Hi to you all out there. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post to you all my condition & progress. The surgery went far better than the surgeons (& myself) had wished for & repeated that the new liver took well right from the get go. I was breathing on my own right after so they pulled all the breathing tubes right in the OR which they were amazed at. The following day I could nibble on morsels & by that night was put on an unrestricted diet. That same night I was walking. I think both Dan & Big Mick called just prior to my going for an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed the liver & the blood activity & blood flow to be just great. They're mostly just watching me mend up at the moment & looking to see how my body continues to adjust to its new organ. I'm still not doing well in the sleep department though with the pain med's I'm doing a good bit better than before the surgery but the pain med's are so much needed at the moment. Aside from the lack of sleep & the pain I'm feeling like I've got to be the worlds luckiest guy blessed with such a great wife & kids & family & friends. The support of Justine was, as always my saving grace, my kids are still toughing it out but they've also been great, my mother & sister went way beyond in their helping with the kids & the overwelling support of my Mudcat friends was the finial lift that helped more than any of you can imagine. What a difference the support from all of you gave to my morality & to my fighting spirit can't be measured. The waiting was a killer but it was your support that really pulled me past that huge stumbling block.
I've got to give my deepest & most solemnly profound thanks to the donor & their family. The history & info on the donor & their family is not given out by the hospital or staff so I'll have to follow it up only as far as they think appropriate & from there on out just honor their wishes & hopefully the donor's family well one day know much they've helped another family. I do know what happened to the person & was told that was more than enough info & please not to pursue it further. So I'll probability have to just let it be.
Thanks Rita so much for your insights into post recovery all your points were right on & well taken thanks, it'll be a great help to me & to others in my further recovery.
NEFFA may be a possibility depending if the Docs' think I'll be able to handle a crowd at that time & depending if the kids feel up to doing it for a day, they need their Dad back again more than their Dad needs a musical moment, probably be pretty much the same for Mystic but I think both they & I will be in a better place at that point in time but we'll still have to play it out by the day. The Getaway will have to be a must if for no more reason than to get to the largest of mudcat gatherings to give an in your face personal thanks to Mudcatters everywhere, both here & abroad, gotta love you guys.
Will post soon, Thanks, Barry