I have always loved this picture of my kids and Larry..
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| They were so excited when they caught that huge catfish out of our pond. It is probably at least 3 years old, but it always makes me smile when I see it. The little boy is Garrett, a friend from Overton who came out to fish. |
Appointment With Dr. Sorrell - October 27, 2010
Hello All,
Larry and I travelled to UNMC in Omaha yesterday for a follow-up visit with Dr. Sorrell. My dear friend Kelli met us there, as she often does. I can't beat her off with a stick, and you know what I don't want to. She is a beautiful friend that continues to support me endlessly, and she gives me so much hope, I love her very much. It is not every day you hear people say " I enjoy going to see my doctor ", but it is always my pleasure to see Dr. Sorrell. I always leave feeling more positive about things than when I walked in. Once again all of the labs were normal, but they are wanting to investigate the fungus that I had in my lungs when they removed that nodule in June. His new fellow became concerned that when I receive my transplant, and they put me on the medication that will suppress my immune system, so I do not reject the liver, this fungus in my lungs could get worse and cause me to become ill. Right now I am "healthy" and my body can fight it, but once I become immunosuppressed that may not be the case. I know I have cancer, but I keep saying that I am healthy because that is how I feel. So..............Dr. Sorrell agreed with the fellow that I could see the infectious disease doctors, if they would be able to see me yesterday, since we live so far away. So after a STAT CT of my chest with contrast, and a quick lunch, we were back in internal medicine visiting with them. Once again the fungus that was found in my lung, is some bizarre type or it could possibly be TB. Leave it to me to never have anything that is normal. Through some additional blood work and urine testing they are hoping to pin point it and get me on the proper antifungal medication. Of course the "best" way to diagnose the type of fungus would be a biopsy. :( My lesions are so small however it would be very tough to hit one, as I already know from previous experience when they missed a lesion twice the size in June. So I am not volunteering for that procedure. The CT of my chest did show some growth of these small lesions, so they are convinced it is still active, although they see some signs of necrosis (death of tissue). I know all of this information is somewhat confusing, but what it comes down to, if I was not going to have a transplant my body would fight it on it's own, and I wish that were the case. These infectious medical doctors work with transplant patients only and they are very cautious. I hope to hear some news today, however, some of the blood tests take several days. They did say with the proper medication these lesions would disappear within a month.
On a positive note, Dr. Sorrell does not know why I haven't been transplanted yet, because they are transplanting MELD scores of 22-24 now, so it is just a matter of finding a match of blood type, and body size. My score of 25 puts me right where I want to be. He said to expect the call any day. He said he has to get me transplanted soon so his son, my good friend, Tom Sorrell will stop bugging him about it. I just love their sense of humor, and I appreciate them both very much. I am blessed.
Please continue to pray for my friends Scott and Celeste Wells. Scott is a patient at UNMC receiving his chemo, so he can get his stem cell transplant. He is ready to get on the road to recovery as well, I know exactly how he feels.
That is all I have for now. I really hope the next time I send out a message it is to say they have a liver, that is my exact match, and they really need my body to put it in. Once again, what an amazing gift that will be. Thank you all for your continued support, I appreciate it so much. God has a plan for me, so I will continue to believe and follow with lots of hope.
All my love,
Trish
Larry and I travelled to UNMC in Omaha yesterday for a follow-up visit with Dr. Sorrell. My dear friend Kelli met us there, as she often does. I can't beat her off with a stick, and you know what I don't want to. She is a beautiful friend that continues to support me endlessly, and she gives me so much hope, I love her very much. It is not every day you hear people say " I enjoy going to see my doctor ", but it is always my pleasure to see Dr. Sorrell. I always leave feeling more positive about things than when I walked in. Once again all of the labs were normal, but they are wanting to investigate the fungus that I had in my lungs when they removed that nodule in June. His new fellow became concerned that when I receive my transplant, and they put me on the medication that will suppress my immune system, so I do not reject the liver, this fungus in my lungs could get worse and cause me to become ill. Right now I am "healthy" and my body can fight it, but once I become immunosuppressed that may not be the case. I know I have cancer, but I keep saying that I am healthy because that is how I feel. So..............Dr. Sorrell agreed with the fellow that I could see the infectious disease doctors, if they would be able to see me yesterday, since we live so far away. So after a STAT CT of my chest with contrast, and a quick lunch, we were back in internal medicine visiting with them. Once again the fungus that was found in my lung, is some bizarre type or it could possibly be TB. Leave it to me to never have anything that is normal. Through some additional blood work and urine testing they are hoping to pin point it and get me on the proper antifungal medication. Of course the "best" way to diagnose the type of fungus would be a biopsy. :( My lesions are so small however it would be very tough to hit one, as I already know from previous experience when they missed a lesion twice the size in June. So I am not volunteering for that procedure. The CT of my chest did show some growth of these small lesions, so they are convinced it is still active, although they see some signs of necrosis (death of tissue). I know all of this information is somewhat confusing, but what it comes down to, if I was not going to have a transplant my body would fight it on it's own, and I wish that were the case. These infectious medical doctors work with transplant patients only and they are very cautious. I hope to hear some news today, however, some of the blood tests take several days. They did say with the proper medication these lesions would disappear within a month.
