Well, Howdy Folks!

I've decided to join the blogesphere in order to post various observations of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I will try to keep things succinct and relevant, but who knows where the road will lead. My main reason for starting this is to address the fact that I am now approved for the national kidney transplant list, and will be anticipating a transplant in the near future. Many of you have asked about the possibility of donating, so I will post some of the answers to your questions here. Other than that, I hope to keep this as a fun creative outlet, a humorous read from time to time, and maybe inspirational in one way or another. Love to all who enter this portal....

7:47:00 PM

A few more items....

Good morning to all - June Gloom here on the coast is a drag - where's the sunshine?? Oh well, July is coming up.

Aside from being tired a lot, life is good - summer is here, flowers blooming, birds singing and all that. UCLA says I will be on the national list within a couple of weeks, so we're making progress.

In answer to a couple of questions:

I am blood type O - in order to do a direct transplant - donor to patient, the donor would have to be type O as well - positive or negative doesn't matter.

A cross-match transplant involves 4 people - two donors and two recipients - the donors give to the patient that matches their blood group, and the recipients get the kidney they need. A new very connected family is created. This is a specialty of UCLA, and they are proud that it works so well. So that is another option.

Susie of course would love to be the donor (even though her blood type is different) but she really needs to be my caregiver. I will not be able to drive for 3-4 weeks, have to get to UCLA clinic at 6 AM three mornings a week for a while to monitor the anti-rejection drugs, and of course will need bed rest and home care while recuperating. If she was out of commission at the same time it would be impossible.

That's about it for this time - it is difficult for me to accept all this. I am amazed when the doctors accept immediately the situation as critical and needing intervention. Ridiculous I say! But the numbers are there and I feel punky a lot. So, there it is.

thanks for prayers and encouragement - I appreciate it very much
ch

What's going on??????

I know this news is surprising to a majority of you - I have just not found it necessary to bring up in conversation. Life is too short to dwell on lemons.  I have stayed active as much as possible, not in denial, but not wanting to give in to this thing. "This Thing" is the fact that my family has Polycystic Kidney Disease. It is inherited, and many in my family have had to deal with it. There is no cure and no cause - just one of those things. It came through my mom's side of  the family -my grandmother, my mom, her siblings, my sisters and consequently their children have to deal with kidney failure on some level. While my kidneys have been deteriorating over the years, I've managed to keep up the boating, golf, directing, performing, etc. but since November 2010, I have lost a point or two of function each month. My kidneys are double size, look like a head of cauliflower instead of a defined kidney, and the cysts are also in my liver. The largest cyst I have is 11 centimeters, several at 5 and 6 centimeters and many, many others. I am fatigued daily. So it is my time.

Currently I have entered stage 5 kidney failure (there is no stage 6) and need to begin the process. I am not on dialysis, and with God's help, perhaps I can skip that chapter and go right to transplant. That's my goal at this point.

We are blessed that this happened at this time in my life - I am retired so don't have to worry about a paycheck coming in, have the time to go to UCLA often, and in general am healthy enough for the procedure. Susie will be able to be my caregiver, taking advantage of the state's family care plan to miss some days of work, and yet continue her job at California United Bank. Our love is strong, and I am blessed with her servant's heart and wonderful support.

So, we thank God for His timing, for the incredible medical advances that make this a possibility, and for the chance of a wonderful healthy life in the future.

Thanks to all for your kind thoughts, support and prayers. It will be an interesting journey!
ch

A kidney is a terrible thing to waste.

Susie and I spent the day at UCLA Kidney transplant center, going through seminars and meetings with surgeon, nephrologist, transplant coordinator, social worker and other support staff. The good news is that Kaiser has approved the procedure, so will pay for all costs for me and my potential donor. UCLA has also approved me for the National List, so I guess I really do need a kidney, although I am still in a bit of denial.

For those of you who would like to know more about the procedure, the Kaiser website will answer many of your questions. I cannot tell you what it means that you even want to be tested. This is truly a gift that defies rational thought, and reaches the depth of compassion and sacrifice. It is truly humbling.

https://members.kaiserpermanente.org/kpweb/healthency.do?hwid=tv7207

Many of you know that my sister Ginger had a transplant a year and a half ago, and is doing great. My sister Cindy was the donor, and she is doing well also. Since they take the donor kidney laparoscopically now, just a few holes and small incision, recovery time for the donor is remarkable. Literally on the third day after donating her kidney, my sister walked out of the hospital, down the street to a supermarket, bought some groceries, and walked back to her hotel. Within the week she flew back to Seattle.

It is not a piece of cake, there are many tests to go through, blood work and such, disruption of daily routine, and there is pain for a couple of days controlled by drugs, but after a very short time, she was back at work, knowing she was a life giving hero.

I do have the forms that any potential donor can fill out and FAX to UCLA. They will screen the applicants, pick the best match, and go from there. My blood type is O, and that would be the easiest donor to match, but in this modern age, any blood type is a potential candidate with a Cross Match donation possible. More on that later.