Exciting Transplant

A patient at the dialysis clinic I work at was recently transplanted after waiting for over 5 years!!!! The part that was even more amazing was that the deceased donor matched her perfectly. She came by the clinic for a visit and looked like an entirely different person.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Stem Cell Article

This is exciting news and is definitely worth the read. Click here.

Amazing Story

Here's a pretty cool story about a living-donor transplanted kidney lasting 40 years.

-Ethan

Controlling Blood Pressure

I was working a shift at Triumph Hospital two weeks ago and I was caring for a patient who is in a vegetative state after having a cerebral hemorrhage due to uncontrolled blood pressure. Being that high blood pressure destroyed my kidneys, this really brought me back to the devastating reality of what damaging effects high blood pressure has. This is an interesting article about high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease and their effects on the African-American population.

Transplant For A Friend

My good friend Jon was transplanted last week and is doing well. It is his second kidney transplant and I have great hope that it will be a success. I haven't posted in long time, as I've been beyond busy working as a hemodialysis nurse full-time, per diem at a hospital on a step-down unit, and school for my Master of Science in Nursing. My kidney is still doing very well...on 07/07/10, it will have been 3 years. WooHoo!!! More to come as I have time.

All Is Well

All is well on the transplant front. My kidney is still working great. I'm on lower doses of tacrolimus, the primary immunosuppressant used, and feeling great. Life as a hemodialysis nurse with DaVita goes on. It's been such a great learning experience that has helped me remember my roots as a patient with End Stage Renal Disease and as a a kidney transplant patient.

An upcoming event...Alliance Donor dash 2009/Click here to register. It's a 5K walk/run at Wash Park to support Donor Alliance. It's a fun and healthy way to Donor support a great cause.

That's all for now. I'll be posting news events of mention as well as news about transplant breakthroughs that come up in the next few months.

Promising Genetic Test

Here's a very interesting new article about the immune systems of kidney transplant patients "learning" to accept the transplanted kidney without the need for immunosuppressant medications, many of which are not good for the body. I hope and pray that something comes out of this new possibility.