Another Star Passing

[PrincetonTiger]

Former Oakland/L.A. Raider great Todd Christensen passed away Wednesday from surgery complications in Utah.The former BYU star was 57.

[-JJ-]

Wow Todd. Yes he was a star and then some

[Valpo2004]

Any relation to Jeff Christensen and his son Jake Christensen?  

 

I know Jeff played in the NFL and his son Jake was a 4 star recruit that played QB for Iowa for a year and a half but didn't play very well and ended up losing his job to Ricky Stanzi.  

[T Y Goodbye]

My heart goes out to his family and friends. This story really brings tears to my eyes. I caught Hepatitis C a long time ago, possibly from a bad medical procedure, and I never knew I had it. By the time I had found out, it was too late to save my liver, and I was put on the transplant list. Because I am a larger man, and have a medium rare blood type, I was fortunate to get a great liver very quickly. (I was called down 4 times in 5 months.) IF I had been type O + or O - I would never have gotten a transplant. The sicker you are, the higher your score. My liver was very bad, but my kidney's were still very good, which lowered my score to avg between 25-28, To get an O Liver, you need at last a score of 37 to be highly considered. (40 is the max)

 

As I spent time in the hospital's liver ward, I got to know many of the patients, especially through support groups for both in and out patients. (Sorry if I lose it here, but this is hard)..I made a friend, with my exact name, and only a 2 year age difference, both having the same diagnosis and doctors. His blood type was A-, and he was having trouble getting a liver. I had gotten my liver and was recovering well, and all he would do is come sit with me, and we would talk..He later told me that just by watching me, he knew he was going to make it. I watched him deteriorate, until he was basically no longer coherent, he was having hallucinations, the poison that his body couldn't get rid of was eating him alive. The last support group we attended together, he took everyone's heart, by just breaking down and saying.."All I want is a new liver"..I know I shouldn't have felt guilty, but I wanted the DR right there to take mine out and give it to him..even though it wasn't a match..

 

He got his new liver on July 3rd..almost 2 months after mine..Within a week, he had all his color back, he lost over 50 lbs of fluid that his new liver was pumping out of him, and in a few months was back to 200 lbs. I was supposed to go visit him, but I started having trouble with my knees and had some bouts of pneumonia, so I couldn't travel. The pneumonia did further damage to my lungs, so now, with bone on bone arthritis and COPD, I can't get around well, and have gained my weight back that I had lost..

 

I haven't heard from him in quite a while...because of my choice...This may sound wrong, but I cannot be around him any more, because a year after he got his transplant, he started having complications, as the HEP C came back, and they were down to a new medicine for HEP C that he was going to try out. I had been with him throughout the first time, and I couldn't bear the thought of seeing someone I loved, that knew me better than I knew myself, that shared almost to the T, the exact same experiences, having to go through that again, and I was having my own issues with my medications, though my treatment worked. It took over 18 months of pure suffering, taking a medication known as Interferon, and many times when I was taking it, I wish I never had gotten my gift. There isn't a day that goes by I don't think about or pray for him and his family, I just had to and have to take care of me, and I am a strong person, but nothing ever touched me like that..

 

There were others from the group there as well, some awaiting a transplant, some recovering..The surgery is brutal, mine went perfect and was 7 hours long. I had few if any complications. Some friends spent months and month afterwards, still trying to have their bodies recover. I know a beautiful lady with 4 kids, who never got a liver, and passed away.. I know people that look seemingly normal from the surgery, some have had to have it redone 2-3 more times as the new liver didn't take. I don't know what MR Christensen was suffering from, cirrhosis brought on by Hepatitis, liver cancer, or a myraid of other issues...All I know is that is one of the worst ways to die. It is a long, slow, painful death, that can go on for years. You gain weight, you bleed internally as your liver cannot pump the blood an the fluids from your body, you turn yellow, you grow weaker and weaker, and you end up praying for someone to die, so that you can live..That is the one regret I do have, but I try to honor the life of my donor and their family by taking as good of care of myself as I can. But I did pray to God, to take someone's life...I was so scared...

 

I had the best Doctors in the world, pioneers in the field of Liver Transplantation here at UCLA. UCLA is number 1 in the world when it comes to liver transplants, and I am thankful each and everyday for the work they do, not only for me, but for all the patients and their families. I was very lucky and fortunate to have survived something so horrible. However, many do not, and my heart goes out to each and everyone of them and their families. At least, he isn't suffering anymore...and may he rest in peace.