On a positive note, Dr. Sorrell does not know why I haven't been transplanted yet, because they are transplanting MELD scores of 22-24 now, so it is just a matter of finding a match of blood type, and body size. My score of 25 puts me right where I want to be. He said to expect the call any day. He said he has to get me transplanted soon so his son, my good friend, Tom Sorrell will stop bugging him about it. I just love their sense of humor, and I appreciate them both very much. I am blessed.
Please continue to pray for my friends Scott and Celeste Wells. Scott is a patient at UNMC receiving his chemo, so he can get his stem cell transplant. He is ready to get on the road to recovery as well, I know exactly how he feels.
That is all I have for now. I really hope the next time I send out a message it is to say they have a liver, that is my exact match, and they really need my body to put it in. Once again, what an amazing gift that will be. Thank you all for your continued support, I appreciate it so much. God has a plan for me, so I will continue to believe and follow with lots of hope.
All my love,
Trish
One More Prayer Answered - October 14, 2010
Hello All,
I did not plan on sending out another message this quick, but it was such good news I had to pass it on. Upon arriving home today from a glorious autumn horseback ride with a dear friend, my mom met me in the yard to tell me that my sister Tracy's murderer, was denied on his latest appeal for a new trial. Glory to God above, another prayer answered. Tracy won the battle today, and we are so thankful for that blessing. I am sure it won't be the last appeal, but it is over for now. I saw some much needed relief in my mom's eyes tonight, and I smiled and cried all at the same time. Once again, our prayers were answered, and I feel so much peace. That is a good feeling.
Just a quick note for those of you that didn't know, my oldest sister Tracy lost her life 10 years ago when her "boyfriend" chose to beat her to death. He got 45 years to life with a 2nd degree murder conviction, and on his second appeal was hoping to receive a new trial. She was such a kind hearted young woman, just 35 at the time of her death. We miss her everyday.
Love to you all,
Trisha
I did not plan on sending out another message this quick, but it was such good news I had to pass it on. Upon arriving home today from a glorious autumn horseback ride with a dear friend, my mom met me in the yard to tell me that my sister Tracy's murderer, was denied on his latest appeal for a new trial. Glory to God above, another prayer answered. Tracy won the battle today, and we are so thankful for that blessing. I am sure it won't be the last appeal, but it is over for now. I saw some much needed relief in my mom's eyes tonight, and I smiled and cried all at the same time. Once again, our prayers were answered, and I feel so much peace. That is a good feeling.
Just a quick note for those of you that didn't know, my oldest sister Tracy lost her life 10 years ago when her "boyfriend" chose to beat her to death. He got 45 years to life with a 2nd degree murder conviction, and on his second appeal was hoping to receive a new trial. She was such a kind hearted young woman, just 35 at the time of her death. We miss her everyday.
Love to you all,
Trisha
Good News....New MELD Score!! October 13, 2010
Hello All,
I send you all this message with joy in my heart. I heard from the transplant team today and my special exception points for my MELD score were accepted. What this means is that as of midnight tonight my MELD score will increase from 22 to 25, and hopefully get me closer to being "in the game". Another prayer answered, and I am so blessed. Thank you all for your continued support. I hope the next time Whitney updates my blog it is to inform you that I am on my way to Omaha for a transplant. That will be an amazing invitation, and gift of life. Have a great week. Go Huskers!!!!!
Trish
P.S. I get a lot of questions about the MELD score. My best suggestion is to google it, and it will give you more information than you may want. The highest possible score is a 40, which would be given to a patient that was gravely ill, with a short time to live without a transplant, and yet still qualifies to receive a transplant.
I send you all this message with joy in my heart. I heard from the transplant team today and my special exception points for my MELD score were accepted. What this means is that as of midnight tonight my MELD score will increase from 22 to 25, and hopefully get me closer to being "in the game". Another prayer answered, and I am so blessed. Thank you all for your continued support. I hope the next time Whitney updates my blog it is to inform you that I am on my way to Omaha for a transplant. That will be an amazing invitation, and gift of life. Have a great week. Go Huskers!!!!!
