Updates on Marty

October 14, 2000
Jumping Hurdles

Marty comtinues to amaze not only our family
but also the doctors that are members of his transplant team. His lab work continues to be steady, they are beginning to lower the dosages of some of the medication that are wiping out his immune system, and he has not experienced an serious setbacks.

He did manage to catch a bug that gave us a bit of a scare, but give a course of anti-biotics, and he is doing fine again.

He is lookingforward to going and spending some time with his son next weekend at our annual deer hunt. He has a lot of restrictions still, so Josh is going to get a work out, but it should prove to be a great male bonding kind of thing for my two favorite guys!

Aug 12, 2000
Marty had the pump/shunt removed Thursday, 8/10!

The surgery went fast and with no complications at all. Marty was up and walking and talking, hungry too, in a matter of just a few minutes.
He continues to recover well!
The doctor said they will begin to reduce some of his meds next month. this will be a long process and ultimately takes around 2 years. But just knowing that he is doing well enough to think about the reduction is great news for us!



AUG 7,2000
Marty continues in his successful recovery.
He will be going in for surgery on Thursday to take out the shunt that helped him through that last month.
Blue Cross continues to be a problem for us. They are still insisting on $70,000 for the transplant. Not that it isn't worth that, but we did have a contract for much less. We will continue to fight them for the coverage they agreed upon.



Marty had his liver transplant on May 31, 2000.
He was out of the hospital in just 8 days.
He is continuing having his blood monitored while they try to adjust the medications that he will be on for the rest of his life.
These medications run $1400 a month right now.
The tests run $1000
Total on the hospital and medical bills is not in yet.

We took Marty in for a minor surgery on Thursday June 29.
He needs to have the shunt that kept him alive during May removed. It isn't bothering him, he just doesn't need it anymore. However, the surgeon that was to perform the operation was busy doing a kidney transplant. We felt that was much more important and so we are having to reschedult Marty's surgery.

Congrats to the lucky person receiving the transplant!