I wasn't sure if this had something to do with her liver - although I suspected it did.
[T]he fluid buildup will probably continue to be a problem.
We had no idea of the road ahead. Well, primarily, we had no idea of the speed that we would be travelling down that road. Unfortunately, neither did Becky's hepatologist, so we were completely unprepared for most of the speed bumps, detours, and roundabouts we came to along the way. Several studies that I've read suggest that an average rate of progression through the various stages of liver disease is about 7 years per stage. Becky went from the first stage, NASH (non-alcohol-related steatohepatitis), through fibrosis and cirrhosis, and finally to end-stage liver disease in a matter of months. Our heads were spinning.
One measure of the health of a liver that has started to show signs of fibrosis is something called a MELD score. The MELD score is a standard calculation primarily based on several numbers from blood work that indicate the overall health of the liver. This score is used to give an estimate of the patient's expected three-month survival rate, as well as being used to prioritize the patient on a transplant list. Once Becky was admitted to the ICU in Dallas last November, her MELD score quickly rose into the 30's, which would suggest an average three-month survival rate without a transplant. As fast as things had already progressed last year, I suspect that would have been a generous estimate. Fortunately, Becky received that transplant in November, and we can move on to a more uplifting part of the story.
In contrast to a year ago, or even a few months ago, events continue to remind us of the progress Becky has made on her recovery:
- A few weeks ago, Becky bought groceries for her brother and left them on his porch as he was dealing with another round of COVID - a sign that she's not just surviving but is back to being able to take care of others.
- We also had a chance to babysit our newest grandbaby a couple weeks ago, and we tried to have three of the grandkids spend the night a week ago until we had an outbreak of strep throat in the house. Side note: Everybody, including Becky, is on the road to recovery from that.
- I was able to flex my work schedule so we could go to a minor league baseball game on July 3rd. We stayed for the whole game and enjoyed the post-game 4th of July fireworks show. This might have been the first time since last summer that I was able to flex my work schedule for fun and not to make up for doctor visits, hospital stays, or time at one of the various emergency rooms we've had the opportunity to visit.
- Becky has been able to do more cooking - for just the two of us as well as for the kids when they come over to visit.
- We were able to make a short trip to Oklahoma to visit my dad over the July 4th weekend.
A lot has happened in a year, but we really do feel like we're finally getting back to something closer to normal. The doctors are still adjusting meds. We're still learning that Becky doesn't have the stamina that she used to. We both plan to start some regular exercising and walking. We're working towards a goal of being able to take the kids and grandkids to Disney in the next year or so, so we both need to get in better shape. All of that is certainly more encouraging than seeing if we can string together a couple weeks without a trip to the ER or hospital.
In closing, I have to once again say thank you to all the prayer warriors out there that helped us through this journey. We don't even know some of you. You may have heard Becky's story from somebody at work or church or from another of our family members, and you joined her fight through prayer. Whatever brought you into our story, we feel you. We appreciate each and every one of you more than you will ever know.