Trish
P.S. I get a lot of questions about the MELD score. My best suggestion is to google it, and it will give you more information than you may want. The highest possible score is a 40, which would be given to a patient that was gravely ill, with a short time to live without a transplant, and yet still qualifies to receive a transplant.
One Day at a Time - October 8, 2010
Fall Greetings to All,
I am sitting here in my office this morning, looking out my window feeling blessed with another beautiful Nebraska fall day. I was able to ride my horse yesterday and it felt better than ever. There is no better therapy for me, I wish I could share it with all of you that would be willing to crawl on the back of a 1200 lb animal. It has to be close to heaven.
Almost 3 months have gone by since they placed me on the liver transplant list. Therefore this past Tuesday we made a trip to Omaha for a follow-up MRI and labs. In order to receive special exception points and increase my MELD score these tests were required. My blood work continues to be completely NORMAL, which still baffles me. It would baffle all of you as well if you could see what my liver looks like on ultrasound. My MRI showed a slight increase in the size of my lesions. My prior study showed the 2 largest lesions measuring 3.8x3.4 cm, and 2.5x2.5 cm. Now they measure 4.3x3.8 cm and 2.7X2.6 cm. FYI, there are 2.5 cm in an inch. I would be lying if I told you this doesn't worry me, but I have to find a positive in everything (to keep my sanity) and all of my other organs look normal. So there is no evidence of tumor invasion anywhere else. Thank the Lord above. They will submit a letter and send it off to request the additional points. They are asking for a 3 point increase. If they accept the request, my MELD score will increase to a 25. If all of you will pray with me for that 3 point gift, I would appreciate it.
I continue to feel great, and I am so thankful for that. Once again I cannot thank you enough for all of the e-mails, cards, calls, gifts and support. I couldn't take this journey without all of you behind me giving me the strength to fight with all I have. I am lifted up by the kindness and generosity I have received. I will update you "when" they raise my MELD score. I return to see Dr. Sorrell at the end of the month. I feel so good, and look as "normal" as I always have, (I know some of you are laughing right now, I expect that ) that I actually scanned my liver for my mom the other day to show her my tumors so she would "believe" that I have cancer. I told her I wasn't faking it :). On a more serious note, I just feel so bad for my parents and my sister for this additional stress. As most of you know, we lost my oldest sister Tracy when she was murdered 10 years ago. My mom is one of the strongest women I have ever known, and I see her struggling with this and the "reality" of another enormous fight. When you wonder some days how much more can you take? It is more than you can ever imagine. We are currently fighting for Tracy again. Her murderer is appealing his sentence in hopes of getting a new trial. Of course we will fight for her, because of him she can't fight for herself any longer. She had the kindest heart, I strive to be more like her. She was never one to judge another. She was a friend to everyone, and gave all she could including her last dollar, never asking for anything in return.
Bless each and every one of you. Get out there and enjoy these beautiful fall days, and if you have a chance to climb on a horse and take a ride, think of me and enjoy every minute, because you will never get that minute back. Plus, the house work will be there when the snow is flying.
Love to you all,
Trisha
I am sitting here in my office this morning, looking out my window feeling blessed with another beautiful Nebraska fall day. I was able to ride my horse yesterday and it felt better than ever. There is no better therapy for me, I wish I could share it with all of you that would be willing to crawl on the back of a 1200 lb animal. It has to be close to heaven.
Almost 3 months have gone by since they placed me on the liver transplant list. Therefore this past Tuesday we made a trip to Omaha for a follow-up MRI and labs. In order to receive special exception points and increase my MELD score these tests were required. My blood work continues to be completely NORMAL, which still baffles me. It would baffle all of you as well if you could see what my liver looks like on ultrasound. My MRI showed a slight increase in the size of my lesions. My prior study showed the 2 largest lesions measuring 3.8x3.4 cm, and 2.5x2.5 cm. Now they measure 4.3x3.8 cm and 2.7X2.6 cm. FYI, there are 2.5 cm in an inch. I would be lying if I told you this doesn't worry me, but I have to find a positive in everything (to keep my sanity) and all of my other organs look normal. So there is no evidence of tumor invasion anywhere else. Thank the Lord above. They will submit a letter and send it off to request the additional points. They are asking for a 3 point increase. If they accept the request, my MELD score will increase to a 25. If all of you will pray with me for that 3 point gift, I would appreciate it.
