Comments for Bob's NewHeart

Comment on Should Alcoholics Get Liver Transplants? by jEnNa

jEnNa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:59:30 +0000

Everybody deserves a second chance to live but I think that we have to prioritize people who has pathological diseases to get the transplant first than alcoholics. I think it is a choice to become alcoholic. I used to drink alcohol when I was younger (heavy consumption of alcohol) but I was able to stop. It was my choice to stop drinking and it’s been 5 years and I still don’t drink alcohol. It is not fair to give the organ to a person that never took care of him/herself because a lot of people out there that are more deserving.
For cancer patients, depending on how they got it. Again for liver cancer, if they are a chronic smoker then they should be the last one on the list and give it to person who took care of him/herself.
I was gonna donate my organs before but I changed my mind when I asked the Organ donation center if I have a choice to not to give it to alcoholics but she said “no and it is given to people who matched my organ wether they are alcoholic or not.”
sorry Bob but that’s just my opinion.

Comment on Controversy: Mandatory Organ Donation, No Exceptions. by Bobby Digital

Bobby Digital — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:25:25 +0000

Giving it to the government. More like donating it to save a life.

Comment on Should Alcoholics Get Liver Transplants? by Monica

Monica — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:14:21 +0000

Hello Bob your article is amazing! My step father recently discovered that he has stage 4 Cirrhosis and he has 6 months to a year to live. I really just need your advice to be honest. He hasn’t had a drink in 8 months and I believe he will never touch one again. our next step is to see if we can get him on a transplant list. However, I am just terrified that he won’t be a candidate. What do you recommend? Do you know any good sites? Or do you know any good transplant places we could go to? I just really don’t know what to do? Do you think there is any way of saving him?

Comment on What Minorities Need To Know About Organ Donation & Transplantation by 迷你倉

迷你倉 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:29:27 +0000

Thanks for the information. By 迷你倉

Comment on UNOS — A Failure At Increasing Organ Donation by Bob Aronson

Bob Aronson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:37:20 +0000

As far as I know you do not have to be hospitalized to be eligible for a transplant. I was on the list for only 13 days when I got a new heart and I was neither 1A nor hospitalized at the time.

bob

Comment on Cellular Memory — Organ Recipients With Characteristics of Donor by Bob Aronson

Bob Aronson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:35:28 +0000

It is possible but there doesn’t seem to be much medical evidence that so called “cellular memory” is real. There are several reported individual cases of this happening but medical professionals are skeptical about it.

Comment on Should Alcoholics Get Liver Transplants? by Bob Aronson

Bob Aronson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:33:37 +0000

Unfortunately people who are chemically dependant are beyond your personal control. They must come to the realization that they are powerless over their drug of choice and it is killing them, Furthermore they must have a very strong desire to live. Usually this cannot be done alone, a treatment program or regular AA attendance are the only medically accxeptable methods for helping addicts whether the drug is alcohol or heroin. The best you can do is urge him to get help or arrange with a professional for an “intervention” which may be the difference between life or death.

bob

Comment on Should Alcoholics Get Liver Transplants? by Carter

Carter — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:46:29 +0000

My brother has alcoholic cirrhosis. He is a hard-working father and husband who, by his daughters admission “has always been there”. He only recently understood/admitted his drinking problem, and only about a month ago learned he had end stage cirrhosis. Two and a half years ago he successfully completed a 30 treatment program. He was sober for about a year and a half. He then fell off of the wagon only about 3 months ago to go back into a treatment program. Unfortunately, he had to be rushed to emergency with pancreatitis. He recover pancreatitis, only to remain very sick until his diagnosis of cirrhosis. He has worked at sobriety. He will get the hang of it given the chance. The challenge is that he only has 3 months soriety, and no recent 30 treatment program. His MELD score is somewhere over 20 and he is decompensating rapidly. What I am hearing often is that he did this all to himself and is really not worthy of giving a chance. He certainly does not fit the typically perception of an alcoholic, but I have yet to uncover a transplant team who would even consider him without 6 months and a 30 day treament program. My brother wants a chance to continue his growth in mastering his sobriety. He wants to satify the requirements and in fact hit a homerun iwth sobriety, but he may not live long enough. How does he do a 30 day treament program when he has hardly been able to walk for the last month? I am a breast cancer researcher and I have yet to uncover any primary research indicating any disparity between survival rates of alcoholics to non-alcoholics post-transplantation. I have spoken to friends on other kind of transplant teams and they feel the strong sense of morality in allowing someone onto the waiting list. Minus the alcohol, I know few more moral people than my brother. I am clearly frustrated on how I may fascilitate a truely good person to have the chance they deserve.

Comment on Cellular Memory — Organ Recipients With Characteristics of Donor by kathleen babb

kathleen babb — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:15:31 +0000

Hello . my sister just received bone marrow from my other sister a month ago .Both are very differant in personalities.Im seeing a big difference in personallity of sis with lukema who got transplant .Is it possable the transplant gave her traits of other sister too ? thank you

Comment on UNOS — A Failure At Increasing Organ Donation by Lynn Kendall

Lynn Kendall — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:17:16 +0000

Status 1A should not be mandatory Hospitalization, If the transplanting team coordinator & the numberous Doctors recommends status 1A and the patient can be safely maintained at her apartment without spending useless months waiting at a hospital then the STATUS SHOULD be granted. This person LIVES 3miles purposely from the transplant hospital and has been maintained infection free at her apartment. Why does UNOS not look at this option ? Her insurance will not pay for just this hospitalization unless warranted plus it will subject her to possible infections and emotional stress !
UNOS Please Help ! Change Status 1A to include outpatients with documentation by transplant teams.