remember that...

Unfortunately, my brother has been admitted back to the hospital. He had been doing so well lately that we are kind of got comfortable with the idea of him being "home". He went back in Wednesday night with weak levels and dehydration. The doctors thought it best to err on the side of caution.

Since then, his MELD score- the gauge of his severity- has risen from a 26 to a 33. That's a substantial jump, considering the max is 40.  Doctors have decided that since he has lost more weight than desired, they would place a feeding tube to help get him strong enough to endure a transplant. Not his favorite part of all this... but they believe a transplant is in the near future.

I have to say, I am hopeful & terrified all at the same time. Let me explain. I am terrified because my brother has been spending the last 5 months getting sicker so that he can get better. He has been waiting for his levels to get high enough to bump him up on the transplant list. A catch 22. His doctors have been closely monitoring him to make sure that he was able to continue living at home {his mother-in-laws house}. He has been trekking to Ann Arbor and doctors appointments for weeks. All of it was for the final outcome of receiving a transplant. It's very scary to see him in the condition he is in. We never had to see him in that state for very long. When he had the first transplant, it was all so quick, there was no time spent waiting on a list.

This time, we have seen him and the struggles he has had. From having difficulty just staying awake for more than a few hours at a time to being unable to lift his body weight. The emotions that have poured from him have made my heart break. I have never seen tears in my brothers eyes until this year. He is a strong, proud man & it is tearing me apart to see him having to go through the pain of all this.  

I am hopeful though. Hopeful that this is the final push that allows him to receive the gift of life, again. He has never wasted the chances he has been given in the past & I am confident he will take his newest chance and live it to the fullest. It's somewhat morbid to be waiting for a liver to become available for him. In a way, it is waiting for a life to end. I pray that the life that ends for my brother's to begin again realizes the blessing they will give to him & our family. It's immeasurable, selfless & commendable. 

 

Aaron,
You are aMAZing... remember that.



*Lu