02/12/2025
I am delighted to provide an update regarding my/Stacey's health status and express sincere appreciation to everyone who has offered support and prayers during my 9.5-year journey thus far. I am profoundly grateful for the love, assistance, and encouragement I have received from all of you thus far. Upon my initial diagnosis with liver cirrhosis stage 4 on August 15, 2015, I surrendered my situation to my Savior Jesus Christ, trusting in His will and providence. This has indeed been a journey, but with God's love and guidance, the support of each and every one of you, and my family's support and love, have made it easier to get to this point so far in my journey and am improving every day. I am pleased to report that my recent procedure to remove the internal/external bile duct drain tube was successful, and a stent was placed to facilitate bile drainage and expand the severely restricted bile duct. I will require this stent to be in place for approximately six months, after which its effectiveness will be reassessed. My medical team has explained that this is a potential complication for transplant patients, but fortunately, it does not impact or impede my recovery process, which is progressing well. We are now focused on restoring my bloodwork numbers to my normal, which is gradually improving. I hope this update provides insight into my current condition. Normally, my wife Stacey handles the updates, but due to her recent shoulder surgery on Tuesday, which was successful, I am taking on this responsibility, hopefully I do a decent job explaining. Stacey's surgery was successful also and did not require a shoulder replacement, and her condition is being managed with pins, screws, rods, plates, etc. Unfortunately, we are currently apart, with me in Summerville because of several doctor appointments throughout this week and Stacey in Lexington with our son Player/Michaela . So we look forward to being reunited on Thursday evening, because we have rarely been apart this long (maybe we really do like/love each other 😂). I am grateful for my wife's love and support throughout our almost 41 years together, especially throughout this liver journey. She has handled everything from scheduling appointments, explaining everything to me (which is medically illiterate), ordering medications, transporting me to/from all my appointments, partially because of doctors not wanting me to drive since May'23 because of some complications developed from the liver disease. She has done all this and much more, basically leaving me to concentrate on staying as healthy as possible up to the transplant and now recovery. I thank God every day for blessing me with Stacey, my wife, my lifelong partner, my best friend, mother of my children Larry, Caroline, Player, and grandmother (TeTe) to our precious grandbabies Eliza, Livvie (I call Birdie), Ensleigh, Huntley, Emmy, William (I call Lil' W***y), and Hudson. This experience has reaffirmed my faith in God's providence and my love for Him.
••Sorry for the long post.••
God Bless each and every one of you!!
Larry
