06-29-2010, 10:56 PM
Quote:Stephanie Stewart was devastated when a last-minute
test before surgery to donate a kidney to her father, Brian Stewart, revealed her liver wasn't healthy enough for the procedure.
Her heart was willing, but her liver let her down.
Instead of giving a kidney to her dad, as Stephanie Stewart hoped and planned, it's Brian Stewart who finds himself giving comfort to his devastated daughter.
Just hours before the pair were to undergo surgery at Calgary's Foothills hospital, final routine tests on the 30-year-old donor showed Stephanie's liver wasn't up to the task.
"It was at the last minute they broke the news as I was having my final dialysis session, or, what was meant to be the final session," said Brian.
"Stephanie came in and she was in tears."
Donating a kidney requires excellent health on the part of the donor, to ensure minimal complications as the body recovers and starts to function with a single organ.
One of the tests leading up to the transplant is liver function, and with only a half-day to go before surgery, Stephanie's liver was found lacking.
Thus, the transplant was ruled a no-go at the last possible moment. Stephanie's doctors were unwilling to put their patient at risk.
"They postponed it and they're really not sure when it will happen now, or if it will happen," said Brian.
"Stephanie is working with a liver specialist to find out what may have caused the problem."
It's an emotional kick in the gut for Stephanie, who prepared for the surgery with sweat and tears after making the difficult decision to give her dad a kidney.
Her hesitation wasn't fear of surgery, or qualms about giving up an organ.
As she said, "I would do anything for him." But the donation meant helping herself first.
Stephanie knew donating to her diabetes-stricken father meant losing a lot of weight as a woman of 217 lbs., her body-mass index was too high to ensure a safe recovery.
To donate would take more than courage, it would take immense willpower.
And so Stephanie joined a gym, hired a personal trainer, and changed her entire lifestyle, to one of healthy eating and exercise.
Stephanie lost 65 pounds, making her eligible to donate, and the next steps, ensuring her blood-type and overall health was suitable, all went well.
And so she flew home two weeks ago from Toronto, taking a leave of absence from her job as a book publisher to deliver her dad an awesome gift.
If successful, the new kidney would mean no more dialysis for Brian, who lost the function of his own kidneys last August, after a life-long struggle with diabetes. They spoke about the 61-year-old travelling again, and getting back to activities like umpiring and curling, while playing with his grandchildren.
But the family knew, even as all signs were pointing to a successful transplant, that there was a small chance the surgery might be cancelled.
Constant tests meant something might prevent the surgery.
In interviews with the Sun last week, Stephanie joked about one of the main hurdles to donating: "They tell me I can't be pregnant, so I'm definitely not going to have a problem there."
But a liver problem was totally unexpected.
Doctors say it may have something to do with antibiotics Stephanie was on, due to a recent ear infection.
More tests over the next few weeks will determine if her liver recovers to normal function.
If it does, the surgery will be rescheduled for later in the summer.
If it doesn't, Brian will have to find another donor.
Though the wait means more dialysis, Brian says he's happy to wait.
"I can be patient," he said.
"I don't like dialysis, and it takes up a lot of time, but I can live with that."
For now, Brian says his focus is healing his daughter's broken spirit.
"She's putting the blame on herself, but this is nothing she did," said Brian.
"I told her, it's not her fault, but she just feels terrible."
such news has got to be very difficult on both. It's like a wall
has suddenly been put up in the way of transplant.
Hopefully her liver function picks up and transplant will
resume, sometime in the future.
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