New Kidney For Timmy
"New Kidney For Timmy"
Hello,
As many of you know, Tim is at the beginning of a very long journey and will need support in many ways. Tim has Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) which is a kidney disorder passed down through families in which multiple cysts form on the kidneys, causing them to become enlarged. There have been dozens of relatives and friends that have offered to donate a kidney to Tim and those that know him can fully understand why so many people are willing to give such an incredible selfless gift. Tim is blessed with many friends and family and the support has been greatly appreciated.
Although many people have asked to be a donor for Tim, there will only be a handful that will possibly match and then it will come down to one.
Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is passed down through families (inherited), usually as an autosomal dominant trait. If one parent carries the gene, the children have a 50% chance of developing the disorder.
Autosomal dominant PKD occurs in both children and adults, but it is much more common in adults, with symptoms often not showing up until middle age. It affects nearly 1 in 1,000 Americans. The actual number may be more, as some people do not have symptoms. The disorder may not be discovered unless tests revealing the disease are performed for other reasons.
An autosomal recessive form of polycystic kidney disease also exists and appears in infancy or childhood. This type tends to be very serious and progresses rapidly, resulting in end-stage kidney failure and generally causing death in infancy or childhood.
Persons with PKD have multiple clusters of cysts form on the kidneys. The exact action that triggers cyst formation is unknown. In early stages of the disease, the cysts cause the kidney to swell, disrupting kidney function and leading to chronic high blood pressure and kidney infections. The cysts may cause the kidneys to increase production of erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates production of red blood cells. This leads to too many red blood cells, rather than the anemia seen in chronic kidney disease.
For Tim, his kidney function is down to about 10%. His blood pressure and cholesterol levels are very high and he is taking medications to help control this. He will be on dialysis until a donor can be located. This process will take several months after he has been put on the transplant list. He can't be put on the list until he begins dialysis, which should be some time in August. He was feeling good until they changed his diet so drastically. He can no longer eat red meat or drink alcohol (other than red wine). He can't have salt or potassium and there is a huge list of other things he can't have. He gets pretty tired now. Once he starts dialysis I am sure his energy will increase. He still really has a great attitude and is trying to maintain as much normalcy as possible in the family.
Here is how you can help!!
The transplant is covered for the donor and I know Tim has insurance that will cover 100% of the surgery. I think we can all attest that co pays, prescriptions, and lab work can all take a toll on the mind, body and pocketbook. In addition, he will have additional costs out of pocket such as extra gas for dialysis treatments 3 times a week, special diet needs and possibly additional loss of income while he takes the time off of work to meet the needs of his program and his health. After his transplant, Tim will have to take an anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life. There is also a very strong possibility that Tim's sister, who lives in
For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you. Isaiah 41:13
But I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,'
declares the LORD, Jeremiah 30:17
For more information on Kidneys and PKD please visit:
http://www.kidney.org/http://www.medicinenet.com/polycystic_kidney_disease/article.htm
