Possibility of Postponement

Renee is having trouble getting online at the hospital. We changed rooms yesterday because it was impossible to sleep with all the honking and traffic. The new room is a little better but unfortunately has a very poor internet connection. I heard that there was a library or something on the 6th floor that may have a better connection, so I will check that out today. I know a lot of you will be waiting for updates as the surgery goes underway.... Which  brings me to the topic of today's discussion. The doctor said that they may have to postpone the surgery AGAIN until next Tues. I guess he is having some issues with another patient and if he is able to resolve them today we will proceed as planned. If not, then we will have to wait until next Tues. Frustrating to say the least. But there are some things we have control of and others we don't. 

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering how Renee and my Father are really doing. Renee somehow is doing just fine. I always knew she was a strong person, but this whole undertaking has given a completely new respect and love for her devotion and unwaivering commitment to the people she loves. She never once hesitated and has gone forward with all of this with leadership, strength and courage. Every time I look at her I am proud to be her sister. What an amazing woman and anyone who has her in their life should consider themselves blessed. My dad is in good spirits, but is definately nervous. He misses Susan and Matt a lot and gets a little emotional every time we talk about him. Nonetheless, we are all enjoying each other's company and this time together has been a blessing for all of us. 

Once Renee goes in for surgery. You all can count on me for updates to the blog. We really look forward to all of your comments and it is good to know we have so much support. I love you guys! Keep sending positive light our way. We will be needing it most in the next week.

xoxo,

Neysa

Jaipur, Rajasthan weekend

Neysa and I took a short weekend trip with a girl we met through Kelly and Amy. She works at UOP and was in town from Chicago. She invited us to go to Jaipur with her for the weekend. The three of us went with a driver from UOP so we didn't have to pay for the ride. We stayed at Chokhi dhani which is an "ethnic 5 star resort" that was much needed on my part. It was about a 5 hour ride from Apollo to the city of Jaipur. The resort reminded us of Disney Land- an India part of Disney Land. It was very clean, the air was fresh (more so than Dehli for sure) and instead of traffic waking us up we woke to the sound of birds chirping a great breakfast buffet and a massage at the spa. It was wonderful to have a comfy bed and fluffy pillow. For those of you who want to "google earth" it- it's 12 miles Tonk Road, Via Vatika.
The 5 hour ride was probably the most interesting part. Let me just quickly summarize what we saw... a dead cow on the highway, camels pulling carts, men flocking their sheep/goats, people showering roadside, open sewer drains, people riding elephants, cars/trucks/tractors/bicycles driving towards us on the highway. Our driver told us the men who were sheep herding walk from Jaipur to Dehli and it takes them 8-10 days to arrive. Upon entry to the city we saw the Amber Fort and the We took some pictures and will try and upload if I can do that. Needless to say it was an interesting venture.
Dad did well while we were gone. He said he chased the sisters around and rode camels in the morning. He actually went for a walk by and treated himself to tea at the coffee shop downstairs. He has finished one book already. We're contemplating switching rooms again because he hasn't been able to sleep at night. It might be the traffic. It really is loud here. We know on Thursday we will be moved rooms for the surgery and recovery. I really hate switching rooms after we get to know the sisters and get settled and then we have to move again. Perhaps we could stay on this floor and just request the other side of the hall. We'll see. The day nurse (sister) we have reminds us of an India Lexi. There's something about her features and her kindness. I think it's her smile and her eyes.
They just came in and told dad they are going to do an ultra sound on his kidneys to "predict" how they will act post surgery. I guess they can put dye through him and see how the blood flows to figure this out. I think everything will be fine with them. His kidneys just seem to have really taken a toll through all this.

