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Episode 49 reaction

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1. Mi Rae's grandmother changed from being against to being lovable and caring.

- It is great because it shows us what it means to be human.

- Many of the audience hated her for only thinking about "order in the family registry" and failed to understand their culture and traditions and time (she's a senior, her time was different).

- But after everything was fixed and they all agreed to it, she immediately dropped it and showed how caring she can be.

- That is what it means to be human. We are not perfect. We have different experiences. As I've shared before, I was able to relate and understood Mi Rae's grandmother because I've seen it myself with my own grandparents … and we're not Koreans … we're Filipinos living in the Philippines.

2. Mrs. Lee (mother) and Shim  Hae Jun (Lee Yoon Jae's wife) against them donating.

- This is similar to the previous item (see above) but this time it is way more personal than a "family register" / "legal relationships".

- Shim Hae Jun is correct, Lee Yoon Jae no longer owns his body alone, his wife also owns his body. In the same way that Shim Hae Jun's body is also owned by Lee Yoon Jae. They are husband and wife after all, one body, one spirit, an independent family.

Yoon Jae should discuss it first with his wife.

Is Hae Jun being selfish? No. They also have to think about their own family. Donating is good, it is a selfless act. But there are also potential side-effects that we can not predict, and can affect the person long-term, possibly even permanently. Itself can break their own family … or cause a rift between families later on.

Simply put, it is not a simple decision, there are a lot of factors that should be considered. And as a married couple, the decision should be unanimous.

Having said that …

3. Is Lee Hyun Jae being "stupid" for deciding immediately to donate?

Not at all.

He is a lawyer. There is no doubt he already considered everything before making his decision. He also discussed it with his wife, Hyun Mi Rae and she deferred to the decision of her husband.

3.b. Is Mi Rae being inconsiderate?

No. I'd even say she is completely torn. As a wife and soon-to-be mother, she of course doesn't want her husband to donate. The risks are there and the risks are unpredictable. She no doubt thought about their new family, like "what if something happens to Hyun Jae?" He may need a complete organ later in life. You never know.

At the same time, she loves her mother and without an organ donation, she will die.

It was wise for Mi Rae to defer to her husband because she herself can not make that decision.

Which brings us back to Hyun Jae. He made the decision because it would be very unfair for his wife to do it.

Even though they did not discussed it fully, Mi Rae fully understood the situation. Whatever her husband decides, she accepts it fully. If later donating would affect him, she won't make a big deal about it. If he decides not to, she won't take it against him.

It was a fair decision as a married couple.

Let's put it into a personal perspective: If I was in Hyun Jae's position and my wife is in that situation, I would choose not donating, I will find other ways.

4. Mi Rae's mother refusing

That's my position as well. If I were in her shoes that's how I would react and make a decision. As the eldest, and in this case the parent, how can you let your children sacrifice a part of themselves so you can live longer, especially when there is no guarantee to the donor … long-term … they won't be affected by it later in life?

It should be the other way around. As the elder/older, we lived our lives and all we want is to impart our knowledge to the next generation so they too can live their lives. Our time is shorter. Sure, we also want to live longer but we also know the mistakes we've done to our body and as such we are aware how far our body can take us … regardless of "new organs".

And here's another. It is never good for parents to outlive their children. No matter what your religion is, or lack thereof, the children should be the one grieving for their parents and has the duty to continue their [good] legacy.

If we already have the science and technology to repair organs or grow new ones, then sure. It becomes a matter of money (such technology would be very expensive). But currently?

Try to understand the position and logic of elder/older people and/or parents.

It's no different from a husband-wife relationship. A husband who truly loves his wife would rather die and carry all the hardships than to see their wife go through it. Yes, wives also feel the same for their husband. But at the end of the day, it is much better for wives to live longer than their husbands regardless if they have children or not. Women go through a lot--since they were little girls--you deserve to live longer.

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All together.

