Come on! I'm on!

GREAT NEWS!!

Toronto JUST called my dad (like 2min ago). He's officially on the liver transplant list!

Remember - that means that my dad can go into surgery as soon as a liver becomes available or until I'm confirmed as a donor.

Thank you sooo much God! You had me slightly worried - not gonna lie.

Transplant status update

As mentioned before, my dad is waiting for the results of an ultrasound before he's given the official notice that he is on the transplant list. Once he is on the transplant list, he'll wait for a call to go into surgery. That could happen at any point a liver becomes available.

I start my interviews and testing sometime in the next two weeks. My first interview hasn't been confirmed yet. I have to wait until my dad is officially on the transplant list before I can start my interviews. If I try to start before hand, I'll be put through a general interviewing process (with a group of other candidates) - more like an information session.

Mom brought home a massive packet for me to read all about "The Living Donor". I need to read the whole thing.

Apparently, it will take 8 weeks of tests and interviews before I'm confirmed as an eligible donor. If by that time my dad still needs a liver (he didn't already get one from a deceased donor), as soon as I'm confirmed, my dad and I will go into surgery.

What are the chances a liver will become available during the 8 weeks Josh is testing? Where is Brian on the transplant list?

Glad you asked! I have no idea.

So - it looks like we still have a long road ahead of us. Its likely that my dad will get sick again in the next 8 weeks and end up couped up in the hospital once again.

Until then, my mom says dad is doing very well! He's been walking all over the house, up and down the stairs and eating a ton of food! None of that was possible 8 days ago.

Thank you God so much that your blessing dad with some much needed rest and relaxation! I pray that during this time, you'd renew his faith in your promise - your promise that you'll take great care of him and he'll be a better man for it.

Safe at Home

Sorry for the delay.

Dad got home safely on Friday night. He's so happy to be home. He's sounding a bit better than he did last week in Toronto. You can hear it in his voice. His voice sounds more like Brian again.

I'm just waiting to get instructions from mom on who to call to reschedule my donor appointment. We're still waiting for the official confirmation that my dad is in-fact on the organ transplant list.

In the car

Dad's on his way home. He said the ultra sound went horrible today. Very painful. He's still in a quite a bit of pain in the car.

When I asked if he was on the tansplant list yet, he said he hasn't been given the 100% yet. He'll know early next week. Again, they are pretty confident he'll make the cut.

More info to come when I'm off work.

Home Sweet Home

My dad has his last appointment tomorrow afternoon. Shortly after the appointment, he'll know whether he'll be on the transplant (again, the doctors are 99.99997% sure he'll be on the list). As soon as my dad has official confirmation, the doctors told him to head home.

So, my parents will be on their way home tomorrow afternoon and will be home by tomorrow evening. We're supposed to have a much needed family dinner on Saturday night to celebrate. I'll be sure to take a few pictures and post to the blog.

Thanks so much again to all of you for keeping yourself in-the-know on the blog and praying for us. Its so great that I can inform you all in one single location and not have to field a million and a half questions from a million and a half people all the time.

You all mean so much to my family. My dad will be reading the blog this weekend. I'll let you know what he says.

If you want to say anything to him, maybe just comment on this blog entry for him to read!

Immeditosisly?

Just heard from Dad.

He was released from ER midway through the day. The tests and x-rays showed that nothing at all was wrong with dad, except a belly full of fluid which is nothing to worry about as long as my dad is careful with his medication and diet.

They made both their appointments today and both went very well. My dad is so excited!

The head doctor himself said that after the last test on Friday, my dad will 99.99% be on the transplant list. He'll know for sure on Monday of next week. Once dad gets the official notice, he's allowed to come home to Ottawa. The Toronto doctors will airlift him back to TO as soon as the surgery is booked.

Dad said, "We cancelled your [Josh's] appointment on November 12. We have a number you have to call 'immeditosisly' to reschedule for a much earlier time."

'Immeditosisly' now joins 'I have no ass hole' in the vocabulary of a dying Bloomfield.

