Waiting...

I was surprised to hear people who have already had transplants say that waiting for the call was the most stressful part of the whole process. Now, I get it. Prior to being placed on the waiting list for a liver there is a lot going on - doctor's appointments, tests, treatments, research. Once on the list, the pace slows down and there is a lot of time to think. Too much time. As hard as I try to occupy my time with healthy preoccupations like exercise, reading, writing, fix-it projects around the house, etc.., my mind constantly reels back to the pending transplant surgery and all of it's implications.

The wait for me will be much shorter than for most on the list. I get "extra points" for having cancer, it is sort of a go-to-the-head-of-the-line pass. Many people on the waitlist have to wait many months or years rather than weeks, as I have been told to expect.

Focusing on the good stuff:
- The liver cancer was caught early, making a transplant possible.
- My insurance will cover most of the cost of the transplant. I would not be on the waiting list if I were not insured.
- I have a large, loving and supportive family and support network.
- My family lives in Pittsburgh, 20 minutes away from one of the premier liver transplant centers in the country - UPMC.
- I have no physical symptoms. I wake up every day feeling healthy.
- My odds of having a recovery with few complications are good because I am going into the surgery with a strong body.