Review board yesterday

We've had a busy couple of days now and yesterday Neysa and I went to the market to do some shopping. It was very interesting because they had everything from sandals to a butcher shop. We chose not to go too far into the butcher shop because neither of us really wanted to see it. (Not to mention the smell was awful!) We got as far as the chickens and the rooster all caged up waiting for their day to come. We were surrounded by fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and spices. We met Amy and two of her kids at the market. She explained that she loves coming to this market because they can find things they can't normally get in the grocery store. Something like Diet Dr. Pepper and soft toilet paper is a novelty around here. The walls were stocked with boxes of dry food that we can find anywhere in the states. Neysa and I then went to another market where we bought pashmina scarves and Neysa bought me a beautiful aqua marine ring to remember her and out trip whenever I wear it.

Yesterday evening dad got drained again because they wanted to check to see if the infection was gone yet. The Doctor told him he could take just the sample, or since they're already in there they can also drain him. Dad chose to be drained. It's really amazing how big his belly gets. We give him a hard time about having quadruplets in there. We don't know the results of this test yet. We did however receive some great news about the creatinine level in that it has dropped again to 2.4. We are almost there and want to be at 1 by Monday. Neysa and I have been feeding him hepatic (like ensure) and vitamins (Dr approved) to help with this. Not to mention all your prayers are helping!

Yesterday evening we went in front of the review board where we sat at a huge table in front of 9 people who asked us questions. The event was video taped with the video pointing on us. Dad went in first and was out within 3 minutes. He says they asked "How many children do you have" and one of them is the donor? He said "Yes, Renee is the donor". Then they took him out. When I went in they asked a few more questions. They asked "How many siblings do you have?" They asked "Are you donating a part of your liver on your own free will?" "They asked if my husband gave me permission to do this and if he had any objection. They looked in the file at the letter he provided and said they needed it to be a little more detailed and they wanted it to be notarized along with a passport sized photo attached. They reassured me this would not hinder the process any longer but that I should get this paperwork in ASAP. I immediately went back to the room and called Miguel at 7am to request the information. I found it very interesting that they had one of the members on the review panel said "she has more responsibility to her husband than to her father". That's why it was so important to have this information. They then proceeded to ask if my husband was here and where my mother was. I answered that they were back at home. This morning I received the notarized letter from Miguel and forwarded it onto the department. We should be all set!

I completed my last test today- an MRI. It was interesting. I would recommend that if you have any type of claustrophobia that you keep your eyes closed the entire time. I only opened mine once when I got into the tube and I regretted it a little bit. They kept me in that tube for about 40 minutes. It wasn't horrible, I just had to concentrate on my breathing even though they told me "breave nomal". When I breathed normal I guess it wasn't good enough, so I really had to pay attention to my breating. Then they would say "stop breave" I was given head phones to protect my ears from the noises that were created by the machines. When I got out of the machine the man told me "you take short brefs" I told him that was normal breathing for me. I got up and went to the cafe for some cappuccino and a cheese danish (not what I expected but good). Then we took dad for a walk. It's been raining a bit today and the temperature was pleasant.

Not so great news

I'm waiting for dad and Neysa to come back from doing some more testing thinking about the news Dr. Gupta just gave us. He says the creatinine levels are "stuck" and was wanting to know if dad's levels were ever lower than 2 before we left CO. We didn't know because we didn't bring any of that paperwork. Apparently when the levels are up they can go back down if they were down before. In the last two days they have not moved from 2.6 and they've been steadily going down since we arrived. So Dr. Gupta says there's a possibility that dad could need a kidney transplant in a year or so if the liver transplant does not correct the problem. From what I understand the kidneys are compensated when a person has advanced liver disease. They are basically putting in overtime causing them distress. So, the liver transplant could correct the problem or we could also be in the same boat needing a kidney after all this is over. So, in our prayers we will continue to ask that dad be healed and that his body becomes healthy again especially before the surgery. Dr. Gupta says this does not change the surgery date but he will have a kidney specialist come in and meet with us soon.
I could only imagine how awful dad felt in hearing this news. Dad has been a little more emotional lately and Neysa says it's part of the disease. He didn't cry but said "shit, that's all I need right now". We gave him some encouragement but somehow I don't really feel that was enough. Dad's a fighter and I really don't ever see him giving up, but for a split second how could he not be thinking he might as well give up? I know I would.
So we continue on in our day trying not to dwell on this. We want to think positively and recognize that everything is going to turn out just fine. Dad's looking forward to going for a walk outside today. I hope we can make it happen.

