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Because she is a liver!

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Hi, my name is Brooke Hinckley, and first and foremost I am a wife to Andre, and a mother to my three beautiful children AvaRose, Violet, and Lucian.   I am secondly, a liver transplant recipient. This is my story. 

About a year and a half ago I began to get really sick. I was vomiting blood, and felt generally unwell. I went to the emergency room 4 times. Each time I left, I was told that I was an alcoholic, and had to stop drinking.  Anyone whoknew me knew that wasn’t the case, as did I, but with a diagnosis of Cirrhosis that’s the onlything doctors said .  I was at a loss. I knew they were wrong, but they did not know they were wrong.

After my stomach swelled to the size of a 9 month pregnant woman I realized I needed help and answers. That is when I went to the best hospital around, Shands at the University of Florida. After, being admitted to the hospital, and numerous tests, they found out that I indeed was not an alcoholic, but had an Auto Immune disease. I had Auto Immune Hepititis. AIH, is basically your body killing your liver. It can flare, or lay dormant. Mine decided to flare. All the symptoms I had was because of
AIH. 

However, it did not stop there. My adrenal glands, and pancreas were also being attacked. During my first 2 week stay at Shands, I was shocked and scared when they said I could not work, and needed a new liver. The transplant coordinator and social worker, came to a meeting in my semiprivate hospital room to discuss with my care team the process of getting a transplant. I was 36, and what I had thought in pretty good health. However, when I started looking in the mirror I saw the yellow in my skin and eyes, and realized how sick I was. They drained the fluid from my extremely 
distended belly, did endoscopy to band
Varices, ran so many tests, did colonoscopies 
to see if my colon was still healthy, and put me on so many medications it would baffle you.

About 6 months into my journey to a new 
liver, I was once again in the hospital, and I received another diagnosis of diabetes. What inthe world?!  I ended up in a special care unit, and had a new symptom of almost not being able to walk. Luckily, my insurance did agree to a walker, but then I got a bill because the declined it. Our expenses began pilling up. My husband, myself, and our 3 kids moved from a peaceful country living to my parents house so I could be closer to the hospital (my second home), my doctors, and to have someone with me all the time. Because one thing that can happen during liver disease is hepatic encephalopathy. This is a build up of ammonia in your brain/body (because your liver can’t process it), and it makes you go loopy. There were very dark times with HE, some a little funny, but none the less it left me unable to drive or work. 

i loved my job. I worked for a great local middle school that was out in the “rural” area of our county. I had friends. I was contributing to the household. I had purpose outside of my husband and children. I still miss working, I miss being able to help our household, and I miss that dealing of purpose. Letting them know that I wasn’t able to return to work was awful. It really broke my heart. I did have to say goodbye. This put huge financial strain on our family. 

Fast forward to August. I was at my second home again, and my room was buzzing. This time I was in a private room this time. Is liver patients get taken care of . The coordinators from transplant and social worker were in my room so giddy. I caught on, and then we had the hypothetical conversation. I knew at that point there was a liver and it might be mine. This was the 28th of August. Turns out it wasn’t my time. My labs had started to decline, but I was stable enough to go home. That was a
Saturday. I wasn’t able to make church the following day, but everyone was home for lunch.
The lunch was wrapping up, and I went to throw something away, and my phone rang. As soon as I looked at it I knew it was my liver. I can’t explain why, but I knew. When I confirmed I was indeed Brooke Hinckley, some of the sweetest words were, “We have a liver, so you want it?”  YES!  They ended up giving details to my mom, because my hospital stay was in part due to HE. 


It was set!  I was to report to the liver transplant floor. Awesome too, because they are all private rooms with lots of pretty things in their room. My sister Sarah had driven down for my surgery. She’s a nurse practitioner, so I trusted her. My wonderful Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dana drove in from Arkansas, and made it in the nick of time. We prayed, and onto the stretcher I went.  Everyone came down to the
operating room area.  Gave hugs and kisses, loved on Andre then in I went. Confirmed I was me, and onto the operating table. I can say I honestly was not scared or nervous. I had the surgeon I wanted, and a room full of nurses and doctors I knew from other procedures. I 
looked to my left, and saw a giant cooler that said donor liver. I said I small prayer before I zonked out. 


I had a rocky start with this new liver, but the medical staff was stellar, and handled everything perfectly. At 13 days out I went home. I was dealing with migraine headaches, that left me with little sleep.  That’s one new thing I have been dealing with is migraines. Not something I had dealt with prior to transplant. Although I was home, I would be admitted back tothe hospital several times. I have dealt with 3 rejections, and illness. It has been the hardest2 1/2 months of my life. I wish I knew when the hard part will be over. I am eternally thankful for this blessing of life. I so wish I could go back to helping out my family more. I still have restrictions, and still can’t work.  I have created this page as a resort to help us out with billsThey have piled up significantly, since I haven’t been able to work this last year and a half. Any help is greatly appreciated. 

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    Organizador

    Brooke Carbaugh Hinckley
    Organizador
    Gainesville, FL

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