Quick Update: 10 Dialysis treatments left preop

TEN 10 dialysis treatments left pre-transplant!!!
Mike’s birthday is Saturday.
The Transplant is August 13th.
Lots of hope, excitement, nervousness, planning, prayers.
Thank you for hanging in there with us. Please feel free to keep reaching out to Mike with texts, calls, cards, humor, prayers, etc.
We love you.

***Transplant scheduled for August 13th. Pray for zero complications or changes ❤

As you likely know, three years ago, Mike was diagnosed with acute kidney failure and placed on dialysis mere months later. I watched him fill with toxins and nearly die.
Since then, he survives through technology, waking at 4:45 am three days/week so he can hook up to needles for a 4+ hour dialysis session. Two of those days he returns home and signs on for a full day of his full-time work (the third day is Saturday). “weekends” are of the past, as is “vacation,” and travel is cumbersome.

Two years ago, we first applied to be “on the list” at University of Cincinnati medical center. Because of internal administrative issues, the case was delayed far past the 3 month wait and it wasn’t until November that Mike was finally approved. We learned a year later that an impressive number of friends and relative strangers had made application to be a kidney donor for Mike, but none were a match. At that point, we decided to double-list and cast a wider net. Mike was assessed and finally listed at Ohio State University in Columbus. Our newer applicants shifted there, and though we were making some headway, we still had no official donor.

In February, we learned that a UC potential donor was a step closer. It’s a lengthy process. That donor travelled to Ohio for a full day education and workup day. Weeks ticked by afterwards. Follow-ups ensued.
I am not including much information here because the donor has a right to tell their own story, especially until surgery actually occurs.
(Like Aslan reminded Lucy. Someone else’s story to tell…) Of course, we are humbled and overwhelmed.

In the meantime, Mike updated all his medical releases: dental information, regular doctor visits, etc. And this entire time as we have hoped and grieved, as Mike has persevered without complaint (really.), and as time has gone by without a donor, we have been sustained by your prayers, and ours.
These years of steps forward (and sometimes back) have brought us to a new appreciation of the friends and family and virtual strangers who have supported us with phone calls and cards and random gifts and visits.

And now we have the first real huge step forward.
We have an approved donor.

I have zero words for this kind of generosity and life-gift.

So this step means we can work on scheduling a transplant. It looks like it may be in about three months or so. We will need your prayers between now and then, because three months is still a long time. We will need your support in any way you would like to help us, because we do not exist “alone” but we are physically alone.

But it’s beautiful news. It takes processing after three years of pain and two years of unmet hope.
And we will need you. I’m not sure for what besides lots of prayers still! But at some point, practical things like Marriott points and frequent flyer miles and funny cards and memes and food and … will come into play.

But not today. Today we rejoice that God provides. And we breathe and move on to the next step.