Liver Recipient Doing Well After Scare [Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA)]

Staff Writer

preilly@lnpnews.com

Liver transplant recipient Mike Shaub had a scare this past weekend.

But he says he's OK.

Shaub, 48, of Mountville, was taken by ambulance to University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia on Sunday night because of pain in his side whenever he took a breath.

Shaub on Sept. 30 had his liver replaced with the organ removed from Landon Nuss, 19, of Lititz, who died Sept. 29 after a fall in an apartment building while he was visiting friends at Temple University.

Nuss's parents asked that Shaub receive the liver from their son, who was an organ donor.

Shaub had tests done Monday and Tuesday at Penn, and he said it was determined that his pain stemmed from a biopsy of his liver done two weeks earlier.

That biopsy caused a hematoma - a localized collection of blood outside a blood vessel - on his liver, which was the source of his pain.

"It turned out not to be a big deal," Shaub said Tuesday. "I will be home this afternoon."

Jeff Webb, pastor of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Neffsville, which Shaub attends, sent out an email Monday urging parishioners to keep Shaub in their payers.

He also gave instructions for people who want to help Shaub with his growing medical bills.

Shaub said his insurance provider, COBRA, is covering much of the expense.

But there's still thousands of dollars that he and his wife, Kim, must pay, and only Kim is working right now.

"Most of our income goes to cover medical bills," Shaub said.

Anyone who wants to help Shaub with those bills can send checks made payable to Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 308 Petersburg Road, Lititz, PA 17543. Write "Mike Shaub" on the memo line.