Interesting Day

I began my day talking to Miguel about getting me a copy of his drivers license and a passport sized photo to go with the "letter of permission" he wrote for the board. We were finally able to get it together and off to Aarti for review. Aarti came into my room and asked me to come down to the Platinum Lounge so they can start the investigation part of the process. I had no idea what this meant. I grabbed all the paperwork we had brought, my passport and my laptop just in case I needed it. She had me meet with a man who asked me a few questions to make sure I knew what I was getting myself into. It was pretty simple. I also filled out my hospital file information and I was questioned about my family history. Yesterday Aarti gave me a "family tree" that I needed to fill out. It was a blank piece of paper with someones notes and it was a little difficult to understand. Aarti asked why I didn't put my mom's name on this and I told her there wasn't a space for it-Apparently I didn't understand the "family tree" she had requested. So I put my mom down as an emergency contact and suddenly Aarti knows I have a mother. :)STRANGE... Anyways, Aarti also told me I need to do a CT Scan and Ultrasound and I informed her that one of the doctors already asked me to do it and both of them have been done. She questioned if I paid out of pocket and then said it was included in my dad's package. So I asked her to refund the money I spent for my testing. Apparently there was a little miscommunication, or someone was jumping the gun. So, if you ever come here to do what I'm doing through WorldMed Assist then you should know this. I guess I'm ahead of the game. Tomorrow I go for blood work in the morning and a MRI on Thursday evening. I've come to realize that most of the staff (excluding doctors) speak just enough English to get by in their job. If you throw them a curve ball they don't really understand. Dad's been requesting ice water since we got here and has only gotten his point across to one housekeeping person. I'm getting a little sleepy and dad and Neysa are both passed out in the room. We were just talking today about how spoiled we are with afternoon naps, movies and vegging out. We look forward to our meals to sample the interesting things they bring.

Doctor's Update

I'm feeling better every day because we are getting a little closer to Dr. Subash Gupta. We've met with him twice in 24 hours and he actually has a great personality and good sense of humor. He is extremely personable and I think it's fair to say dad and I feel more than comfortable being in his care. Last night (Sunday) he stopped by at 9:30pm. I'm sure he never sleeps! When he came in last night he says that dad's creatinine levels are going down. He started here at 3+ and now is at 2.4. Ideally he should be in the 1's for Dr. Gupta to be comfortable with operating. He said he can operate now that it has gone down, but he would feel better if it was in the 1 range. It looks like the infection is gone or almost gone. Dr. Gupta also told us today that my CT Scan looks good and I will make a good donor. He told us he's looking at doing the surgery on April 2nd. I will go in first to make sure my liver looks good and then dad will start surgery a few hours later. If there is any question about my liver they will do a biopsy and get results from the lab within 10 minutes. The surgery will start early around 7am. Dr. Gupta also invited us to go visit the ICU to see how patients are recovering after the same surgery and to get comfortable with his team. We will probably go there tomorrow.
Lastly, we will have to meet with the review committee this Thursday evening to make sure everything is in place. They want to make sure we're not trying to break any laws or make any money with what I'm doing. We have collected an array of paperwork before our trip to prove we are our mission is sincere. As long as dad is feeling well he will get to go to the board meeting as well as me and Neysa.

Neysa's take on India

I think one of the things I find most fascinating about India is that it has such a strange dichotomy about it. It’s like going back in time one hundred years. With the emergence of a strong middle/upper class, and more focus being directed at their educational system, technology and modern necessities are becoming quite readily available. From what I've seen, there really aren’t “good” or “bad” parts of town. You will see a huge gated mansion with security, guards and barbed wire around the walls- then the next block will be people living in shacks and washing in the river.

