The transplant board of doctors said, “Yes!” I had been waiting for 2 weeks on pins and needles, anxiously awaiting the green light from my transplant nurse coordinator at Methodist University Hospital. Let me just say, the wait was made more nerve-racking by dealing with three 8 year old stir-crazy kids. The inclement weather had also brought an unexpected vacation for the bambinos by way of 6 consecutive snow days. I was to receive word of the decision on Friday, January 12, but the snow and ice Memphis received delayed the decision until the 19th.
The board meets every Friday morning and reviews all of the patients that have completed the medical evaluation portion of the transplant process. They review the test results and vote approved, deferred, or denied. The board decided to review my case before medical evaluation to decide if my medical conditions would bar me from having a pancreas transplant and save me the trouble of further testing if their answer was to be a denial.
I am happy to say that they agreed with my nephrologist’s conclusion that I am in urgent need of a pancreas transplant and that I am a good candidate as well. Yay!
I am so thrilled and terrified at the same time. My stomach is churning. Yikes!