In my last post I had mentioned that they told me I had no antibodies and this was seemingly a good thiing. WELL…since then I was notified that I had been placed as Status 7, meaning that I was not suitable for transplant at this time because of some blood work that they needed to recheck. Once they recieved the bloodwork and did the testing, I would be placed back in “approved” status. After a few days of being frustrated and annoyed beyond explanation, I finally was able to get the sample drawn and sent to Mayo. The test was an additional screening for my antibodies, they wanted to make sure that I really did have 0 antibodies or HLA factors in my blood.

I heard back from Mayo Clinic yesterday, and come to find out I actually have 88% of these HLA markers…I was shocked first of all that they could have made such an error and told me a completely different scenario just 2 weeks before, and second I was devestated! I was thinking to myself…GREAT, now my wait time is increased and everything you guys told me before is now considered crap..right?! So naturally I asked what this meant, and if my wait time would be prolonged. Sandy..my awesome coordinator at Mayo explained it to me like this…when they thought I had 0 HLA factors, my pool of donors was large, because I was able to pretty much match with anyone with Type O blood. Now, the pool of donors that they can pull from has become significantly smaller…as I am now harder to match of course.
Right now the number of people on the waiting list is 7, and only 4 of us are considered active. If a pancreas becomes available and the person at the top is a match and I am also a match, they will give the pancreas to me because I am the harder person to match, regardless of how long that person has been on the list.

Now, they take blood samples every 30 days and do the same tests again because your HLA can change from month to month based on many different factors…if I were sick, or stressed out a lothad a blood transfusion(which I don’t plan on), and even the fact that I have given birth to 3 children will cause the HLA to fluctuate. With all this information I was a little discouraged, they assured me that the wait time was still projected as the same because the list was so short.

I am still trying to decide how to handle everything. I am scared if it does not happen soon, that it will impact the ability to find a job or accept a job. Usually school systems begin looking for new hires in the late summer and if I am living in Jacksonville, I will not be able to apply..much less interview for a job. And if I happen to be here and the transplant has not happened yet…I am scared as soon as I am hired I will get the call and have to leave a new job, classroom and school at the drop of a hat and that would be terrible!! I keep telling myself everything will happen in God’s time and he already knows the date, and the outcome and every minute detail of the process and how it will all unfold….amazing to me that would transpire before I was even formed. I know trusting Him is the only way to have peace, but at the same time….my human nature and mind get distracted by everything that could be, and the “what if”. Clinging to Jerimiah 29:11:)