Friday Aug26th Update.............Rejection???????

    Fist off sorry about the long delay since the last update , I know I promised to keep you all informed and then promptly stopped doing so. Unfortunately we misplaced or lost the charger to the laptop and it put it real damper on the updates. the other side of it is over the last week I have not continued to improve as rapidly as the first early days right after the transplant on the 16th and have had very, very full days of various treatments and activities and yes, I am still in the hospital.
   I hope I didn't scare anyone with the title today but apparently in the game of organ transplants rejection is a very, very common thing and occurs at some point in almost 90 % of organ recipients. After last weekend I was doing very well and the new liver functions looked good but as the week progresses the liver numbers continued to creep up slowly and my legs and abdomen swelled again with fluid and  the pain level was not improving as it should have. Slight improvements had came and by the end of last weekend all of the major tubes and drains (which were numerous and all special in their own little and sometimes not so little way)  So when early this week I had to go back under and have an additional drain re-installed and another central line installed down and through my neck for meds and labs and other procedures I was a little disappointed when what I thought I would be hearing is that I would be heading home.
     Ok, so back to rejection...finally yesterday the decision was made to change the course of action and hit me with a blast of steroids which is a three day treatment. Naturally, when I was told it was possible rejection my brain jumped to the idea that now I needed a different liver, this is a bad one etc , etc.. but I guess when you think about it when something the size of a football that isn't yours is inserted in your belly I guess that is what the body is supposed to do!  Duh!  doesn't really matter what kind of football it is I guess. So after the first day of steroids I cannot believe the difference! The swelling in my legs have gone down tremendously and the pain level I was experiencing has almost disappeared which they tell me may or may not be related. So as I sit here now I am finishing up my second dose of steroids and am awaiting the morning visit with all of the doctors and team members (about 14 crowd into the room everyday ) to come in and tell me when I can go "home". Of course home is the extended stay hotel here in aurora not Montana .............BREAKING NEWS Drs. just said I may be getting out this afternoon depending on my blood sugar level!!! 

Well that is enough for now I guess,  than you everyone so much for all the emails, texts, cards, phone calls and everything . I cant tell you how much it helps when you are this far away from your real life.  here are a few more pictures , I have intentionally left the real gory ones out but I know there are a few floating around out there.   talk to you all soon   Jeff