Thursday, December 3, 2009

WOWZERS! :)


What does a Transplant Coordinator, Medical Social Worker, Financial Coordinator, Surgeon, Nurse Practitioner, Nephrologist (Kidney Doctor), 13 tubes of blood, a EKG, and chest X-Ray all have in common?
A well organized appointment with the University of Colorado Hospital Transplant Team. :)
Nate had his first appointment with the Transplant Center yesterday and we were given a wealth of information. So much it's hard to put into words, so I will just some-up main points.
The purpose for this appointment was to determine if Nate is a good candidate for a transplant and if so get him final approval to be put on the transplant waiting list.
* From everything that was presented to us things went well to move forward for approval. Nate's EKG looked good and blood work and X-ray results will be coming soon.
* The average time on the waiting list is 2-5 years.
* They leave the old kidneys in (unless they are causing problems with space as PKD causes the kidneys to swell) and put the new kidney in the groin area and connect to arteries in the leg. It's protected by the hip and muscle.
* A kidney donated by a deceased donor lasts on average 10-12 years. A kidney donated by a live donor lasts on average 12-15 years. (This news was a bit disappointing for us, as we thought "once he has a new kidney it's all done." However, because of Nate's age and health his new kidney could last much longer)
* Once final approval has been made live donors can be tested. You must have the same blood type (O) and some other restrictions apply.
We will leave you with this information for right now. The appointment went very well and we continue to expect positive results.

2 comments:

Rudloff5 said...

Nate and you are all in our prayers for a healthy outcome. We wish you the best!

Josh and Jody Rudloff
Crawford, NE

Sherman said...

I'm glad it went well and that progress is being made for him. Always thinking of you guys. You're in our prayers always. Love ya much.