It showed us:

A. Being human
B. Complexities of human relationships
C. Delicate situation of familial (and legal) relationships
D. East Asian (ASEAN, China, Japan, Korea) familial and extended family relations

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Risks Associated with Liver Donation

Even though live liver donation is considered a very safe operation, it involves major surgery and is associated with complications, which may include:

  • Possible allergic reaction to anesthesia
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Nausea
  • Wound infection
  • Bleeding that may require transfusion
  • Blood clots
  • Pneumonia
  • Bile leakage, bile duct problems
  • Hernia
  • Scar tissue formation

In rare instances liver failure, which may require transplantation, and death may occur.

Source: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/transplant/programs/liver/living-donor-liver-transplant/what-to-expect.html

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What are the possible risks or complications of living liver donor surgery?

Any surgery performed under general anesthesia comes with certain general risks, including:

Additional risks associated with liver surgery include:

Does donating part of your liver shorten your life?

Under normal circumstances, you don’t lose anything by donating a part of your liver. Your liver grows back to its normal size in a matter of weeks. The energy resources it uses to do this won’t shorten your life. The surgery itself is relatively safe, but there is always a small risk of complications or death. The risk of death to living liver donors is 1 in 500.

What other potential disadvantages should living liver donor candidates consider?

  • A long recovery period with lost paid time off or lost wages.
  • Some amount of pain and discomfort, despite medication.
  • Anxiety and turmoil about the outcome of the surgery.
  • You won’t be allowed to drive for three to four weeks.
  • A lifelong scar (or several smaller scars).
  • The possibility that the transplant may fail.

Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21083-living-donor-liver-transplant

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What are the Benefits of Living-Donor Liver Transplant?

There are many benefits of  living-liver donation, including:

  • Living-donor transplant helps save the lives of people with end-stage liver disease. And it increases the number of  livers for people on    the transplant waiting list.
  •    
  • Living-liver donors can feel good knowing that they've had a huge impact on  another person’s life.
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  • Living-liver donors and transplant recipients can schedule surgery at a time that works for both people.
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  • Flexible scheduling allows the transplant to occur sooner. This can save  valuable time spent on the liver transplant waitlist and reduce the risk of the liver disease from getting worse.
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  • Because they are receiving a portion of a healthy donor's liver, recipients typically have improved long-term outcomes and quicker recovery times.

What Are the Risks of Living-Donor Liver Transplant?

Surgery of any kind carries basic risks. Keep in mind that UPMC’s renowned liver transplant surgeons have experience with complex cases. This knowledge allows us to reduce the risks of complications during liver transplant surgery.

It is on a rare occasion that a complication would occur during living-donor liver transplant that would require further corrective surgery or medical treatments.

Some risks of living-donor liver transplant may include:

  • Bile leakage — this occurs in a small subset of living-liver donors and most often resolves itself. Doctors can also aid the healing process by placing a tube in the liver.
  •    
  • Infection — some living-liver donors may get an infection at the site of surgery. If this happens, our transplant team will watch over your condition to reduce  health issues.
  •    
  • Organ damage or other problems — living-liver donation can also cause organ damage, further complications, or even death in very rare cases.

Living-liver donation can help more than 14,000 people currently on the waiting list. Living donors can make a life-changing difference in many lives. 

Source: https://www.upmc.com/services/transplant/liver/living-donor/benefits-risks

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The surgery requires general anesthesia and a large abdominal incision. During the procedure the liver will be exposed so that the proper blood vessels and bile ducts can be safely disconnected. Then a segment of the liver will be dissected out, the cut surfaces will be cauterized, and the segment will be removed for transplantation. In donations to adults, the gallbladder will likely also be removed because it is connected to the right lobe of the liver; this does not typically cause any long-term complications.

The surgery lasts approximately four-six hours. At the end you will be closed with internal sutures and externally with steri strips, tape, or glue. In rare instances staples will be required.

Recovery from Living Liver Donation

Liver donors do not typically experience any serious long-term complications, in part because the liver is unique among the body’s organs in its ability to regenerate. After giving part of one’s liver, it will eventually return to close to its original size. The most rapid regeneration occurs in the first six weeks after surgery—during this time, the liver typically returns to about 80 percent of its original size. Growth will continue for up to a year, at which point the liver should return to about 90 percent of its original size.

Source: https://www.mountsinai.org/care/transplant/services/living-donor/liver-surgery-recovery

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