Mikes' TIPS procedure

     Mike had his TIPS procedure done on April 5th 2018. We went up to the University of Utah to the Interventional Radiology department to it put in. The Dr explained to us that they will go in through his neck down to his liver and up from the groin area to the liver.This procedure takes from 1-4 hours. They had to do a paracentesis to drain the fluid from his abdomen so they had a clean area to work with, they pulled 5.5 liters out before they did any thing else. The procedure took 3 hours to complete, and then they took him up to the ICU department.
      I have a secret I HATE hospitals! I joked with Mike that while we were dating the dinner and movie on Fridays were wonderful but the ER afterwards I could have done without. ;-) You would think that I would be used to them by now and for the most part I am but I just have a hard time sitting there helpless.
     This surgery was different, when I walked into that ICU room and saw Mike hooked up to all the machines and had all the IV's in his arm it was like a glimpse into what is going to happen. What he will look like and even worse when he gets the liver transplant, I was scared! The ICU is very different then just a regular hospital room, the nurses spend a lot more time in the room and they do a lot more tests. Mike had what they call an A line, IV's are inserted into veins and the A line is inserted to the Artery in your wrist. The cool part of the A line was that his heart beat and blood pressure updated with every beat of his heart. I sat and watched this for a long time watching his body do what bodies so fascinatingly do.
     Mike spend a few hours in one ICU unit and then they had a patient come in that needed the room more so he was transferred to a different ICU room. I got a call from the Hospital right after I got home and my heart started beating faster, I was worried that something wrong luckily they were just telling me he had been moved.
     April 6th & 7th Mike spent the day in the ICU they kept telling us he would be moved to a regular room but they didn't have rooms open. The U of U hospital is very big and busy.  About 1:00 the Dr came in and gave the OK for mike to be released but told us not to plan on leaving for a few hours it would take her that long to get the orders in. At 3:00 they came to move Mike into a regular room. We giggled that he would only be going to that room for an hour or two I didn't see the point.
Mike started to have a new pain in his stomach and so the Dr decided they wanted to keep Mike overnight again and Mike was ready to stay and I just wanted him to come home eventually the pain went away and the Dr again gave to OK to send Mike home.
      Mike had changed his clothes, we were packed up and we were ready to leave when the nurse walked in and told him he needed to get back into his Hospital gown, he needed to go down for a CAT scan because they night have a LIVER for him. (JAWS Dropped!) We asked her again to make sure we heard her right. they had a liver coming to the hospital and Mike and 1 other patient were being scanned to see which one would receive the Liver. The other recipient is higher on the list then      Mike but the CAT Scan would show who would be a better fit for the Liver.
We were so Shocked!!! Could this really be happening. We were told if he got a liver we should plan on 12-18 months. He is not sick enough! Could he really be getting a Liver this soon?!?!? we were told the Surgeons were looking at the Liver and the scans at 7:30 and by 8:30 we should know if he was getting the Liver.
     The next 3 hours felt like a MONTH!! we told our parents and a few other people what was happening and I know they all lived that Month along with us! We had so many prayers being offered on our behalf and we could feel those prayers. Mike asked the nurse if he could have a blessing, 2 male nurses came to our room and gave Mike a blessing it was a short but strong blessing.
He was told whether or not he got the liver we would be OK and the Heavenly Father was aware of him. His room was by the helipad and about 7 pm I heard the helicopter land and had the strongest impression the liver was on that helicopter, it was so strong I was almost in tears. Did this mean Mike was getting the Liver. I have always had a hard time knowing if the feelings were from the spirit or me, but i really felt like the Liver had just landed.  By 9:00 we had not heard anything and I started to think Mike was not getting the liver. I was starving not eating much for lunch and now its 9. I joked with Mike the minute I leave to get some food the nurse will come and let him know the decision, and sure enough the minute I left the room to go get food the nurse came walking down the hallway. I walked back into the room and told Mike he didn't get the liver, The nurse followed me in and told us that Mike didn't get the liver.
     The Liver it was a better fit for the other person. I think the nurse was expecting us to be devastated but we had such a strong spirit there we were OK with the decision. If the other person was a better fit then they were the right one. In those few hours while waiting we talked a lot about the What If's, deciding we would be OK either way. Mike kept saying " there are 3 families involved is this 1) the family who just lost their loved one 2) the family who will be disappointed they didn't get the liver and 3) the family who has just received the Liver changing their lives.  we talked a lot about the first one, the one who lost their loved one and how amazing they are to be willing to give the gift of life even in their heartbreak.
     Because Mike didn't get the liver he was able to go home, so again the orders were put in for him to be discharged and we left stopping only to get food because we were both starving!!
      We learned a lot tonight. We learned he could get a liver at any time, we need to get more money, we need to be more prepared for when it does come and we need to have a bag packed so we can just grab it and go. This was a dry run, a glimpse into what will happen when his time does come. But the most important thing we learned is that everything is in the Lords time and we just need to be prepared for when its the right time. We want to thank everyone who has support us through all this!
 

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