So the past few days have been good days. I'm starting to get my energy back, but have to remind myself to take it easy. I can finally breathe without coughing and sleep without cough medicine. My ears are still 'clogged' but hopefully that will clear pretty soon.
I've been trying to take it easy and drink lots of water. I check in Tuesday with the doc and more blood work.
We are looking for better test results this time!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Kidney Donation
A lot of people have been asking us how they can be a kidney donor.
We would first like to thank you and be sure everyone knows we do not expect anyone to donate their organs. We are sharing our story so everyone can understand what we are going through in our life.
For those that are interested, there are many websites and organizations that can probably answers questions better than we can but I'll touch on a few facts.
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/nephrology/procedures/Kidney+Transplant.htm
-Kidney donors are typically between 17-60 years of age. Donors should be in good general health. Typically, someone who has high blood pressure (both treated and untreated), cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease, sickle cell disease, HIV or hepatitis will not qualify to be a donor. However, these diseases are not all absolute contraindications to donation. Every donor will be considered on an individual basis.
-The recipent's insurance or the medical center pays for the medical cost associated with the donation of the donor.
-Donors AUTOMATICALLY go to the top of the transplant list should they themselves ever need a kidney.
-The average person only needs 25% of 1 kidney to live their whole life.
-Donors are matched up based on blood type, antigen match, and cross match. If a willing donor does not completely match the recipient they intended a 'swap match' may occur. This means if person A wanted to dontate to person B, but did not match and person C wanted to donate to person D but they didnt match and A matched D and C matched D they would preform a dual transplant at the same time and both recipients would benifit. My example may be a little confusing but the counslers and such can make it clear.
The best thing for anyone wanting to be a donor is to contact a donor cooridinator. I am currently working with the Transplant team at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem. I will also try to get on the Carolina's Medical Center transplant list once we have everything in place at Baptist. Being on more than 1 tranplant list can speed the time for recieiving a transplant with out a living donor.
A donor cooridinator works independent of the recipient team. They really work hard to be sure the donor is making the right decision and does not feel pressured.
We would first like to thank you and be sure everyone knows we do not expect anyone to donate their organs. We are sharing our story so everyone can understand what we are going through in our life.
For those that are interested, there are many websites and organizations that can probably answers questions better than we can but I'll touch on a few facts.
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/nephrology/procedures/Kidney+Transplant.htm
-Kidney donors are typically between 17-60 years of age. Donors should be in good general health. Typically, someone who has high blood pressure (both treated and untreated), cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, liver disease, sickle cell disease, HIV or hepatitis will not qualify to be a donor. However, these diseases are not all absolute contraindications to donation. Every donor will be considered on an individual basis.
-The recipent's insurance or the medical center pays for the medical cost associated with the donation of the donor.
-Donors AUTOMATICALLY go to the top of the transplant list should they themselves ever need a kidney.
-The average person only needs 25% of 1 kidney to live their whole life.
-Donors are matched up based on blood type, antigen match, and cross match. If a willing donor does not completely match the recipient they intended a 'swap match' may occur. This means if person A wanted to dontate to person B, but did not match and person C wanted to donate to person D but they didnt match and A matched D and C matched D they would preform a dual transplant at the same time and both recipients would benifit. My example may be a little confusing but the counslers and such can make it clear.
The best thing for anyone wanting to be a donor is to contact a donor cooridinator. I am currently working with the Transplant team at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem. I will also try to get on the Carolina's Medical Center transplant list once we have everything in place at Baptist. Being on more than 1 tranplant list can speed the time for recieiving a transplant with out a living donor.
A donor cooridinator works independent of the recipient team. They really work hard to be sure the donor is making the right decision and does not feel pressured.
Some interesting sites
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/gs/Kidney-Transplant.htm
http://www1.wfubmc.edu/gs/residency/training/clrotations/Transplant.htm
http://www.carolinashealthcare.org/services/transplant/
I will post contact information for the donor team at Baptist.
thanks again for all of your support.
Up's and down over the past few days
We've had a few up's and down's over the last few days.
