New Heart, New Liver, New Life

On February 1, 2007 at 4:30 in the morning, Kelli was called in for her heart and liver transplant surgeries.  After being on the waiting list for a year and 2 months, the call brought mixed emotions...Relief that the waiting was finally over and fear to undergo such major and dangerous surgeries.  Stifling her tears, she overcame the fear and yet again showed her courage in the face of adversity.  Due to her delicate and complicated condition, it took two surgical teams 16 hours to complete the procedure.  Six days later she went code blue and only the swift action in the ICU kept her alive until she was back in the OR for emergency surgery to repair vessel hemorraghing.  This was one of the possible dangers and complications that had to be dealt with because of all of her previous open-heart surgeries and one of the reasons other transplant centers turned her down.  Only Cedars-Sinai physicians had the courage and skill level to take Kelli as a transplant patient and succeed.

Kelli spent two weeks in the CSICU and a total of 49 days in the hospital, undergoing every test and scan known to medical science to keep tabs on her health and recovery.  Weekly biopsies to check for signs of organ rejection, daily dialysis until her kidneys finally kicked back in and, of course, constant blood draws for lab work and large quantities of medications.  She will be on anti-rejection medications for life.

Words simply cannot express the gratitude Kelli and her family feel for her receiving the "Gift of Life" organ donations. Out of tragedy comes a positive thing...to save the life of another.  The passing on of another life is no longer in vain or meaningless.  It is like two spirits joining together to create an even more fuller, beautiful spirit in the eye of God.  It is truly an amazing and beautiful thing.  Organ donation is a true blessing to the giver as well as the receiver.  It is the kind of thing that spawns miracles.

 
First day and last day in the Cardiac Surgical Intensive Care Unit

 
In her room on the 6th floor of the North Tower and in the recovery room after surgery to repair a groin incision

 
First non-restrictive meal (baked potato, rice, enchilada) and dialysis boredom

 
Looking outside toward Hollywood (East) and looking outside toward Beverly Hills (West)

 
Looking outside toward the Hollywood Hills and after 4 weeks, a shampoo & haircut

 
Untangling my matted hair before it could be shampooed & cut was a monster of a job

   
Mark Ault, MD, the ultimate master of doing PICC lines & paracenteses and in the fluoroscope room

 
Out of my room using a walker and walking without help...yea!

 
On the 6th floor bridge from the North Tower to the Saperstein Critical Care Tower

 
Outside with Amanda on the plaza level and at the nurse station next to my 6th floor room

 
With Dr. Czer & Brenda and with Linda before transplants

 
On discharge day with Dr. Klein, Dr. Schwarz & Dr. Colquhoun and with Paul, Amanda & Inna

 
In my room with Dr. Schwarz and Dr. Colquhoun

 
With Dr. Trento and Bernice

 
With Dr. Uman and Dr. Mittleman

 
With my brother and my mom & dad

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