Tim's new liver

Hi everyone,
No one likes to ask people for help, but my husband is dying, and I don't know what else to do. I am willing to do anything and everything to save my husband and give him a fighting chance of living. Below is Tim's story.

Tim got very sick in December 2012. He didn't have insurance at the time, so we went to the ER. They sent him home with an upset stomach, and told him he has an enlarged spleen, which is normal for some. We got his medicine, and he started to feel better, so we thought it was just a common stomach bug. However, it wasn't until almost a year later that we realized just how bad things really are.

In July 2013, Tim began to get really sick and lost a lot of weight, so after about a month of that, we went back to the ER. Unfortunately, he received terrible care; the doctor was rude and unprofessional, and said Tim had ulcers. No tests were performed, only blood-work was taken. We went home with Tim still in pain.

I knew in my heart that something was very wrong. Here - the strong, loving, and healthy man I was married to - was deteriorating right before my eyes. I talked to Tim's cousin-in-law, who is a nurse, and explained everything that was going on. She told me to take Tim back to the hospital ASAP, but he was hesitant because of the treatment he previously received. Things eventually got so bad that we finally returned to the ER on October 20, 2013. The doctors performed numerous tests. Finally, after about four hours at the ER, the doctor told us that Tim was in liver failure and they didn't know why. They put him in the hospital that day.

We found out that he had Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC), a condition that causes his immune system to attack the bile ducts in the liver. He was given two years to live without a liver transplant. Since then, he was put on medication to slow the process of PBC. With the help of a social worker at the hospital, he was able to get on Medicaid to help with the cost of the prescriptions and medical bills from December and onward.

Two weeks ago, in April, the fluid in his stomach was down enough that a biopsy was able to be taken to see how advanced the PBC is.

We just got back from the doctor today (May 1st), and it was confirmed that the PBC has advanced to Stage 4. The doctor is sending Tim to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta to see a Liver Transplant Doctor, and to see what we need to do to get him on the list.

Here is the hard part: I need help. I feel really bad about asking for it, but I will do anything to ensure Tim's survival. The cost of going to and from Atlanta, the hospital stays, and the cost of the liver transplant...we simply do not have the extra money to make it happen while also paying everyday expenses.

Please help us if you can. I will be forever indebted to you. I love my husband so much, and want to see him survive this.

http://www.liverfoundation.org/abouttheliver/info/pbc/