I have visited a lot of places and I must say that the driving experience here is one of the most bizarre. First off there are only three lane highways that seem to fit 5 rows of cars, rickshaws, huge busses full of people and livestock, motorbikes, bicycles, tractors, oxen-pulled carts and yesterday I even saw two camels... all on the highway together. It’s quite dangerous because everyone is going different speeds and swerving in and out. I just close my eyes and pray that we don’t hit anything or anyone. None of the roads are straight so I never know where we are going. But I do love watching out the window and watching as the world goes by.

The poverty here seems to be worst than anywhere else I have ever been. Of course I say that every time I visit a place where there is a lot of poverty. But there are shanty towns everywhere, even in the middle of the highway. While stopped at a light yesterday I noticed a man with leprosy on the side of the road begging for money. A lot of the people who beg here are handicapped in some way and leave their severed appendages out so they are visible. It’s really sad and disturbing and they are forced to be so vulnerable in order to be efficient in begging for money. They will come right up to the car and stare at you until you give them something. But the worst is all of the children running in and out thru traffic begging for money and food. I don’t know if giving them money helps them or hinders them by encouraging them to continue putting them selves in such danger. Nonetheless, it is a good lesson in humility and definitely puts life into perspective.

Well I have to go. I think my dad is waking up and we want to go for a little walk today to stretch his legs. I love you guys and will write more later.

Watch what you eat!

I'm starting off today letting you know that the food here in the hospital is already getting old. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, it's just that you really never know what you're going to get! I just had fried chicken for lunch and it came with french fries and a "green salad". The green salad consists of slices of cucumber, tomatoes and onion. I wonder if anyone ever eats all the onion... The fried chicken was good, but I'm not sure how my stomach will like it later.
Dad didn't sleep well last night because of something he ate. They've been limiting his diet and he has always ordered from the "continental" side of the menu. I'm not sure what made his stomach so upset. Poor thing, he was grumbling in pain all night so I called the doctor and he came in to give him an antacid and a pain reliever. The doctor took a blood sample just to make sure there was nothing else infected (he told us this morning the blood test was normal so it was something he ate). He finally fell asleep and was sleeping good until about 7:30am. He's been sleepy all day.
Yesterday dad was determined to go to the park outside to check it out. We got to the gate in the wheel chair and the guard told us "no". So we continued to walk around the hospital to figure it out. If he was feeling better he said he would have scaled the wall anyway. Today we found out we need a "permission slip" to get to the park. The doctor warned us not to go outside at night because of the mosquitoes.

Helpful tips for visiting Apollo Hospital

Where do I start? Neysa and I went out shopping yesterday and we had a driver who's car kept dying. He would just laugh as Neysa gave him a hard time about his car working. We asked to go to the market but then we realized we didn't have much time to make it there and back. So we got dropped of at some "Americanized" stores like ESPRIT and LEVIS and a ton of shoe stores. We didn't find much because we were expecting prices to be a little less, but our mission was to find dad some slippers. We went to a shoe store and found the perfect ones and they guy charged my credit card and THEN put the shoes in my bag. I pulled them out and looked at the size and it said "10". We asked for 8.5. He said "oh that's the right size, it's only size of bottom". Neysa put them on and they looked big, but we proceeded out of the store. The man said we could bring them back if they don't fit. So, they didn't fit. Neysa is bringing them back this morning. On the way back traffic was stuck and so our driver got out and cussed the person out who was stopping traffic and then got back in the car. These people drive 6 wide on a 3 lane highway! It's insane how they zig zag through traffic. They also use their horns to talk to each other. Which reminds me...
We got moved to a nicer room and I will say after taking a shower this morning I am convinced that it is nicer. The old shower used to pierce my skin. However, we got moved from the side where there's a beautiful park to the side of a busy street. Now we don't hear beeping in the hallway, we hear horns and exhaust pipes and teeter teeter's through horns.