I continue to feel great, and I am so thankful for that. Once again I cannot thank you enough for all of the e-mails, cards, calls, gifts and support. I couldn't take this journey without all of you behind me giving me the strength to fight with all I have. I am lifted up by the kindness and generosity I have received. I will update you "when" they raise my MELD score. I return to see Dr. Sorrell at the end of the month. I feel so good, and look as "normal" as I always have, (I know some of you are laughing right now, I expect that ) that I actually scanned my liver for my mom the other day to show her my tumors so she would "believe" that I have cancer. I told her I wasn't faking it :). On a more serious note, I just feel so bad for my parents and my sister for this additional stress. As most of you know, we lost my oldest sister Tracy when she was murdered 10 years ago. My mom is one of the strongest women I have ever known, and I see her struggling with this and the "reality" of another enormous fight. When you wonder some days how much more can you take? It is more than you can ever imagine. We are currently fighting for Tracy again. Her murderer is appealing his sentence in hopes of getting a new trial. Of course we will fight for her, because of him she can't fight for herself any longer. She had the kindest heart, I strive to be more like her. She was never one to judge another. She was a friend to everyone, and gave all she could including her last dollar, never asking for anything in return.
Bless each and every one of you. Get out there and enjoy these beautiful fall days, and if you have a chance to climb on a horse and take a ride, think of me and enjoy every minute, because you will never get that minute back. Plus, the house work will be there when the snow is flying.
Love to you all,
Trisha
Tessy Shares Her Father's Transplant Journey - October 2, 2010
Trish
Hello my name is Tessy and I ran across this blog while looking at stuff about liver donors. I just wanted to tell Trish that my thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. I have been taking care of my 55 yr old father for 6 years and on July 23, 2010 the lord blessed him with a liver transplant. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma also a primary liver cancer. It has been the most amazing blessing I have ever received. For the first 5 years we were seeing a Dr. that told us he could not be listed for a transplant because of his condition, and then August 11, 2009 my father was medi-flighted to a hospital in the city due to internal bleeding. While we were there a team of liver Drs came to see him and wanted to know why he was not on the list, needless to say I jumped on the phone and called a transplant center in Dallas, TX who immediately scheduled an appointment to start the pre-transplant evaluation. The next couple months were so rocky; he had such sever problems with Hepatic encephalopathy (if you do not know much about this please educate yourself and your family it happens as you get sicker), at one point he went into a coma, also the fluid retention, and so on. Anyways on March 23rd 2010 he was listed with a MELD of 19 but upgraded to a 22 for the HCC, and then exactly 4 months to the day of enlistment we received that life altering call. The surgery went amazing, they said he would be on the ventilator for 24 hours and within 4 he was out breathing the machine so they took him off, then they said it would be a week before he would be walking and he started walking to the bathroom the very next day!!!!!! His mentality came back with in a week and I have a father again and its only been 2 and half months!!!!!!!!! It has been the most amazing journey ever and if you would ever like to talk please don’t hesitate to contact me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tessy Copeland
Hello my name is Tessy and I ran across this blog while looking at stuff about liver donors. I just wanted to tell Trish that my thoughts and prayers are with her and her family. I have been taking care of my 55 yr old father for 6 years and on July 23, 2010 the lord blessed him with a liver transplant. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma also a primary liver cancer. It has been the most amazing blessing I have ever received. For the first 5 years we were seeing a Dr. that told us he could not be listed for a transplant because of his condition, and then August 11, 2009 my father was medi-flighted to a hospital in the city due to internal bleeding. While we were there a team of liver Drs came to see him and wanted to know why he was not on the list, needless to say I jumped on the phone and called a transplant center in Dallas, TX who immediately scheduled an appointment to start the pre-transplant evaluation. The next couple months were so rocky; he had such sever problems with Hepatic encephalopathy (if you do not know much about this please educate yourself and your family it happens as you get sicker), at one point he went into a coma, also the fluid retention, and so on. Anyways on March 23rd 2010 he was listed with a MELD of 19 but upgraded to a 22 for the HCC, and then exactly 4 months to the day of enlistment we received that life altering call. The surgery went amazing, they said he would be on the ventilator for 24 hours and within 4 he was out breathing the machine so they took him off, then they said it would be a week before he would be walking and he started walking to the bathroom the very next day!!!!!! His mentality came back with in a week and I have a father again and its only been 2 and half months!!!!!!!!! It has been the most amazing journey ever and if you would ever like to talk please don’t hesitate to contact me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tessy Copeland
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