Walter Payton

[Guest guest]

I'm resending this message as I had received errors regarding our server last

night and I wasn't sure it had gone through when I sent it. Since I've received

3 digests today and I didn't see it on one, I thought I had resend.

Walter Payton

After reading the notes sent in about Walter Payton being taken off the

transplant list arbitrarily, I wanted to shed some light on the subject. Maybe

since he was a prominent Chicago athletic and had adopted Chicago as his home

even after he retired from football, the media was extremely generous in the

time allotted to giving him tributes.

After going to Mayo for treatment and a transplant, the doctors discovered he

had cholangeocarcenoma and it was in the advanced stages. Therefore, he was not

a candidate for a transplant. It was also felt that even if he did get a

transplant, the drugs would accelerate the cancer.

This is a fast growing cancer. I know because it was the cause of my second

husband's death. I am well aware of this cancer. It is a rare cancer and only

affects the bile duct, liver, and gallbladder. However, it will metastasize to

other organs but that is the same for all cancers. I'm sure and hope that

research has moved to finding out more about this cancer and found treatments.

At the time my husband had it (1992), because it was so rare, there really

wasn't a chemotherapy that had been proven effective.

I do believe Walter's death has made people more aware of being organ donors and

they are signing up to be a donor.

When I heard the announcement about Walter's death, I cried -- probably because

of my recent diagnose of AIH with liver involvement -- even though he did not

have the same disease. Also, I had not heard about the cancer yet and I was

concerned about a transplant as to why it was taking so long and when he was so

ill. When the cancer issue was announced, I knew someone didn't arbitrarily

take him off the transplant list.

God bless Walter -- he is in a better place. God bless and give us all the

strength, courage, and patience we need to fight this illness.

Kay from the Chicago Area

[Guest guest]

Hi Kay,

Thanks so much for filling us in on the details of

Walter Payton's tragedy. Many questions are now

answered, but it's still not easy to accept. The only

consolation is that, as you said, more people are

signing up for organ donation.

Ten years ago a friend of mine was diagnosed with

liver cancer (I don't know which cancer). Her liver

was not functioning and her only hope was to have a

liver transplant before the cancer metastasized. At

that time, transplant for liver cancer was considered

experimental, and her insurance refused to pay a dime.

Her church was able to raise the funds for her

transplant. She had young children and wanted to live

even though doctors told her they couldn't guarantee

she'd live for more than 18 months at most. I'm happy

to report, she's now more than ten years post

transplant and doing very well. She's seen her

children grow up and graduate from college.

Sometimes, with a little luck and a great team of

doctors, miracles do happen.

I hope you are doing well,

Barbara Ann

AIH Transplant Recipient

[Guest guest]

sorry bout that! Walter Payton is famous Hall of Fame football player who

played for the Chicago Bears and just recently died at a young age of liver

disease. Couldn't get a liver transplant in time.

http://www.payton34.com/

Mark

Re: rheumatic Large doses of mtx

> Sorry to plead ignorance, but who's Walter Payton?

>

> Babs

>