So, if anyone plans on visiting Apollo Hospital in New Dehli then we should probably give you some tips. 1. When you order food they always bring what you ordered and another tray with stuff you didn't order. They say it's "complimentary". So I finally figured it out and I'm not wasting as much food. I ordered fruit and coffee today and they brought this and another tray which they always bring in the morning with 2 boiled eggs, 3 pieces of white toast jam, butter and tea. My belly is full. They do the same thing to dad sometimes. I haven't quite figured that out yet. 2. If you are a donor and you have to go get testing done you will need to get the order from the doctors and then go downstairs to gate 4 (outside of the main entrance of the hospital, near the coffee shop) and pay for your test. Then you go and get the test done. You are also responsible for picking up your own test results. 3. If it doesn't change you will know which people do what by what they wear. Housekeeping wears (men) orange and (ladies) purple, Maintenance wears grey or dark brown, Nurses wear pink, Cafeteria workers wear white with a green hair cap, doctors wear slacks and shirts and sometimes scrubs. There's a lady who does guest relations and her office is in the presidential suite on the ground floor next to the hospital entrance. Her name is Aarti. She is the one with Wouter in the WorldMed Assist (http://www.worldmedassist.com/) video on Youtube. She has helped Neysa get anything she needs from a place to stay to a driver. Rides back and forth from her hotel to the hospital are complimentary when Aarti calls a driver for her. She is staying at a place called "Swiss Palm". 4. Don't assume your driver knows where he is going- you need an address to give him (and sometimes that's not even good enough). 5. Always wear mosquito repellant. 6. Lastly, get a Skype account to communicate with people back home. It's very inexpensive to call from computer to LAN line and free to video call. We've enjoyed being able to have conversations with family at home.

Hit the Ground Running!

Dad and I woke up and he looked the best he has this whole time. I was able to sleep for at least 5-6 hours last night and dad slept pretty well too. Today dad did Xrays and an ultrasound and I did a pregnancy test, pelvic exam and blood work. I also scheduled a CT Scan for myself tomorrow. It's so crazy, I went to the pharmacy to get the test and it cost $43 Rupies which is less than $1.00. My blood work was $610 Rupies which is about $12.20. I can't wait to see how cheap the CT Scan is.

Anyways, yesterday the doctor drained dad and found an infection in the fluid. So they've had him on antibiotics for at least 24 hours now. He is complaining about a pain in his stomach but one of the doctors said it was because of the infection. Dad is on limited fluids <1.5l>

We really feel the staff here is taking care of us well. With every nurse or doctor that comes in a few others follow. Dr. Gupta has a team of 10 doctors and I think we've met them all. Dr. Gupta stopped in today for a minute while dad was on the way to the Xray.

Well, we have to go, Neysa and I were invited by Kelly and his wife to come for dinner tonight. (Thanks Terry for hooking us up with them!) The driver just called and said he was here. Because I had so much testing today, this will be the first time out of the hospital. Neysa and I anticipated going to the market today, but that didn't work out. Bye for now...

We've arrived!

It's 7:45 here in New Dehli, we arrived at the hospital late last night and Neysa left to her hotel and we went to bed around 1am. Dad slept really well until staff came in to take his vitals around 6am. We have a view out of our room of a beautiful park. Some men were out there running around before 6am.

Can I say, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED MILES! You paid for both my dad and my trip with donated miles. We flew with Continental in a 777 through "Careforce" and it was amazing. The plane was huge and very accommodating. We had personal TV's with games, music, sitcoms, and movies. Our chairs were comfy and the meal made me want a bigger stomach. Dad did okay. I could tell he was uncomfortable at times, and he was headed to the bathroom about every 2-3 hours.