PEOPLE. I'm starting to get a little anxious about this. Of course I'll give dad half my liver. I'm kind of obliged to as he's my dad - and the most awesomest dad ever - with or without an ass hole. But it's so much easier said then done. I hate hospitals, needles, IVs, short-fat-indian nurses (see 'Nurses Who Suck' on the left bar)...

Straight up - I don't want to talk about it until the moments I'm being wheeled in. So don't mention it to me - unless you want to pray for me.

I'm assuming that my appointment will be bumped up to be sometime in the next two weeks. If I get approved as a donor, I'm assuming it will only be a matter of days before the surgery. Oh boy. This is so awesome for dad.

Shortly, I feel this blog will transforming from 'the story of my dying dad' to 'confessions of a dying dad's wimpy son'.

If I actually do this surgery, I'm totally getting a sweet tattoo... a dotted line outlining the scar with the little scissor icon near the bottom of the outline with the text, "For dad's liver, cut here."

In the ER

Mom just called. She took dad to the Toronto General ER. He has an awful pain in his chest and in his stomach. Most likely, the fluid has started to accumulate in his lungs and abdomen and is becoming unbearable for him.

I feel so bad for my dad... he's trying so hard to just live a normal life just for a few days... but he just can't escape the reality of his situation.

ER said they were going to take some chest x-rays and see whats going on. I'd hate for my dad to end up in a hospital room alone in TO. I really miss him.

This could be it for dad - he could be in the hospital 'till the surgery. This is huge because the recovery is 3-6months - most of which is spent in quarantine while his immune system is eradicated.

If you know my dad at all, you know how unnatural it is for my dad to stay still for 2 minutes - let alone 6 months. This is going to be so difficult for him.

Please pray that my dad's health stays good enough for him to make the rest of his appointments this week, that we'll be able to get this transplant started in the next couple weeks, and that my dad will have a miraculous recovery.

They made some magic for us!

Great news! Dad met with the doctor and the appointment went really really well. My mom says, "They made some magic for us!"

They had their appointment today at 1:45pm with Dr Renner - the head transplant doctor. When my parents arrived for their appointment they were greeted by two nurses who were very happy to see Brian again. They said, "If we knew you were coming, we would have arranged more appointments for your during the week. Lets see what we can do..."

The nurses went to work and were about to book three more appointments for my dad.

Wednesday, Oct 15, 12:30pm - Transplant Coordinator
Wednesday, Oct 15, 2:00pm - Social Worker
Friday, Oct 17 - Ultrasound

By Tuesday of next week, Dr Renner is confident that my dad will be on the official transplant list! This means that as soon as a liver is available, my dad's surgery can be arranged.

Their appointment today was with the head doctor and with the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist has a few very minor concerns about performing major surgery on my dad. They found a minor issue with his heart (a leaking valve? - apparently very common in liver patients) and mentioned some concern about his Kidney's. But all in all, they were both confident that my dad will do just fine!

Next week, I head to Toronto to relieve my mom of dad-duty for a few days. Hopefully, my appointment (scheduled for Nov 12) can be bumped up to sometime next week. As soon as I'm confirmed as a donor (which shouldn't be long, though I'm not sure of the timeline), I'm hoping we can be in surgery within a couple weeks.

Mom says, "Tell everyone on the blog I say hi!"

Nothing yet

Just called mom for an update. No answer.

I'm assuming that they are at the hotel getting ready to head over to Toronto General for their appointment. Or, they are there already and can't answer the phone.

And just to clear up some confusion about my eligibility as a donor. I've been confirmed as a compatible blood match for the transplant. However, this does not mean that I am 100% compatible. There are a few other minor factors that must be reviewed including my body mass, physical condition, and mental condition. Once those reviews are done, I will be confirmed as the donor. I'm pretty confident that everything will go well. My first appointment is Nov 12. More about my eligibility will be available then.

No ER yet

Turns out my parents never made it to the Toronto General. My dad was given some pain medication at the 'hairy canary' hospital in Scarborough. He was feeling much better.

My parents checked out of their suite in Scarborough and found a hotel that's only a few minutes walking distance from the Toronto General ER (which they should have done in the first place). There, they'll stay until their appointment tomorrow at 1:45pm with the head doctor of the liver transplant unit. Exciting!