I got two letters delivered the other day...

[kellyt]

Both were in the same cardboard envelope and delivered by some courier service.

The first letter went a little something like this:

"CONGRATULATIONS, your pre-transplant evaluation has been completed and you were added to the UNOS national cadaver transplant waiting list on 12/05/07."  blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda

The second letter went exactly like this:

"After careful consideration, the transplant multidisciplinary team, physicians and staff reviewed your recent change in health condition and or other psychosocial events of relevance to the anticipated transplant procedure and they determined on 12/05/07 that you will have a change in your listing status.  Your transplant listing status has been changed to the following:   Status atus 7 - inactive or currently NOT able to be called in for transplant due to incomplete work-up".

duh!  All I've had done is my blood test.  I'm still waiting for my dental procedure to be completed (I have to have a tooth pulled in January) and they haven't even scheduled me for my cardiovascular work-up yet.  I had three calls from the transplant unit last week checking to see where I was with my tests.  ?    What a waste of paper!!!!!     

[okarol]

Sheeesh! 

[Sluff]

 

[oswald]

scary to think these people are the decision makers, huh? 

[BigSky]

It seems they were just keeping you informed.


Even though you know your tests are not done, they are just letting you know you are inactive.  However the letter telling you that you have been added to the list is important as it tells you that you are building up wait time.  More time on the list the higher you are on it for a transplant.  This is important because not all tx centers get people added to the list until ALL their pre transplant workup stuff is done.

[kellyt]

When someone is a Status 7 (inactive) are they accruing "wait time"?  I didn't think that was possible.  But if so, then great!

I just have to get this darn tooth taken care of and then I'm off to the cardiologist.  I see the gyno in mid January.  What other tests/doctors will be done/seen?

Thanks!

[okarol]

From http://www.optn.org/AR2004/chapter_vi_AR_cd.htm:
Patients who are reported to UNOS as being temporarily unsuitable for transplant are placed on inactive status and are not offered kidneys until they return to active status. In the past, inactive patients were only permitted to continue accruing waiting time during the first month of inactive status. ... as of June 2003 this policy was changed to permit accrual of waiting time while on inactive status.

[kellyt]

Thanks OKarol.  That is information I had not heard before.

I can't wait to complete my evaluation!