Posted on 01/30/2005 7:09:13 PM PST by doug from upland
FREEPERS -- the story of a young Marine is below. Loma Linda is a half hour away from me. Leave messages on this thread, I'll print it, and I'll deliver it to his wife at the hospital.
Marine, Iraq Veteran, Receives New Liver
Yahoo News ^ | 1/30/05 | BEN FOX, AP
Posted on 01/30/2005 6:35:36 PM PST by kattracks
LOMA LINDA, Calif. - With little time left before his organs would likely fail, a U.S. Marine received a new liver Sunday for a mysterious ailment doctors said would kill him if he didn't get a transplant. Doctors operated on Lance Cpl. Chris LeBleu, who had been in a coma and on life support, for nearly 12 hours Sunday after an unidentified donor from New Mexico was found late Saturday night.Doctors said the procedure went well, said Sgt. Jennie Haskamp, spokeswoman at Twentynine Palms, where LeBleu was stationed. He was in critical condition late Sunday.
In the hospital lobby, his 21-year-old wife, Melany, found comfort in photos of her wedding last fall, shortly after LeBleu returned from Iraq (news - web sites). Despite her fears, she has remained optimistic since her husband's illness was discovered earlier this month.
Several of LeBleu's commanding officers, fellow Marines and other family members huddled with his wife Sunday as they awaited the outcome of the operation.
Burt Parham, who is related to LeBleu by marriage, said he expected bad news when he got the call that a liver had been found.
"It was kind of a worried ring, but we were glad of the news," said Parham, who lives in the family's hometown of Lake Charles, La. "It's a shame somebody has to die. But I mean, it's God's will, I guess. We sure have been praying for Chris."
The cause of the infection is unknown. Dr. Donald Hillebrand, a liver specialist, said LeBleu most likely caught a virus or was exposed to a toxin or chemical in Iraq or after his return.
LeBleu, 22, was a rifleman in Iraq for seven months as part of a 2,200-man task force that lost 21 people and had nearly 200 wounded in action. His battalion commander, Lt. Col. Matt Lopez, said he wasn't aware of any other members of the unit with similar ailments to LeBleu.
Fellow Marines call him "Blue," and say the Marine kept a cool head as his 160-man company guarded a base near the Syrian border.
"He's a real resilient guy, the most relaxed, confident person you'll ever meet," said Lance Cpl. Rob Whittenberg, 23, of Spring Branch, Texas.
The infection developed gradually.
In mid-December, just months after he returned from Iraq, LeBleu told his new wife he felt tired, a little under the weather.
Still, he was strong enough to drive them home to Louisiana for the holidays from his Marine Base in Southern California, going for 36 hours straight. On Jan. 2, he found the strength to go wild boar hunting with relatives.
"We kept telling him to go to a doctor, but he said it was just a sinus infection," Melany LeBleu said. "Of course, we didn't think it was anything major."
Days later, he felt much worse during the drive back to the Marine base at Twentynine Palms. In Texas, LeBleu felt so nauseous he had to pull over. They made it back to their home on the base, but he didn't get better.
On Jan. 10, she took him to a base emergency room, which sent him to Loma Linda University Medical Center, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles.
"He couldn't keep anything down, not even water," she said.
As recently as Thursday, he was jaundiced and swelling but could still answer questions, Hillebrand said.
Within 24 hours, however, he was no longer coherent and had to be put on life support.
Without a new liver, his other organs would have started to fail, his doctor said.
About 17,500 people are waiting for liver transplants in the United States, Hillebrand said. LeBleu's family and friends had sought a liver from someone with O-positive blood as a directed donation, outside the usual waiting process.
"It's hard to see your husband in that situation," Melany LeBleu said. "You can't even describe the feeling."
___
Associated Press Writers Doug Simpson and Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Get well soon, I'll keep you in my prayers.
(and thank you for your service!)
Please get well!!!
Please get well!!!
Keeping this hero and his family in my prayers. May God be with all of them and may they feel His presence and love. With Him, miracles happen. May they continue to have strength, courage and faith.
Look at the times of both my previous posts and tell me that's MY fault!
For two days it is typical that a transplant patient is listed as critical. I just called the hospital, and that is where it stands.
Blue, (may I call you that?,) my very focused prayers are with you and yours, as you go such a tough route. I first would like to thank you for your brave, self-less, loving, giving, HONORABLE, COURAGEOUS service, and gift of it, to me and this great country--all us Americans (and the world.) I hold you up in my heart SO high--how very proud I am of men such as yourself. SO VERY PROUD. Blue, you will get though this. I know you will. Piece of cake. You've seen and been through similar and worse and have come through IN FLYING COLORS. The Lord is holding YOU and yours in His loving arms through it all. The Lord will see you through. The Lord will give you STRENGTH. The Lord has been with you, good man, all along. There are MANY Americans that are holding you in their prayers. Please KNOW that, and please let that give you comfort and ease your worry and pain. One last thing, Blue. I went through a very tedious, major liver surgery in California about ten years ago and have a couple dozen metal clips in me that clank around. I was with liver transplant patients, and the chief of liver transplant ops for the very distinguished hospital I went to, is who worked on me. THE LIVER TX DOCS DO WONDERS. I was completely blown away with their AWESOME expertise. You are in VERY good hands, Blue. You will be healed. You're strong. Oh, and guess what? They had to open me up over a foot's worth (big, nasty scar--I like it,) and my surgeon said to me that she had only ONCE had such a difficult time cutting through abdominal muscles to get the liver out. I said, "Doc, when was that?" She said, "When I once worked on a MARINE." LOL. I was outwardly in very good shape at the time, not knowing that I had such a big problem internally. The liver is a miraculous organ. The only one that can regenerate. Pretty cool, huh? Blue, you are VERY much on my mind and in my concentrated prayers. You have the Lord Above. God loves and watches over you. Thank you again for everything you do, proud and great MARINE Blue. Prayers up. Louisiana's calling. Heal quick.
Bump.
Late to the thread, and it seems you already delivered the messages to him Doug. What a thoughtful idea you had doing this!
I just wanted to add my prayers and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
I printed the entire thread up to 147 and left the link. They can see this one and later messages.
Sorry I was late too, Doug. Thank you for your beautiful thought of asking for, and delivering our FReeper prayers to "Blue."
I'm sure they will see all the messages.
Late, but still sending more prayers & best wishes for Chris and his family.
Thank you for your service.
Thanks so much, again, Doug. :-)
Checking in for an update and to give this thread a bttt.
Prayers up for this Marine and his family and loved ones.
Thanks DfU for keeping us posted and delivering as usual.
Posted on Mon, Jan. 31, 2005
Doctors: Recovery chances good for Marine with mystery ailment
LOMA LINDA, Calif. - Doctors who performed a liver transplant on a Marine who came down with a near fatal infection after returning from Iraq said Monday there are no indications of organ failure and the odds are good he will make a full recovery...has some recovering to do but all indications show he will return to the Chris his family has known," said Dr. Donald Hillebrand, a liver specialist at Loma Linda University Medical Center."http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/10774955.htm?1c
Thanks for the update.
Yes sireeee!
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