YuleLog Ornament Collector's Bulletin Board Forums Discussion Ornament Collecting Discussion My Husband Needs a Kidney from a Live Donor

This is way off-topic and I resisted posting this for a year and my ornament collecting has taken a back seat to other more serious things. In August 2023 my husband was diagnosed with kidney failure. We were completely caught off-guard. We would like to keep him off dialysis but can only do that if he receives just ONE kidney from a live donor. You can read about him and see photos here: https://nkr.org/DYW528

Stewart "Dave", has been on the Kidney Diet since last September and in 3 months he lost 56 #. It is the most restrictive diet. He can not eat any protein except fresh chicken, shrimp, or skip jack tuna. No fruits, dairy, bread, beans or condiments and very few vegetables. No potatoes. He can have certain kinds of rice and he has had that every lunch and many dinners for the past year. Nothing that is prepackaged or frozen, no sodium or potassium. Look at a food container and you'll see that if it's low in sodium, it's high in potassium and vice versa.

I realize it is a big ask but most people only need one kidney. I am asking you to consider extending my husband's life by donating a kidney. Dave's insurance pays for all tests, labs and surgery. Donor Shield https://www.donor-shield.org/kidney-donors/ pays for transportation, housing and salary. The Donor coordinator at Medical City Hospital Fort Worth makes sure the donor is healthy for their sake as well as my husband's. A person is not allowed to donate their kidney if the doctors think it would hurt that person. IF, and that's a big if, the donor ever needs a kidney in the future, that person goes to the top of the list. My husband is not at the top of any list.

Most people on dialysis never receive a kidney because not enough people donate their kidneys when they die, much less when they are alive.

A lot of people offer prayers and that is very kind but what we really need is for people to spread the word about my husband's need. So please talk to your family, friends, neighbors, church members, club members and so on. A donor's location, blood type, gender, race, religious beliefs or political affiliation do not matter.

If you would like more information please read the links above or contact me privately.

Thanks for reading this.

So sorry to hear this, Debbie. I've been on dialysis for a couple of years now. I just got paperwork to fill out to get on the transplant list. My son keeps saying he'll give me one if he's a match (same blood type). I'm hesitant to have us both laid up for recovery at the same time. He's been my dialysis partner since I got to start home (PD) dialysis. My sister has her hands full already and my mom is not physically able to do much. (she's 90 years old!)

Please let me know anything that you find out about transplants. I don't feel like I have much info so far. Hopefully when I get this paperwork filled out and we go for the hospital consultation, I can find out more. I just don't know the questions to ask them.

Linda Adams
Duncan, OK

Linda, I am so sorry to hear this about you! There is so much to learn about kidney donation and how to locate a donor. Your son: surgery is laparoscopic (tiny). Recuperating time is a week depending on his job. The more physical the job, the longer the healing time. Have him test! You may find that he's not eligible for some reason. My two sons, two young women and myself are all the same blood type as my husband yet none of us are eligible for one reason or another. If your son is a match, maybe you could find a neighbor who would commit to taking you to the doctor after your transplant (one week?) until your son is ready to go.

Make sure to register on the National Kidney Registry as they have "benefits" for the donor. I have gone through almost 1,000 or the "business cards" they print for free, for my husband. It has a QR code and URL that takes people to my husband's microsite.

Today we were interviewed by an online division of the "Dallas Morning News." We were on CBS news last November, I paid for a full page "open letter" in the "Fort Worth Weekly, Best of 2024" issue which was published in print and online 2 weeks ago. I bought a page in the "Polish American Journal" a few months ago (I'm a Polish genealogist) and today I approved a design for magnetic car signs. I'm paying for them but aside from 4 family members, I've ordered 14 more for friends who will put the sign on their cars - all over the country.

So, I've been doing this for over a year and it is frustrating. There is a bill before congress you might want to sign: https://www.modifynota.org/

Are you on the kidney diet? My husband lost over 50# in a matter of weeks and we think that has kept him off dialysis. His EGFR goes between 17-20.

Hi Debbie, I lost about 40-50 pounds right off because I was upchucking all the way down to my toenails for several days. At this point, I don't think I need to loose any more. Everything is going pretty good on the PD (home) dialysis. I'm not much of a cook. in fact, what I like is fast food, chocolate, and Dr Pepper. There are just too many things on the kidney diet that I just don't like, so I have trouble following it. When I was in the hospital last summer, I thought I was going to starve to death since kidney friendly was all they would give me. I would try to pick something off the menu for kidney friendly and always ordered Dr Pepper for dinner and they would bring me Sprite. LOL!

The transplant hospital is in Oklahoma City, only about 90 miles away. Getting transportation should not be a problem, kinsfolk and friends should be able to handle that. Bill and I both just hate to drive in OKC, but can do it. My mother, both sisters, and both brothers-in-law can all handle it.

I went to the National Kidney Registry. I think it's going to take me some time to comprehend all they are saying. I'll keep plodding through all this. Thanks for your help.

Linda