Upon arrival we were met with a wheelchair. They wheeled us through baggage and customs within minutes and right to an ambulance. Neysa went with the luggage in a separate car. They hooked dad up to monitor his heart and oxygen intake and everything was normal. Then we went to the emergency room and were flooded with questions about his past history and medications. They will continue what the doctor gave him on Sunday because they want to make sure he's moving fluids through his body and make sure he doesn't start having the ammonia affect his brain again. The doctor in the emergency room last night is on Dr.Gupta's team. He said they will probably drain dad today and then Dr. Gupta will come in to see him. Dr. Gupta has another liver transplant today. I asked if there was a possibility that we get in earlier than April 1st and they said it will take about a week to do all the testing, have him see a dentist (?) and have him stable. They want to start the testing after the jet lag is over with.

I don't feel much jet lag but I did feel like I was floating last night before I got some sleep. I'm wide awake this morning and only slept about 2 solid hours. I'm sure it will hit me later.

Oh yeh, did I mention there was a TON of traffic last night at 10pm? People were honking at the ambulance. We had no right of way. The pollution is overwhelming and there's a constant stink in the air. Dad and I were trying to come up with a good way to describe it, but I'll just say, a small mix of sulfur or some type of chemical and a small part sewer. We can smell it everywhere, even in our hospital room. I wish I brought a few bottles of Between the Sheets but I only brought one. I'm sure we'll get used to it. Upon entering the hospital I remembered JoAnn from World Med Assist telling me that India seems to be time warped about 30 years. That's right. There appeared to be a shortage of stethoscopes and blood pressure machines in the ER. The lady brought a scale to weigh dad when we got to our room and (mom) it looks like the scale we had in the bathroom when I was little! Remember the green one?

Anyways, I'm going to venture out into the hospital today and look around. I would like to find the "nice" part of the hospital that was in the youtube video. Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, just really not what I expected.

On Our Way! Thank GOD!

We are in the "Presidents club" or "elite lounge" or whatever you want to call it. We made it through security and had a wheel chair for my dad. Then we had an electric cart bring us here. Dad is doing okay today. He's a little short of breath even when he talks, but has made an enormous improvement since Sunday. He is pretty much back to normal. He is very weak a little yellow and can't even button his jeans because his belly is too big. What a way to fly! I told him to get maternity pants, but I guess he didn't go for that. We have a change of clothes in the bag so he can change into sweats if he wants to.
The medicine the doctor gave us worked well enough to bring him around in 24 hours. It's amazing. He will continue to take that medication through the day and when we arrive in Dehli we will have an option to have him go to the hospital in an ambulance. We'll see if he needs it.
Anyways, signing off for now- We love you all and your prayers will continue to keep us successful on our journey.

Dad took a turn for the worse today. We were over at his house around 2pm and Susan called this morning telling me he is delusional and not talking much. She put him on the phone and I had to talk first. He said "hi". I asked how he is and he said "I'm fine". Susan was able to get him some medication and the gastroenterologist said to take the meds for 24 hours and if he doesn't turn around then to come in tomorrow. The doctor says this is "typical" behavior for terminal liver disease. Susan fed him breakfast and by the time we were there this afternoon I was feeding him fruit. He would put some of the pieces on a toothpick into his mouth, but was unable to actually stick the fruit with the toothpick. He was able to lift a spoon into his mouth after I loaded it with chicken soup- very slowly. He was walking around but not able to hold very much in his hands. I have to admit this adds a little more stress to an already stressful time for us. We should know better- this has been a bumpy ride and we aren't even in India yet! I'm staying optimistic, but REALLY...
Susan called Wouter and told him dad's condition. He said he would call Dr. Gupta and let him know what's going on. We pray the medication will take full effect and have dad feeling better tomorrow. It would be a huge challenge to get him on the plane and have him like this for 19 hours. Neysa thankfully changed her flight so she can meet us in New York. She will then fly the long flight with us.
The whole family was able to stop by this afternoon. We had dinner together and we missed aunt Rosie who is on her way to Denver within the next few hours. Rita and Drina stopped by after all of us left tonight.
I really wish our trip wasn't delayed so he would get this sick, but maybe on the other end we will have our surgery a little faster. Perhaps we will become an emergency surgery since dad's not doing too well.
Keep dad in your prayers so he will come around by the morning. We asked him if it would be okay for him to get blessed before we leave and he said "yes". Sarah's dad, who is a minister is willing to come over tomorrow and give us a blessing before we leave. We called a catholic church to see if he could get anointed and had to leave a message.

