- My Story

[Guest guest]

,

Sounds like he was in the right place at the right time. I remember

getting one after an ERCP (never would admit it was from that but had to

be) while on a trip to Mississippi. I started getting the chills on Sunday

afternoon and flew out that night. By the time I landed and got to the

hotel, about 11:00 PM, I was having a full fledge cholangitis attack. I

had to do everything in my power not to tear the hotel apart trying to

redirect my focus from the intense pain. I called the nurse on duty, got

some Ultram (light pain killer) and headed for the airport around 8:00 AM.

I had to request a wheelchair at Dallas (my connector) because I couldn't

walk. Good thing SARS wasn't recognized yet - I would have probably had the

whole plane to myself. I ended up spending 7 days in the hospital then

another 6 a week later when it returned. Not pleasant. Okay, on to your

question: The tx was a relative breeze. I would have been out in 5 days

had I not gotten so mad in ICU. I was fighting a chest cold (hold your

question - explained later) so my breathing was real shallow to keep from

coughing. My O2 was in the lower range 89/90% but when they went to put

the feeding tube in, I held winced at the needle going in and I guess held

my breath. I started hyperventilating because every time I tried to take a

deep breath, I would cough - PAIN!!. My O2 dropped to 58%, with a mask.

So I had to remain in ICU for at least 24 hours until my O2 reached

acceptable levels. I had one small rejection episode the Monday after I

was released and had to spend anther 24 hours in the hospital. I was back

to work in 8 weeks, could have been 6 but it was the end of the year so I

took short-term to cover the unpaid leave. I was back to traveling (65+lb

wheeled duffel and 25 or so lb briefcase) by the end of January - 12 weeks.

You may have already read my CA19-9 post, but it explains my tx experience.

Short story even shorter, they were very sure (concerned) that I had cancer

(cholangiocarcinoma) that they appealed to UNOS to place me at a 2a. An

open biopsy was not an option (virgin belly) unless a liver was available

to tx. Conditions were right - chest infection or a late overturn of my

appeal, which was re-appealed, was not going to stop them - that they

proceeded with the tx once no cancer was found in the CBD or abdominal

cavity.

Darin