The First Steps

Some of you may be aware that I have a degenerative kidney condition, and to others it may be a bit of a shock to hear, but my kidneys are failing, and I will very soon be in need of a kidney transplant or dialysis treatments.

Polycystic Kidney Disease is an insidious disease that destroys the kidneys through the growth of cysts within the kidney tissue. It’s an inherited condition that affects several member of my family. I have two aunts and two cousins who also have the disease with both of the aunts and one of the cousins having already undergone successful transplant surgery.

I have known that I had this condition for over twenty years, and quite honestly didn’t expect to have to face these transplantation or dialysis decisions for another ten or fifteen years, but the disease progressed much faster than I expected, and now my timeline has moved up considerably. My kidney function is graded at “Level 5,” a function level that is described as End State Renal Disease.

This news has come as quite a shock to our family, but by and large we have absorbed it well. We realize that these next few months will bring many changes to our daily lives and routines, and we are thankful for the support of our family and friends as we take these next steps.

As we move forward we will make preparations for both types of treatment, dialysis and transplantation. I have appointments for the next week with both the surgeon for dialysis preparation, and the transplant team at UAB for transplant evaluation. Depending on the findings of this weeks’ tests, we should have a clear timeline of what to expect next. Dialysis can start about two months after the surgical construction of a “fistula” access point for treatment. Transplantation can be as long as four to five year wait for a cadaver kidney, or can be completed in as few as two to three months for a kidney from a living donor.

UAB is one of the leading transplant hospitals in the world. They perform about 300 kidney transplants per year, and since 1987 they have completed more transplants in than anyone in the country. Their website provides an abundance of information on their processes:

https://www.uabmedicine.org/patient-care/treatments/kidney-transplant

as well as link for living kidney donor screening:

https://uabmedicine.org/patient-care/treatments/kidney-transplant/donor-form

I plan to maintain this blog as an update on my condition and treatments as we endeavor on this journey. Blogging and sharing my experiences online is something that is very new to me, but I am learning! Please check back often to get an update and to cheer for us along the way… Thanks to each one of you for your love, your hugs, and your support both for today and for tomorrows yet to come.