A lot depends on how sick you are at the time of transplantation. Surprisingly, the body is much more accepting of a liver than other organs such as a kidney or a heart. A donor liver will be selected depending on your blood type and size. It may be one of the opposite sex, or a different race. The age of the donor also makes little difference.
Some programs offer a living-related donor program.
This is where the living donor will offer part of his liver to another family member if a match can be made. Talk with your transplant center about this option. There are many. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, kidney problems and weight gain, to name a few. Most important, these medications will suppress your immune system.