Primary biliary cirrhosis

Yesterday Mary had her port removed. The treatments did not help. She will go on the transplant list within the next week or so. They have told her that she has to be within 45 minutes of the hospital, and she will be on call 24/7. It is a scary time, but also a time of hope. How fortunate that we live near UAB where they are experts as liver transplants. Mary's condition is so rare, that they have only done 4 transplants for this same disease. Our family has certainly had their share of "rare" liver problems.As most of ou know, Kim suffered from AFLP (Acute Fatty Liver in Pregnancy), which is also very rare. I had a virus attach my liver several years ago, but fortunately I recovered. Obviously Mary is not blood related to Kim or me, and what Kim and I had was certainly not related, but all this liver stuff is scary.
Please remember Mary in your prayers. She is brave and strong, and that is to her favor. Also, the reality is, someone must die and donate, and that is a scary thought. Below is an excerpt about PBC.
(PBC) is a disease characterized by inflammatory destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver. PBC eventually leads to cirrhosis of the liver. The cause of PBC is unknown, but because of the presence of autoantibodies, it is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease. Other etiologies, such as infectious agents, have not been completely excluded. PBC has a worldwide prevalence of approximately 5/100,000 and an annual incidence of approximately 6/1,000,000. The prevalence and incidence appear to be similar in different regions of the world. About 90% of patients with PBC are women. Most commonly, the disease is diagnosed in patients between the ages of 40 and 60 years.