Boris was at the threshold of life and death when he needed a liver transplant. Today, he lives a full life and is grateful for the great care he received at Barnes-Jewish Hospital when he needed it most. |
At the Threshold of Hope
“I remember the day that I could no longer get out of bed. I started wondering what was happening to me. The doctors said, ‘Until we find you a liver, we’ll make you as comfortable as possible.’ It’s a hard thing when you suddenly realize you’re at the threshold of living and dying.”
It was in 1999 that a routine test showed the first signs of liver failure in 70-year-old Boris “Bo” Prstojevich. Bo was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. “I never drank to excess, never smoked. I was healthy, so I wondered what the heck I did wrong?”
For more than five years, a team of doctors at Barnes-Jewish Hospital helped keep Bo’s cirrhosis in check. In 2005 the inevitable happened—only a liver transplant could save his life.
At Barnes-Jewish Hospital, transplant candidates receive the one-on-one attention necessary to help them prepare physically, emotionally and financially for the major issues involved in transplantation. Transplant team members partner with patients and their families every step of the way, from management of the disease prior to transplant through transplant treatment and vital follow-up care.
Bo did get a second chance at living. “I remember my parting words in the preparation room right before surgery. I said, ‘Do what you can—and if it doesn’t work out, thank you for trying.’”
On April 11, 2005, Bo received his new liver, In the years since, there have been no setbacks or organ rejection. “Dr. William Chapman and all the doctors involved are very competent and made me feel comfortable. The support staff was always reassuring me that I was doing great. I feel they took special care of me—even sometimes when I got out of line and wasn’t be being a very good patient!”
“I have to feel lucky that I’ve come this far. And I’m grateful to the Lord, to the transplant team, to those people who give to The Foundation, and I specially thank my wife Georgia and my family for their love and support.”
Give where care matters most! Support transplant patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital by making a chartiable gift to The Foundation today!