The Devastating Diagnosis: Recognizing the Signs of Liver Disease and Liver Failure
Sherry Patterson began experiencing physical symptoms she initially believed were caused by stress. She started feeling unwell and vomiting blood, which she initially attributed to an ulcer or stress from planning a large event. But her symptoms worsened, leading her to the emergency department. From there, she received a shocking diagnosis: Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver.
The Wait for a Liver
The severity of Sherry’s liver disease kept climbing, and she was referred to a health system in Columbus, Ohio and placed on the transplant list. For more than two years, Sherry waited for a liver. She was called for a potential transplant but was turned away because she was awaiting mammogram results. Her condition deteriorated, and she was sent home for palliative care, with hospice care soon to come. Her brother-in-law moved in to help take care of her.
Transfer of Care: UC Health’s Transplant Team Brings New Hope
While at home in hospice care, Sherry was interviewed for a local news story. A UC Health physician also featured in the news segment contacted Sherry after the interview. They discussed her case, and he recommended she be moved to the transplant list at UC Health.
Soon after that call, Sherry transferred her care to UC Health.
Liver Transplant Evaluation and End-Stage Liver Disease
At UC Health, Sherry underwent a rapid liver transplant evaluation. Her transplant hepatologist and the multidisciplinary transplant team confirmed she had end-stage liver disease, a critical stage of liver failure requiring urgent care. This fast-track evaluation is part of the UC Health liver transplant program, which is known for accepting donor organs that other centers might decline—giving patients like Sherry another chance at life.
She met with the care team on a Monday in October. By Tuesday, she was on the transplant list at UC Health. Her condition was critical, and her vitals were so poor that her family feared she wouldn’t make it through the weekend.
“Time was crucial in Sherry’s case. Our unique donor evaluation process enables us to accept organs other hospitals might reject and match them precisely to patients. This approach gives our patients the shortest liver transplant wait time in the region,” said Cutler Quillin, MD, Sherry’s transplant surgeon.
On Friday, her doctor called with incredible news: they had a liver for her. Thanks to a match with a deceased donor liver, Sherry was going to receive her transplant just in time.
Sherry Patterson lives in West Chester, Ohio.