Getting Relief

I went by to see dad yesterday briefly and on Sunday. He looked a little better since he got drained that morning. They drained about 6 L as usual. He went to the emergency room and they always tell him they can't take any more than that. Dad says he doesn't know if they are just pulling his leg, but he wishes they would drain more so he could feel that much better. The doctors say they have to keep a certain amount in the abdomen in order to keep the "electrolytes" on balance. Or something like that. I did some research and usually a certain amount of liquid has to stay in the abdomen for proper kidney function.
During our visit dad was laughing and cracking jokes as usual. He continues to lose energy but appears to be in fairly good spirits. He goes to his favorite place to hang out -Alameda (the apartments) and then went to the other apartments on Asbury to "fix some things". Even though he doesn't have much energy he really does use the amount he has wisely! Susan got him a computer with a built in webcam and internet to take on the trip. I'm really excited to help him learn how to get on the internet and start surfing! He will have his own computer while we are in India so he can learn at his own pace. He has no idea how many hours he will be spending on the computer! Ok, I can't really compare him to me, but there really is a lot of interesting stuff out there.

Insurance is on the way!

We're hoping to have my dad's insurance in place by April 1st. I called the University of Colorado hospital the other day and talked to a social worker there named Fabi Imo. She works in the transplant department and has been very helpful in answering my questions. This time I called to ask if they would consider a live donor once the insurance kicked in. She said Kaiser has a program to cover live donors, but she had to go to an appointment. I'm still wondering how long the process would take if we had to start all over here in the US.
As of today we are leaving to India on the 17th so as long as that goes as planned, we will continue in that path. If we are delayed any more I think our first step will be to make an appointment on April 1st with Kaiser. Then Kaiser has to make a referral to a gastroenterologist and then to the transplant center at the University of Colorado Hospital. Who knows how long that will take and whether or not we would have to start all of our testing over again or if they would accept the tests we have already completed.

I saw my dad today and he is very bloated again from the ascites. He plans on going in to the emergency room again this Sunday to get drained. He has been going in to get drained about every 7-10 days because he gets very uncomfortable. He goes to the emergency room because he doesn't have insurance that will cover the draining. The emergency room doesn't expect payment upfront and I don't think they can turn him away. The procedure is costly and every time he goes in to get drained the bill is about $3,000. In the past they have been draining about 6 L of fluid out of his abdomen. Today he was very tired and said he woke up this morning and had breakfast and then went back to sleep. Then he went out for about 2 hours and was exhausted by the time he got home. We read an article about medical tourism today and I left so he could rest.

Today was the day

Our journey started a few months ago when we found out my father needed a liver transplant ASAP. We looked for medical insurance here in the United States and were unable to find anything that would cover him quickly. My father is self-employed and has been for a long time so he doesn't have health care in place. He also has Cirrhosis of the liver which is considered a pre-existing condition.
Finally we looked into "medical tourism" and found www.worldmedassist.com which is a program based in CA that connects people like us with doctors overseas. We have gone through the process and approved for the program and I have been chosen to be the donor for my father. WorldMed Assist allows us to do a liver transplant if we have a blood related, living donor to provide half of their liver. Luckily the liver regenerates itself quickly in both myself and my father.
So today was the day we were scheduled to leave to New Dehli, India and we received a phone call from Wouter at WorldMed Assist on Saturday telling us that the doctor can't do surgery on us until the beginning of April. Although it was a big surprise, it's great we knew before we made the trip and had to hang out at the hospital for another 2 weeks. We already have to be there 2 weeks early to do testing for surgery.