Learning a new language...

So, we began the next phase of my journey, and I began the process of learning an entirely new language -- Transplantese. As a person who had never spent a night as an inpatient in the hospital in my entire life, it was quite overwhelming. But having some documentation from the Transplant Center at Henry Ford, as well as having learned a bit more along the way, I turned back to my old friend, the internet, for advice.

First things first -- What is a MELD score? and how does this mysterious "list" work, anyway? As my education on the web went, these were some of the easier questions to get answered, once I found the right place: http://www.unos.org/

Kudos to the folks that designed this site. For a Pre or Post Transplant patient, or for families, friends or caregivers, this is a well laid out site that provides links for the processes for specific transplants ( http://www.transplantliving.org/ ), a listing of the "rules" that determine who get organs first ( http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/ ), as well as huge amounts of data with regard to survival outcomes, waiting lists, and the like ( http://www.unos.org/data/ ). I won't bore you with all of the details, but I will absolutely encourage anyone who is going through this, or has a family member who is, to take a look!

That site will give you some idea as to what the "list" is (they have separate ones depending on what organ or organs you need). But first, you have to get on the list...