Diane Scheuer got a second chance at life at 61.
The Clarks Summit resident, now 66, was in her mid-30s when her doctor noticed she had elevated liver enzymes and diagnosed her with primary sclerosing cholangitis, or PSC, a chronic disease that damages the liver’s bile ducts. Mrs. Scheuer knew she might need a liver transplant at some point, but circumstances weren’t dire.
Courtesy of Michael J. Mullen, The Times-Tribune.
“It wasn’t good news, but you take the medicine and just cope with the thing you have,” said Mrs. Scheuer, who eventually ened up on a Philadelphia hospital’s transplant list.
As time went by, her liver enzymes increased. She started to face issues with fluid and swelling, so much so that she could no longer bend her knees and needed a walker to get around. Since Mrs. Scheuer’s liver didn’t filter her blood, ammonia built up in her system and caused confusion. Her abdomen filled with fluid and pressed on her lungs so much she couldn’t breathe. Her skin became fragile and peeled off, and the whites of her eyes turned red.
With her health rapidly diminishing, Mrs. Scheuer’s local doctor urged her to seek a different hospital with a shorter transplant list to increase the chances of getting a transplant.