Merle & Me: A Liver Transplant Story

05/11/2023

Merle & Me have joined in the American Liver Foundation's Liver Life Walk in Atlanta on June 10th -- and you can help!

Do you wear a Fitbit or track your steps? You can join Team Merle & Me and help raise money for this extremely worthy organization. They have been crucial with support for not only me, but also for the other 10,000 Americans who are waiting for a lifesaving liver transplant, their families, friends and loved ones.

I know some of you are far away, but you can still join the team, track your steps and help raise funds for the team without attending the actual event. Just visit: https://liverlifewalk.org/atlanta/support/ and click "Join Team." Then share that you're raising money for Team Merle & Me on your social media and let's see how much we can raise!

Don't feel like walking? Feel free to just donate! You can do that on the page or through my GoFundMe (just add a note its money towards the walk!) Or just share our fundraiser to help out -- that's free!

Meanwhile, you can keep up with all the goings on in the world of Merle & Me by visiting the site, www.merleandme.org. Much love to all of you and thank you for your continued support!

Support - Liver Life Walk Atlanta

03/31/2023

Brand new blog up taking you through all the amusing bits of the latest hospital stay. Learn how to visit the ER like a pro, hear all about how inconvenient my illness was and follow along in Merle & Me's latest hospital adventure!

In 2022, I was hospitalized three times and had seven emergency room visits. There probably could have been more, but I honestly got to the point where I just couldn't be bothered. Additionally, I was working for a compa...

01/28/2023

Yay! Tuesday is paracentesis time again!

My record for fluid has been over 6 liters -- place your bets down as to what we'll get on Tuesday.

A video on what you can expect when undergoing paracentesis.Faculty or student at Stanford Medicine? Reach out to us on our website, http://med.stanford.edu/...

12/14/2022

What kind of chronically ill gal would I be if I didn't round out the year with a trip to the emergency room? Learn all about fun times in the ER, the joys of passing out in a busy UPS store and see hilarious photos of me doped up like a champ while wearing my best Prince t-shirt. It's all on the blog at Merle & Me! https://merleandme.org/blog/f/blackout-monday

12/01/2022

Today's Top Phone Call:

Me: "Hello?"

Caller: "May I please speak to Karen?"

Me: "That's me."

Caller: "Miss Lloyd, this is [NAME] calling from the Emory Liver Department of Transplant."

Me: "Oh holy s**t."

Caller: "I'm calling to confirm your next appointment for lab work in December."

Me: "Awww, man. It's Saturday! I thought you were calling me with a brand-spankin' new liver!"

Caller: "Sorry, honey. Not today. Maybe Santa will bring you one."

Me: *sighs*

11/26/2022

Even Jeopardy is getting in on the Merle love...

10/11/2022

Learn all about the new cutting-edge transplant surgery I'm under investigation for, what the heck a split liver actually means and my morbid fascination with asking other sick people, "What are you in for?" while hanging around waiting rooms. It's all on the Merleandme.org blog!


https://merleandme.org/blog/f/a-split-decision

It's the curse of the liver transplant patient: you're going to start spending a lot of time hanging around hospitals. It's a fairly peculiar worldview, spending your time around doctors, nurses and other sick people. Ho...

10/04/2022

YES!! My cousin, Alan, got his transplant call! He'll be having his liver transplant surgery this morning. That's one liver down, one to go for our family!!

It's also National Liver Health Month and my birthday month -- but the presents are going to help others. For my birthday, I will be donating 1/2 of all donations received during the month of October to Emory Transplant and the Georgia Transplant Foundation!

Help me to raise money to help others in this situation and help Emory Transplant continue their research. Please share my fundraiser wherever you can and donate -- every single dime counts.

09/14/2022

Nurse: "Lloyd?"

Me: "Yes ma'am. What did I win?"

Nurse: *laughs* "Well, it's only 10 vials of blood today. That's winning, right?"

Me: "Goody gumdrops. Let's roll."

09/04/2022

It takes guts to be an organ donor. Literally. Be somebody's hero and sign up for organ donation today -- find out more on the Merle & Me blog!
https://merleandme.org/blog/f/you-know-what-takes-guts

07/20/2022

New blog post is up at MerleandMe.org! Learn all about the perils of sodium, find out what's officially off the menu and even grab a few healthy recipes while you're at it. Don't say we never did anything for you.

https://merleandme.org/blog/f/feeling-salty

Let's face it: salt makes things taste good. This isn't really news, considering humans first started using salt on their food about 5,000 years ago. Although it was likely to have been a sure-fire method to preserve foo...

07/04/2022

New post is up on MerleandMe.org! Step right up and read all about the liver disease weight roller coaster, see the biggest pants available at Walmart and hear about my reaction on being told not to skip dessert...
https://merleandme.org/blog/f/fat-girl-slim

A lot has changed since I started on this laugh-in-the-face-of-death journey to liver transplant nirvana, not least of all my weight. With the increase in medication and switch to a healthier, plant-based diet, I'm start...