nearer to my home and i was hoping it was going to be third time lucky. This time i did manage to get through the first year, the second year and halfway through the third and final year until....