"Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt-(TIPS)"
By: Madonna Lynn Short.
In late-December of 2006, I became restless and unable to sleep for seven days. My
husband noticed this and asked me to rest beside him. I laid beside him with my eyes remaining open, I was determined not to go to sleep. My nerves began to relax causing me to fall asleep. A few hours later, unexpectedly I was awakened by our dogs. They were pulling me by my hand, arm and hair. I
realized that I was being dragged across the
floor. The smallest dog, "Sweet Pea" pounced on my chest, waking me up.
I awoke thinking my husband was
cooking bacon. I smelled a strong odor of bacon cooking, heard bacon sizzeling in a pan, as I called out to my husband, "Billy, are you cooking bacon?" I got up from the floor, as I realized I was beside the bathroom. The door was slightly opened. I pushed it open, revealing the most horrific scene anyone could ever witness. The toilet bowl was overflowing with blood. The entire bathroom floor was completely covered with two to three inches of blood. My husband''s body was laying on the floor, halfway in the shower, covered in blood, vomit and bloody-feces.
I realized what I thought was the smell of bacon, was his blood. The sizzeling was from the shower water pouring down on top of him. I quickly called, "Emergency 911". The paramedics were on their way, arriving within a couple of minutes. They immediately took him to the hospital. Where Doctors and Nurses frantically worked to save his life. They informed me that he might not survive the episode, as they continued-working. I was in a state of shock, yet focused on him. I kept talking to my husband as they worked on him, encouraging him to survive.
Eventually, they stabilized him enough to send him to Intensive Care. He was in I.C.U. for about three days. Then he was placed in a semi-private-room, for overnight. Then he was sent home. His diagnosis was, "He had Cirrhosis of the
Liver, Hepatitus C, Portal Hypertension and Esophagal, Liver and Stomache
Varices". I was shocked when the Doctor asked me, "How much did my husband drank of Alcohol?" He has not drank alcohol in "20-Years", prior to that he was a heavy-drinker. My question was, "Why, after so many years would this be affecting him now.
He was released and sent home, not cured of his illness. He had "three" more episodes of "massive blood loss". The last time, the Doctor feared he was not going to survive. He was flown by Life Flight on a private jet. I was allowed to fly with him, after gaining approval. He was flown to "Vanderbilt Hospital" in Nashville, Tennessee. He was stabilized then taken to surgery. Where a "Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt ", known as a "T.I.P.S." was inplanted in him. This "T.I.S." is a temporary method of creating a new passageway for blood by inserting the stainless steel shunt, through his severely scarred liver. This is an attempt to relieve the pressure from bleeding varices in his esophagus, liver and stomache. He was given medication to lower his blood pressure, and to reduce distention of the varices. This seemed to have helped him a great deal. Though we have understood it is only temporary. He would need to have a "Liver Transplant". He is undergoing a variety of test and exams to become an "Eligible Candidate for a Liver Transplant".
People need to be tested for Hepatitus C, to know if they have it or not. Cirrhosis can occur even if you do not consume alcoholic beverages. Cirrhosis is the eighth leading cause of death by disease in the United States, killing 25,000 people or more each year. Some people may not experience symptoms of being in ill health. The sooner you began treatment should you have the disease of Cirrhosis or Hepatitus, the better your chances for a cure. I would like to see more people become organ donors. You can be a "Live Donor", donating a kidney or liver. Your body will heal from donating a portion of your liver in six to eight weeks. Meaning you and the recipient will have a full grown liver at that time. Provided the body does not reject the organ, nor is there an infection, the Transplant is usually a 80% to 90% success. Donating blood is also very important and lifesaving.
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