Teacher Living Life to the Fullest While Awaiting Liver Transplant

In addition to working two jobs, Kristi Bayliss was taking classes to complete her teaching degree. She thought her workload was the reason she felt tired all the time. Then, one morning as she was brushing her hair, she looked in the mirror and she realized the whites of her eyes were gold.

That was in 2004. Bayliss was diagnosed and treated for hepatitis. Still, she continued to feel extreme fatigue and began experiencing memory loss. By chance, an acquaintance suggested to her husband, Andy, they see a specialist in gastroenterology. The doctor ran a panel of labs and as soon as he read the results, he called Bayliss on the telephone. She recalls him saying, “I don’t know how you are still alive.” A liver biopsy followed, leading to a diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis.

The cause of autoimmune hepatitis is unknown. It is an inflammation in the liver that occurs when the immune system attacks the liver. Symptoms can include fatigue, abdominal discomfort and joint pain. Along with these symptoms, patients can experience weight fluctuation, indigestion, swelling of the stomach, as well as sleeplessness and even more fatigue. Prednisone was prescribed to tamp down the symptoms.

For 20 years now, Bayliss has tried to stay as healthy as she can. She exercises, eats well and avoids alcohol. Initially her team of doctors thought she would need a liver transplant at the 10-year mark. She has beat those odds, and she attributes her success to her healthy lifestyle choices and what she claims is her stubborn spirit. For example, when there is a choice of a night out with friends or opting to stay home and rest, she often chooses to go out. As she tells her husband, “I can either stay home and not feel good, or I can go out and not feel good but feel good around my friends.” She feels that her tenacity to push herself actively, socially and at work gave her that extra 10 years before her liver needed a transplant.

Bayliss’s team of doctors have monitored her closely for the past 20 years. She explained that each liver patient gets a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. This is a numerical scale that predicts how likely a patient with liver disease is to die within three months. The score is based on a patient’s blood labs. The MELD score ranges from six to 40, with higher score indicating a higher risk of death.

Her score is now a 26-27, which makes her a candidate for a liver transplant. Most patients with this score are bedridden. Bayliss continues to work daily at Custer Baker Intermediate School as a sixth-grade language arts teacher. She admits that after giving her job her all each day, there is not much left over by the time she gets home. She credits her husband, Andy, who does all the cooking, grocery shopping and housework at home. Her mother has pitched in countless times as well.

Bayliss’s case went before a panel of doctors for review recently, to see if she would be a suitable candidate for a donor liver. First she had to go through a plethora of tests and examinations. Along with bloodwork, she had a colonoscopy, tests on her lungs and heart, and a physical exam including a gynecological exam. Her dental record had to reflect no risks of infections, so she had to have non-problematic wisdom teeth removed.

Bayliss is officially cleared as a transplant recipient. Now, she waits. The estimated time for a liver is three to six months. Bayliss is hoping for a match with a live donor. A healthy adult can donate a portion of their liver. They must have the same blood type. Following the transplant, the donor’s liver will regenerate in a few months. In most cases, this type of donor is someone the recipient knows.

There is a chance she will receive a cadaver donor organ. While immensely grateful if this occurs, Bayliss admits that the thought upsets her too. Knowing someone else’s life ended, and at the same time gave life to another, is emotionally overwhelming. If she receives the call, she must arrive within one hour after receiving that call. No more than four hours can pass from the time of death to the transplant.

Bayliss 16-year-old son, Drew, has never known his mom to be fully well. She is excited about feeling good again. Bayliss knows that she would have never made it this far if not for her faith, family and friends. She is thankful she has had such a strong circle of friends to support her through the tough times, and family that has taken on extra responsibilities on her behalf. Bayliss is ready for the operation.

“I am ready,” she says. “I am ready to be healthy, not hurting – ready to get back the part of my life where my family time is more.”

To learn more about organ donation and transplants, visit iuhealth.org/living-liver-donor-evaluation-form, and indianadonornetwork.org.