One
month ago with the guidance of my son, Greg, and my daughter-in-law, Camille, I
started this blog. It has been one of
the best decisions of my life. During
this past month I connected with people I did not know, but who were going
through similar journeys like ours. I
connected with friends I had not been in contact with for years. I connected with family members I had not
talked to for a long time. And I made
new friends along the way. This blog has
empowered me to try and make a difference in others’ lives. And I thank all of you for your continuing
prayers and support. It is AMAZING!!!!!
I wanted
to provide you all with an update on Ken. Things are status quo with him at
this time. The concern is that the longer he is on dialysis the more the doctor
has to adjust the treatment to keep him feeling okay. It is the law of diminishing
returns in effect. Dialysis does not take the place of his kidneys. Those hard working kidneys are sophisticated
reprocessing machines that help filter waste, excess fluid and toxins from your
blood. Dialysis can replace some of the kidney’s important functions, but
cannot take the place of a kidney. So
the journey continues for the “gold standard treatment” of End Stage Renal
Failure (ESRF), a kidney transplant. Finding a kidney for Ken continues to be
our ultimate goal. Ken and I are keeping the faith and are hopeful there will
be good things happening in the future.
Also, I
have recently received quite a few questions from many of you sent to akidneyforken@gmail.com and so I wanted to take this opportunity to answer a few of them. I am naming this segment “Pat’s Mailbag.”
How did Ken get this kidney
disease?
As I have previously stated, Ken
was an active man who exercised regularly and took care of his health. He went in for his yearly checkup and the
doctor noticed a high level of protein in his urine. He had no symptoms and was feeling
great. As we learned later, many people may
have a kidney disease, but don’t realize it until symptoms develop. By that time permanent damage has been done
to the kidneys. Luckily, we caught it
early thanks to his annual physical. After a kidney biopsy was done, Ken was
diagnosed with Membranous Nephritis. But the cause was unknown. No one in his
family had any kidney problems. Ken did
not have underlying conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure that could
cause kidney disease. After more tests
were completed the cause of Ken’s kidney disease was classified as idiopathic
(arising spontaneously with the cause unknown).
We learned that 75% of all cases are from unknown causes.
How does one become a
potential donor?
This question has come up
quite a bit which is a testament to the amazing individuals following this
blog. First you must have a compatible blood type to be considered. Ken has B blood type so only a B or O blood
type could be considered as a possible donor.
It does not matter if your type is positive or negative. If you do not know
your blood type, one easy and great way to find out is to donate blood at your
local American Red Cross. They will give you a donor card listing your type. The
next step would be a phone interview with the Kidney Transplant Coordinator at
Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. This is the hospital where Ken is a patient
and would have the transplant surgery. The transplant coordinator decides if
the person is a potential donor. After
that, a series of blood tests are performed to see if the potential donor’s
blood and Ken’s blood are compatible. Once these tests are done and the results
are favorable, the donor would be required to spend one or two days taking more
tests to assess his/her health. If you
want more information on becoming a donor, please email me at akidneyforken@gmail.com and I can put
you in touch with the transplant coordinator at Ochsner.
How can I get “A Kidney For
Ken” shirt?
Lastly, people have been
asking about the shirts Greg and Camille wore at the marathon in
Vancouver. We are still trying to get
information on cost and ordering. We
will be posting it on the blog as well as sending emails to those of you who have
expressed interest in the shirts.
Keep the
questions coming to akidneyforken@gmail.com. I love hearing from you
all!
Until
next week may the Lord carry us on our journey for a kidney for Ken,
Pat
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