A Bay area woman who survived a severe reaction to medication and an emergency liver transplant hopes her story will serve as a message to others about not ignoring medical symptoms.
- Doctor said liver failure likely caused by reaction to medication
- 40 percent of Christina Ferrara's liver had failed by time of transplant
- Type of reaction with thyroid medication uncommon
Two months ago, 30-year-old Christina Ferrara was lying in a hospital bed, in a coma, and hooked up to a ventilator.
"I couldn't have imagined this in a million years that I would have to undergo this kind of surgery," Ferrara said.
Christina had been taking a commonly prescribed Thyroid medication when she started noticing some minor changes to her body, like itching and skin discoloration. She stopped by her local doctor’s office and was told she wouldn’t live through the weekend if she didn’t rush to Tampa General Hospital.
"I was just overwhelmed with emotion," Ferrara said. "When you hear a doctor say something like that to you, you always have to heed their warning."
Ferrara’s liver was failing. Her surgeon, Dr. Julio Sokolich said it was likely caused by a metabolic disorder produced by the medication. He said the type of reaction doesn’t happen to everyone, but 40 percent of Christina’s liver had shut down by the time she had her emergency transplant.
"It's important when we're taking medications we need to be aware of the potential adverse effects these medications can have on our bodies," Dr. Sokolich said.
He hopes Ferrara’s story serves as a reminder to never ignore even the slightest symptoms. Ferrara said she can’t thank him or her donor’s family enough for giving her a second chance.
"You seem to take life for granted when you always assume you're going to wake up the next day, and Tampa General didn't just save my life -- they saved my family's too," Ferrara said.