Support Logan's Fight for a Second Chance

My name is Loren Hickman.

I want to start out by saying my husband has been sober for two months now. He has struggled with addiction for years and every day sober is one more in the right direction. I am so unbelievably proud of him and to be his wife. Anxiety and depression are real.

I hate that I even have to do this or type it out. My husband was diagnosed with Cirrhosis on September 4th, 2024 in the ER of a local hospital. In September 5th, my husband was air lifted to University of Kentucky to be admitted directly to a trauma unit. He had a severe hematoma causing internal bleeding into his right arm, a retroperitoneal hematoma and was very jaundice. Upon arrival, the team there took excellent care of my husband. His hemoglobin was 6.6 and the normal range for the body is 12-16. His level meant he needed blood transfusions. He received several between our local ED and UK’s trauma unit. They proceeded to begin CIWA which indicates how bad withdrawals are for alcoholism detox. The first two days we could see a rapid decline in his cognition due to the withdrawal. He began going into delirium tremens. The detox was pretty rough on his body. He received several rounds of phenobarbital to prevent things like seizures. After the withdrawal appeared to be over with, well the worst of it anyway, they stopped the phenobarbital. It took four days for my husband to wake up from sedation. The liver metabolizes meds and where he has cirrhosis it is metabolizing it very slowly. Meaning it takes longer for his body to respond to meds and filter them out.

Luckily enough, after waking up, we were able to graduate to a step-down unit where the trauma team and family medicine followed him. He received excellent care there. After numerous hoops and bounds trying to regulate his hemoglobin levels, ammonia levels and liver function to optimal function. We were able to get Logan to a rehabilitation center because while at UK for 5.5 weeks he lost muscle mass and his ability to walk independently.

While at the rehab, Logan was sent to UK’s Emergency Department to receive a paracentesis which draws abdominal fluid created by the liver off by inserting a needle and catheter into that space. During the bedside procedure, they hit scar tissue and was unable to successfully complete it.

He was sent back to rehab and there were complications that arises. Due to having cirrhosis, your blood coagulation is not great. The procedure causes an extensive amount of bleeding from that site where he had to be admitted for observation and receive several units of blood, platelets and plasma to get it under control. This took around 4 days.

Ultimately, we felt like we should go home.

Two days after discharge from UK, the bleeding began to come back and we made another trip to our local emergency department where they decided to send him back to Lexington. Yet again he was stabilized and sent home.

After being home, Logan began display more signs of internal bleeding but this time into his thigh. His thigh had previous swelling from the retroperitoneal hematoma and had began to go down until we came home again. We tried to manage this at home and monitor the site for worsening. Monitoring vitals frequently and his cognition. Last Tuesday, we decided to return to the ER where they told us his hemoglobin was 4.9 and there seemed to be a new internal bleed in his thigh.

We were sent back to UK for the third time in less than 2 months. Since being here at Good Samaritan, Logan’s liver function has declined. His MELD score is not great. A Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is a number that estimates a patient's chances of surviving liver disease for the next three months. It's used to determine how urgently a patient needs a liver transplant. His is on the higher end of the spectrum.

This is unfortunately not news that we wanted to hear. That being said, we’d like to seek a second opinion at other world leading transplant facilities. As of right now, I am our only source of income. Between missing work with no PTO to be with my husband and care for him since he is still bed fast, we are struggling financially. This is a hard pill to swallow because if anyone knows me I handle my money very well and only spend what I need.

The last two months of being out here has caused a considerable amount of spending between gas, food, personal care items Logan requires and our normal bills at home still exist.

I hate asking and never wanted to but it is time. I know that the economy is terrible and people live life check to check. Any amount that can be donated to assist us in finding Logan a second opinion would help us tremendously. If you are unable to donate, please share so that others may do so or send much needed prayers our way. So that God can guide doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc., to heal him enough to receive a liver transplant!

The funds received in this will help with gas, living expenses, food and hotel costs. We need it in the worst way to try and find another hospital that could possibly save my husband’s life.

Thank you and May God Bless each of you. We cannot thank all of you enough for prayers and unwavering support.