Trachea Transplant With Stem Cells

I just saw this today. This was a trachea transplant done in Spain in which the patient's own stem cells were used in order to allow the patient to receive the transplanted organ without the need for immunosuppressant medications. Check it out here.

Homecoming

It's good to finally have time to put into this blog. I've been hard at work since graduating nursing school and then becoming a hemodialysis nurse caring for patients with End Stage Renal Disease who are awaiting kidney transplant. I look forward to contributing new information about transplant medicine as well as new opportunities for advocacy and activism for transplant causes.

Kidney Care Petition

Here's another opportunity for legislative outreach. This is a petition to Congress to support enhanced care for those with ESRD on dialysis and those with Chronic Kidney Disease. Go here  to sign the petition.

Important Vote on Medicare

The fight goes on! The house passed legislation in August 2007 that increased the benefits Medicare pays for the care of dialysis patients with end-stage renal disease. Now it is the Senate's turn. I urge you all to write your senators and strongly urge them to create and support legislation that mirrors that passed by the House of Representatives (the house bill is H.R. 1193, The Kidney Care Quality and Education Acts 0f 2007 and you can read more about it on the House website here). Here is a helpful link  from the National Kidney Foundation that will help you write your senators. As a former dialysis patient, a kidney transplant recipient, and a nursing student soon to be a hemodialysis nurse working in a dialysis clinic, I know the physical and emotional trials that patients with ESRD on dialysis face everyday and the need for adequate Medicare coverage for ESRD is as necessary as it ever was. Please support this campaign.

Potential Problem From CellCept/Myfortic

I just received this in my email today. This article is about a potentially life-threatening neurological disease that develops in those with suppressed immune systems, and there have been cases of this seen in organ transplant patients taking CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) or Myfortic (mycophenolate acid). There is more information here about PML, the disease mentioned.

Support Senate Bill

The upcoming vote on SB has tremendous impact for kidney transplant recipients who are on immunosuppressant medications. This bill, if passed, will extend Medicare coverage of the majority of the cost of these medicines from 36 months to the entire life of the transplanted organ. This helps transplant recipients avoid paying for the cost of these medicines after the 36 month period, which can be crippling if they have no medical insurance or inadequate insurance. Please put your voice in support of this measure by going here  to ask your senators to support this measure.

Letter To My Donor Family

I recently wrote an anonymous letter of thanks and gratitude to the family of my kidney transplant donor, who was a 17-year old girl who passed away from trauma that left her brain dead. Writing this letter was one of the most amazing and most spiritually fulfilling things that I've done in a while. No a day goes by that I don't think about her sacrifice and then realize that a part of her still lives inside of me. I can place my hand over the spot on my left lower abdomen where the kidney rests and feel warmth there; the spot is warmer than the area around it. This literally gives me the goosebumps.

I truly hope the letter I wrote brings her family solace in a time of grieving that might seem overwhelming. I left the option open for them to contact me if they wish. Meeting them and finding out their daughter and her grace would be awesome, but I also understand if the grief is still too near for them.

More to come as this transplant journey progresses.

Stems Cells IN Kidney Transplants

This is a really interesting article about stem cells being used in kidney transplants in order to allow patients to cease using immunosuppressant medications, such as Prograf or Cyclosporine.

CHeck it out here: Transplant Article

Support The Kidney Caucus

To all those who have a loved one or anyone else dear to them who had chronic kidney disease or end stage renal disease, I urge you to write your U.S. Representative and urge them to join the Congressional Kidney Caucus. We have a great chance in 2008 to promote more legislation that benefits kidney disease and transplant patients in general. 

Kidney Transplant Stories

I've been extremely inspired by my second kidney transplant last year and would like to make this blog an opportunity for other transplant patients, live donors, family members of donors or anyone else who has been profoundly affected my organ donation. I'm working on a more easily usable blog page, but, until then, this is available for anyone.