Liver News, December 2014

Liver News

First off, I am deeply moved and grateful to all those who responded to my first request for a live liver donor six months ago (“Spare a Lobe?”).
For various reasons, mostly having to do with subtle mismatches in the precise placement of ducts and arteries, four of my five prospects have been found unsuitable. And while the last prospect is still being evaluated, my doctors have encouraged me to find some back-up donors.

This is a HUGE thing to ask–just the evaluation takes two days at UCSF–and the operation itself involves risk, pain, and extended recovery. None of it sounds like fun, except for the magic of liver regeneration.

Prospective donors must be between 18 and 60, have blood type A or O, be in reasonably good health and not be excessively overweight. Donor must also agree be tobacco free for the six weeks prior to the surgery. Taller people have a better chance at being a match.

The UCSF site is www.ucliverdonor.org

They have a questionnaire (said to be “serious”) to get the ball rolling. They ask for my birthdate, which is 4/14/47.
Phone is 415-353-1888 or 415-353-1377 (Ana Marie Torres).

Meanwhile, the exceedingly skilled UCSF radiologists are buying me time by poisoning my liver tumors directly–and while there is a limit to how many times this procedure can be performed, so far so good.
Solstice blessings for all.