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.

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.

Update

All is still well. My kidney is working great and I still feel great! I'm back in school full swing as well. This quarter we have OB Nursing and Pediatric Nursing. I start my clinical rotations at the end of August. That will be fun and exciting. I'm moving to Erie on 08/15/07. I'm not sure I am going to like it, but it is a cheaper place and I'll deal with it as it comes.
Another milestone...I celebrated 8 years clean and sober on 07/30. That is the longest amount of time sober I have ever had. However, I cannot forget that time by itself does not keep me sober. I must work a program and be of service as well.
More to come as this journery progresses.

Kidney Transplant #2

On 7/7/07 (what a lucky day), I had my second kidney transplant operation. The first one, on 9/30/05 had lots of trouble from the start. I had severe rejection just three days after surgery and the kidney lasted hardly a year.
On 7/5/07, I got a phone call from a nurse transplant coordinator at the University of Colorado Hospital and she said that there was a kidney available. She said it was a perfect match (called a zero-antigen mismatch in fancy medical lingo) and stated that I needed to be ready to come to the hospital at a moments notice. The next day, I went to the hospital and at around 8am on the morning of the 7th, I had the surgery. It went down without a hitch and I was in the hospital just 4 days. It's been a few weeks and I feel great! There have been no problems and I am keeping an optimistic attitude. More to come as this journey proceeds.