This started out as a regular old post, but then I decided to make it a Twitter thing. And then I thought it might be easier to see it here too. I am nothing if not indecisive.
Also it looks terrible on my home page and don’t know how to fix that problem, but maybe if I type a bunch here it will stop showing hyperlinks to the tweets in the preview?
Maybe? (It worked!)
It's #NationalDonorDay ! A big shout out to my fellow living donors. I'm going to share the story of how I volunteered to donate more than 1/2 of my liver to my dear husband. pic.twitter.com/98GSBR3WRl
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
Before we met, Derek was diagnosed with a rare disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis & told it was slowly but surely destroying his liver. https://t.co/45iEC4csMT
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
Then we fell in love. In 2010 we got married. We bought a house. We went to work & played outside & he kept getting sicker. pic.twitter.com/b2aPbCrCf5
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
In October of 2013 he was admitted to the ICU after he nearly bled out. His liver was failing. It was finally my chance to see if I could help. pic.twitter.com/QMCIayGuoB
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
The transplant list is long & scary (https://t.co/xA5QGx1HdB) Patients like Derek are often at the bottom of a long list. We felt living donation was our best option for his survival.
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
I should also mention that I am a very competitive person & I wanted to be Derek's donor more than I have ever wanted anything. He was my person. I couldn't lose him. (Photo by @GretaRybus !) pic.twitter.com/xAeUQsOTJ0
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
The first step was a blood test, we needed to have the same blood type or I needed to have Type O. (The Rh part doesn't matter for organ transplant.) pic.twitter.com/So85AMm49h
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
On April 14th, 2014, we got up very early & listened to AC/DC's Thunderstuck on the way to the hospital, sharing a pair of headphones to get pumped up. (I'm listening to it now, to get pumped up for this tweet storm.) https://t.co/LtJp5hHS5y
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
The removed 60% of my liver, then removed 100% of his liver & a few hours later, we were officially two people sharing one liver. (Selfie taken an hour before.) pic.twitter.com/jYbyNWdZHU
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
The 1st few days were painful for both of us, but we were both pretty happy to be alive. pic.twitter.com/HFU78DB9WV
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
He was taken back into surgery to try & fix the problem & it worked. Until it didn't. (This is what it looks like when your bilirubin is real real high.) pic.twitter.com/0ZyEAVMh7j
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
On day 8, they let me go home, but Derek had to stay. It was the sickest I'd ever seen him. pic.twitter.com/8Omm2UBp6B
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
His new liver was working, but it was struggling. They put him back on the transplant list. This time near the top. And we waited. pic.twitter.com/TL1xbld5Xt
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
On May 12th 2014 I passed the baton to another donor. A young man died & his mother made the decision to donate his organs. Derek got prepped for his 3rd major surgery in one month. pic.twitter.com/Pg1hUPiWx6
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
And then, Derek started to get better. pic.twitter.com/bVG9trBiXl
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
And better! pic.twitter.com/MI3ylooIkM
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
He runs now. Almost every day. pic.twitter.com/n6QuEs5neL
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
He pushes his body to the limit because for him, the pain of running is always better than the pain of being in a hospital waiting for an organ. pic.twitter.com/0whg3k32yU
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
Derek is alive & thriving because of donors. Donors who make it possible for surgeons & nurses to give sick people another chance to live the life they've always wanted to live. pic.twitter.com/uw7Xn0Xbv1
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
A donor made it possible for my dear dear husband to fulfill his lifelong dream of snowboarding off a roof, among other accomplishments. pic.twitter.com/oThTUerCLU
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
Thanks for reading! If you have questions about what it’s like to donate part of your liver, I am always just a tweet away. (Pictured below: My liver! Before on top, one year later on the bottom.) #livelifegivelife pic.twitter.com/3gX144I9Zu
— logan m. (@loganpass) February 14, 2018
Logan M. Shannon 