[bayone]

My heart goes out to his family and friends. This story really brings tears to my eyes. I caught Hepatitis C a long time ago, possibly from a bad medical procedure, and I never knew I had it. By the time I had found out, it was too late to save my liver, and I was put on the transplant list. Because I am a larger man, and have a medium rare blood type, I was fortunate to get a great liver very quickly. (I was called down 4 times in 5 months.) IF I had been type O + or O - I would never have gotten a transplant. The sicker you are, the higher your score. My liver was very bad, but my kidney's were still very good, which lowered my score to avg between 25-28, To get an O Liver, you need at last a score of 37 to be highly considered. (40 is the max)

 

As I spent time in the hospital's liver ward, I got to know many of the patients, especially through support groups for both in and out patients. (Sorry if I lose it here, but this is hard)..I made a friend, with my exact name, and only a 2 year age difference, both having the same diagnosis and doctors. His blood type was A-, and he was having trouble getting a liver. I had gotten my liver and was recovering well, and all he would do is come sit with me, and we would talk..He later told me that just by watching me, he knew he was going to make it. I watched him deteriorate, until he was basically no longer coherent, he was having hallucinations, the poison that his body couldn't get rid of was eating him alive. The last support group we attended together, he took everyone's heart, by just breaking down and saying.."All I want is a new liver"..I know I shouldn't have felt guilty, but I wanted the DR right there to take mine out and give it to him..even though it wasn't a match..

 

He got his new liver on July 3rd..almost 2 months after mine..Within a week, he had all his color back, he lost over 50 lbs of fluid that his new liver was pumping out of him, and in a few months was back to 200 lbs. I was supposed to go visit him, but I started having trouble with my knees and had some bouts of pneumonia, so I couldn't travel. The pneumonia did further damage to my lungs, so now, with bone on bone arthritis and COPD, I can't get around well, and have gained my weight back that I had lost..

 

I haven't heard from him in quite a while...because of my choice...This may sound wrong, but I cannot be around him any more, because a year after he got his transplant, he started having complications, as the HEP C came back, and they were down to a new medicine for HEP C that he was going to try out. I had been with him throughout the first time, and I couldn't bear the thought of seeing someone I loved, that knew me better than I knew myself, that shared almost to the T, the exact same experiences, having to go through that again, and I was having my own issues with my medications, though my treatment worked. It took over 18 months of pure suffering, taking a medication known as Interferon, and many times when I was taking it, I wish I never had gotten my gift. There isn't a day that goes by I don't think about or pray for him and his family, I just had to and have to take care of me, and I am a strong person, but nothing ever touched me like that..

 

There were others from the group there as well, some awaiting a transplant, some recovering..The surgery is brutal, mine went perfect and was 7 hours long. I had few if any complications. Some friends spent months and month afterwards, still trying to have their bodies recover. I know a beautiful lady with 4 kids, who never got a liver, and passed away.. I know people that look seemingly normal from the surgery, some have had to have it redone 2-3 more times as the new liver didn't take. I don't know what MR Christensen was suffering from, cirrhosis brought on by Hepatitis, liver cancer, or a myraid of other issues...All I know is that is one of the worst ways to die. It is a long, slow, painful death, that can go on for years. You gain weight, you bleed internally as your liver cannot pump the blood an the fluids from your body, you turn yellow, you grow weaker and weaker, and you end up praying for someone to die, so that you can live..That is the one regret I do have, but I try to honor the life of my donor and their family by taking as good of care of myself as I can. But I did pray to God, to take someone's life...I was so scared...

 

I had the best Doctors in the world, pioneers in the field of Liver Transplantation here at UCLA. UCLA is number 1 in the world when it comes to liver transplants, and I am thankful each and everyday for the work they do, not only for me, but for all the patients and their families. I was very lucky and fortunate to have survived something so horrible. However, many do not, and my heart goes out to each and everyone of them and their families. At least, he isn't suffering anymore...and may he rest in peace.

 

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may u have the best health possible and may your conditions stay as stable as possible going forwrad , May God Bless you

 

Very sorry about your friend

 

A- minus blood type , thats was a long shot getting that liver for sure

[Balzer40]

Wow, that sucks! I remember him well from his playing days. R.I.P.!