My Liver Transplant Recovery
Donation protected
Hello everyone. My name is Jerry "Lynn" Rogers and I live in Houston, Texas. About 4 years ago, I became very sick and found out that I had End Stage Liver Disease. I had to leave my job and apply for social security disability which was very hard for me to do as I have worked since I was 14 years old. I was in and out of the hospital and my doctors explained to me that I needed a liver transplant or I would die. Hearing those words were probably the most scared I have ever been in my life. Once I was stable and not as sick, I went through the testing to be considered a candidate for a liver transplant. Since I was otherwise healthy, I was placed on the liver transplant list on November 1, 2015.
At the beginning of 2019, I started getting sick again with infection after infection and I was in and out of the hospital. My MELD score was going up and up and my doctors started talking to me about the possibility that my time had come for a transplant. The doctors knew that this was the beginning of the end for me and I was only going to go downhill. On a Sunday afternoon, March 10, 2019, I finally received "the call" that I had a donor match and the liver was mine if I wanted it. Needless to say, I did not hesitate and my wife and I were in the car and up at the hospital within an hour. On March 12, 2019, at 3:39 p.m., my transplant surgery began. It was a 2 part surgery so the surgery was completed on March 13, 2019. I was doing really well after the surgery but the surgeons determined that a bile duct was leaking and they needed to go back in to fix it. They tried to repair the leak endoscopically, but that did not work. On March 19, 2019, I had to go back into surgery and be completely opened back up to fix the leak. This set me back about 3 to 4 days. Today, April 1, 2019, I am doing really well and I should be released to go home. I will continue with home health PT for a while to get my strength back and will continue with IV antibiotics for 3 months. I will so be on anti-rejection medications for the rest of my life.
My wife, Julie, has worked and taken care of me for the several years I have been unable to work. In September 2018, my wife went out on short term disability due to cervical disc issues. She was planning on returning to work, but now she is unable to as she is my primary caregiver. I will need a full-time caregiver for at least 3 to 4 months.
At this time, we are inundated with unexpected expenses and the thought of the future medical bills as we were not expecting this miracle to happen while my wife was not working. I know that the cost of my prescriptions alone for one month are over $800.00. The total cost for a transplant is over 1 million dollars and we are not sure what our portion of that will be yet. While I hate asking as I am usually the one offering to help other people, my wife and I are extremely overwhelmed and need help at this time.
Because of all the unexpected costs, our everyday living expenses, and future medical bills, my transplant coordinator at Houston Methodist Hospital recommended that I turn to go fund me.
While I am so thankful and grateful that I was given a second chance at life, the days, weeks and months ahead are filled with apprehension and fear. Any help that you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
At the beginning of 2019, I started getting sick again with infection after infection and I was in and out of the hospital. My MELD score was going up and up and my doctors started talking to me about the possibility that my time had come for a transplant. The doctors knew that this was the beginning of the end for me and I was only going to go downhill. On a Sunday afternoon, March 10, 2019, I finally received "the call" that I had a donor match and the liver was mine if I wanted it. Needless to say, I did not hesitate and my wife and I were in the car and up at the hospital within an hour. On March 12, 2019, at 3:39 p.m., my transplant surgery began. It was a 2 part surgery so the surgery was completed on March 13, 2019. I was doing really well after the surgery but the surgeons determined that a bile duct was leaking and they needed to go back in to fix it. They tried to repair the leak endoscopically, but that did not work. On March 19, 2019, I had to go back into surgery and be completely opened back up to fix the leak. This set me back about 3 to 4 days. Today, April 1, 2019, I am doing really well and I should be released to go home. I will continue with home health PT for a while to get my strength back and will continue with IV antibiotics for 3 months. I will so be on anti-rejection medications for the rest of my life.
My wife, Julie, has worked and taken care of me for the several years I have been unable to work. In September 2018, my wife went out on short term disability due to cervical disc issues. She was planning on returning to work, but now she is unable to as she is my primary caregiver. I will need a full-time caregiver for at least 3 to 4 months.
At this time, we are inundated with unexpected expenses and the thought of the future medical bills as we were not expecting this miracle to happen while my wife was not working. I know that the cost of my prescriptions alone for one month are over $800.00. The total cost for a transplant is over 1 million dollars and we are not sure what our portion of that will be yet. While I hate asking as I am usually the one offering to help other people, my wife and I are extremely overwhelmed and need help at this time.
Because of all the unexpected costs, our everyday living expenses, and future medical bills, my transplant coordinator at Houston Methodist Hospital recommended that I turn to go fund me.
While I am so thankful and grateful that I was given a second chance at life, the days, weeks and months ahead are filled with apprehension and fear. Any help that you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
Organizer
Jerry Rogers
Organizer
Houston, TX