Seven Years After My Liver Transplant, What Lies Ahead?

In spite of my recent blog whines (apologies), I'm still amazed at the miracle of modern medicine. At the beginning of December I'll celebrate seven years with my transplanted liver. SEVEN! I would never have imagined that this liver, which vexed me with so many complications for several years after my transplant, would prove to be strong enough to last this long. Granted, I have cirrhosis now (curses, Hepatitis C!) yet I've survived longer than I expected and I'm incredibly grateful to be here.

That said, do I have seven more years here on Earth? I doubt it, but there is little information for patients like me who are still alive many years after transplant. Furthermore, I want information that addresses Hepatitis C and cirrhosis in my transplanted liver.

For me, not knowing what to expect is torture. I'd like to know if I'll experience the same physical symptoms I had prior to my transplant. Also, I'm curious about my MELD score, which has been fairly consistent for the past two years. Will it slowly increase? How much longer will I live - I don't want an exact answer to this question but a general estimate would be helpful.

I'll continue to search for information and will share it in this blog.

Photo courtesy of Bayek, London, UK