On Tuesday I went to the hospital for an IV iron, basically an infusion of iron to help boost the iron in my system. It is a 2 day process and hopefully this will be the only time I have to have it done. When I went in on Tuesday my blood pressure was high, 140's/95. The nurses weren't too concerned about it, we went forward with the 1st dose of IV iron.
Wednesday it was even higher 155/105 consistently. The head lady was concerned as were we. She called the doc on call and Chris called my doctor directly. After a scary few minutes it was decided I would go straight to see him after the 2nd dose of IV iron was complete.
Chris some how made it to WS from Mooresville in less than 50 min....Once he was by my side my BP started coming down a little and I took a nap:-) while the IV finished (@ a 2 hour process).
We met with the doc, he was not as concerned about the BP as much as he was about me still being sick (@ a month now). He feels, as do we, that the BP is probably a result of my body trying to fight off the bronchitis. I was sent for another chest x-ray and had more blood work drawn. I was also told to rest, drink plenty of fluids and written out of work. I was given a steroid and inhaler.
We were feeling a little better at this point, but still concerned about the BP. BP has a direct effect on the kidneys. If it stays high it can cause more kidney damage, which in turn can cause high BP. Very weird to me.
So doc called yesterday (Thursday);
Good news: chest x-ray was cleaner than a few weeks ago, means I am getting better. Just taking some time.
Not so Good news: kidney function worse than a few weeks ago. My Creatinine levels have been in the 2's consecutively until August when it went to 3's, now it is showing 4.1. HOWEVER, being sick can cause these numbers to be skewed. (by the way, a normal person is less than 1) So again, Doc is not too concerned right now. Reinforced lots of fluids and getting rest while out of work.
So I've been resting and doing a little work from home and trying not to get my BP up. Hoping to take this time and get the test results back to where we want them.
The other good news is I think the latest medicine or the IV iron is helping to make me feel better. I have more energy now and I'm coughing less. I just have to remind my self to take it easy. I have so many things I need to do and catch up from the past month, but I guess they've waited a month so what'a another couple of weeks.
On Tuesday I went to the hospital for an IV iron, basically an infusion of iron to help boost the iron in my system. It is a 2 day process and hopefully this will be the only time I have to have it done. When I went in on Tuesday my blood pressure was high, 140's/95. The nurses weren't too concerned about it, we went forward with the 1st dose of IV iron.
Wednesday it was even higher 155/105 consistently. The head lady was concerned as were we. She called the doc on call and Chris called my doctor directly. After a scary few minutes it was decided I would go straight to see him after the 2nd dose of IV iron was complete.
Chris some how made it to WS from Mooresville in less than 50 min....Once he was by my side my BP started coming down a little and I took a nap:-) while the IV finished (@ a 2 hour process).
We met with the doc, he was not as concerned about the BP as much as he was about me still being sick (@ a month now). He feels, as do we, that the BP is probably a result of my body trying to fight off the bronchitis. I was sent for another chest x-ray and had more blood work drawn. I was also told to rest, drink plenty of fluids and written out of work. I was given a steroid and inhaler.
We were feeling a little better at this point, but still concerned about the BP. BP has a direct effect on the kidneys. If it stays high it can cause more kidney damage, which in turn can cause high BP. Very weird to me.
So doc called yesterday (Thursday);
Good news: chest x-ray was cleaner than a few weeks ago, means I am getting better. Just taking some time.
Not so Good news: kidney function worse than a few weeks ago. My Creatinine levels have been in the 2's consecutively until August when it went to 3's, now it is showing 4.1. HOWEVER, being sick can cause these numbers to be skewed. (by the way, a normal person is less than 1) So again, Doc is not too concerned right now. Reinforced lots of fluids and getting rest while out of work.
So I've been resting and doing a little work from home and trying not to get my BP up. Hoping to take this time and get the test results back to where we want them.
The other good news is I think the latest medicine or the IV iron is helping to make me feel better. I have more energy now and I'm coughing less. I just have to remind my self to take it easy. I have so many things I need to do and catch up from the past month, but I guess they've waited a month so what'a another couple of weeks.
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