turanga_leland

There are a ton of factors, but in summary there are 7 status levels and you're placed according to severity of current illness. I'm status 4, which at my hospital means an average wait of one year.

And I have often joked that I'm holding out for a robot heart! Alas, we're not there yet, but I hope that is in the near future. Pig organs also have a lot of potential, which seems weird and creepy but they're remarkably similar to us and could be used to essentially carry an organ tailored to the recipient.

Fingers crossed!

I'm really hoping for an option other than a deceased donor in the future if my new heart fails again. I think there's some promising technology and that keeps me hopeful. Some days I feel like I'm not up to the challenge, but I want to live. Even being disabled and having all of the issues I have, I love life and I never take it for granted. I just wish there were more options for everyone needing a new organ.

According to google, about $1.5 million. I'm sure it's higher than it was for my first two due to inflation and additional treatments. I support universal healthcare and having caps on profits for pharmaceutical and insurance companies, which I believe would lower the cost. If I weren't insured, I would not have been listed.