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Birth Date Gender Alpha type Alpha gene Diagnosed TX Listed Transplant TX Center Siblings Children Grandchildren |
Pam Hawver I live in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina I was a Sales Consultant for Bellsouth Small Business. My favorite color is Pink My favorite book/movie is Seabiscuit My favorite music is Country and Oldies. My favorite quote "Life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" My favorite pastime is Horses, Dogs, Biking I have a dog named Katie.
8/26/2004 I was diagnosed in 1990 with Alpha-1 and an MZ phenotype. I was told at that time not to worry and that I would probably never have any problems from it. The doctor made me feel like there wasn't anything to be concerned about so I pushed it out of my mind. I also suffered from sleep apnea and blamed my exhaustion on that. I slept with oxygen for almost two years and finally had surgery for the sleep apnea in December 1995. I was still exhausted all the time but kept pushing myself to get through each day. In October 1997 I started having problems with rectal bleeding. After many months of tests I was sent to see a gastroenterologist who then referred me to the MUSC Transplant Center and told I would probably need a liver transplant. By that time I was suffering from ascites, an enlarged spleen, hypertension, and esophageal varices among other things. I was treated 4 times for esophageal bleeds over the next year or so. I was in and out of the hospital over the next two years. I was able to maintain on meds until November 1999 when while in the hospital they wanted to go ahead and work me up for transplant. The only problem was that I had to wait until after January for my insurance to change so that the work up and subsequent transplant would be covered. I convinced the doctors that I had to wait since my current insurance wouldn't cover anything to do with a liver transplant. They didn't like it and didn't want me to wait but understood my reasoning. I was finally evaluated the first week of February 1999 and put on the liver list for transplant on March 3, 2000. I was called in April as a stand by but sent home that same evening. I was again called on May 26, 2000 at 11pm to get to the hospital and this wasn't as a stand-by this time. This was the real thing. I arrived at the hospital around midnight and was up all night having tests and being prepped for the surgery. My liver transplant started at 8am the next morning and lasted only six hours. I was taken to recovery and the tubes were all removed before I woke up. I was doing great. The only problem was that my new liver never kicked in. After 24 hours it still wasn't working. Three times over the next two days they performed a plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) to see if they could "jump start" my new liver. I had already been put back on the list for a new liver an given 72 hours to find one or die. Well, it finally worked and my new liver kicked in and started working and has worked wonderfully ever since. For a short time while in the hospital after transplant I had a problem with blood sugar but that went away before I left the hospital. A year after transplant I had to be put on blood pressure meds. Then in March 2001 I joined a health club and started working out. By July of that same year I was totally off the blood pressure meds and feeling wonderful. My first rejection started in June 2003 and I'm just now getting my meds and numbers back to normal in August 2004. Because of the Prednisone I've gained 30 pounds and am trying very hard to get it back off (sigh). I'm also back on blood pressure meds because of the extra rejection drugs and I hope to get off of those soon. I still work out 4 times a week. I went to the Transplant Olympics in 2002 and in 2004 I also participate every April in the 8K Cooper River Bridge Walk. I am healthy and blessed. I have also had the opportunity to meet my donor's mom. She's a wonderful lady. I don't know what else to say except that I am enjoying life to the fullest and I don't take much for granted anymore.
8/22/005 My labs showed another rejection. Went through the Soludemedrol treatments and had to go 6 days this time instead of 3. Also was put back on Cellcept and Prednisone in addition the the regular drugs that I already take. As of October 2nd my LFTs are back to normal but my Creatinin is still high. I'm being weaned off the Prednisone but am still taking 2000mg twice a day of Cellcept added to the Neoral that I have been on since transplant. I'll sit down with my doctor the end of October to discusss the possibility of switching to Prograf since I've had two rejections in less than two years.
10/2/2005 I still feel very blessed and count every day as something extra. I'm enjoying my 3 1/2 and 16 months old grandsons immensely!
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