- F
- J
- H
The Kidney Transplant Happened!
First, we want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone that has prayed or donated before. It has been 27 months since John was first put on the waiting list for his kidney transplant. In those months A LOT has happened and a few prayers were answered.
Jen graduated with her Master's degree in Elementary Education. Their prayers were for Jen to find a job before John's procedure. However, she was not having luck finding a job. Stress and fear continued to weigh on them both. John continued to get weaker as the year went on. In March of 2020, at the beginning of COVID-19, John was supposed to have a biopsy. Jen and John were on their way to the hospital when they were told to go home as ALL procedures were cancelled.
The next seven months were filled with sitting, waiting, and praying for directions from the kidney team. In those seven months, prayers were answered when Jen got a teaching job in the middle of August. She is teaching first grade at a private school in Blaine. She has had highs and lows, as any new teacher would have! No matter how low the lows are, she has always remained driven to be the best teacher she can be and be thankful for the opportunity!
On November 12, 2020, John received a call from his kidney medical team. He was told his donor was ready. and surgeries like these are being put back on the schedule. His transplant was scheduled for December 15th! Jen was teaching when John called! Jen never answers her phone when teaching, BUT John also never calls during work hours. She answered it and John shared the GREAT news! It was going to happen! What an amazing Thanksgiving gift!
On Wednesday, December 9th, (6 days before scheduled transplant) John went in for a Pre-op Physical Ultrasound. They were checking to make sure all his organs were functioning well and ready for a transplant. During this procedure they found a 2.28cm mass on his pancreas. Emergency Upper GI Endoscopy Ultrasound was scheduled for Thursday the 10th. Jen was not going to be done teaching until Friday the 11th. She needed to be there for this procedure and possibly start her leave earlier. On Thursday, stress, fear and worry were high emotions with the Musokwa's. John's procedure was for 2 pm and Jen had to drop John off at the door and wait. She was not able to go in, which was the worst feeling and she really struggled. However, during that time she had a sense of peace come over her. We believe that was God saying he had this, give your worries to me! God is good, the mass was benign and transplant was a go!
Tuesday morning, December 15th John and the donor had to be at the hospital first thing in the morning. Jen and the donor's spouse had to drop them off and wait until the first update, a couple of hours in. The transplant started about 8:30am and about 2:30pm Jen got the all good call. Procedure went well for both...PRAISE God! John was a little slower than the donor at getting to his room, but was good! About 7pm Jen spoke with his nurse and the nurse said "he was regaling the nurses with stories of their crazy boys!" John made it through that stage. Medical staff was working with a medicine dosage to stabilize a number for his release on Saturday!
John went home Saturday the 19th with lots of new medication including insulin for Diabetes which developed because of his transplant medication. Jen had to listen to a nurse via FaceTime to learn how to help give it to him, the new normal for staying in the loop. John was to return daily to a clinic at 7am for blood tests and follow-up. One of the appointments required an anti-rejection infusion, which was not communicated well to John or Jen. This infusion would cost $14,000 and needed prior authorization or they would end up footing the bill. The good news is that they found out after they signed a waiver, that it was covered but not before stress set in. For five days straight, Jen and John made the trip to the U of M hospitals and clinics, getting well acquainted with the area, but also dealing with exhaustion and stress.
For the first time on Christmas Eve, they felt reprieve that they would not need to drive there but rather a nurse would come to their house to draw the necessary blood. The Musokwa's were enjoying being together, watching the snow come down and relaxing. Then around 3 pm they received a call that the doctors believed John's antibodies were attacking his new kidney and he would need to be readmitted to the hospital to do a biopsy on the kidney to see what was going on! So much for the reprieve. In the next three hours they celebrated Christmas Eve with a meal, presents and prayer, then got on the slippery roads to make the long journey back to the hospital. He was readmitted Thursday, had his biopsy done on Christmas Day, and then had to wait until the next day for the results. They waited until the afternoon of the 26th when finally, the one doctor who could read the biopsy results, read them and gave him the fantastic news that his kidney was not being rejected. Jen was able to go pick him up that evening.
John and the donor are home recovering with their families! The road has been full of many ups and downs to this point and there is a long road ahead for them all! No matter what the road is, God is with them! Our church sang a song this morning that fits this and I want to share the verse from Way Maker with you!
You are way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are Yeah
You're the way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are
Please continue to check this page as we will update this page on John's progresses. John, Jen, the boys and the donor and her family may be home, but they still need prayers and help. If you feel it in your heart and are financially able to help them, please give on this page. They are still several thousand dollars in debt and the bills will be mounting up.
If you are not able to, that is ok, please share this page and continue to pray for all of them and the medical staff working on these two amazing humans!
God is good all the time! All the time God is good!
Thank you for all your support!!
First, we want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone that has prayed or donated before. It has been 27 months since John was first put on the waiting list for his kidney transplant. In those months A LOT has happened and a few prayers were answered.
Jen graduated with her Master's degree in Elementary Education. Their prayers were for Jen to find a job before John's procedure. However, she was not having luck finding a job. Stress and fear continued to weigh on them both. John continued to get weaker as the year went on. In March of 2020, at the beginning of COVID-19, John was supposed to have a biopsy. Jen and John were on their way to the hospital when they were told to go home as ALL procedures were cancelled.
The next seven months were filled with sitting, waiting, and praying for directions from the kidney team. In those seven months, prayers were answered when Jen got a teaching job in the middle of August. She is teaching first grade at a private school in Blaine. She has had highs and lows, as any new teacher would have! No matter how low the lows are, she has always remained driven to be the best teacher she can be and be thankful for the opportunity!
On November 12, 2020, John received a call from his kidney medical team. He was told his donor was ready. and surgeries like these are being put back on the schedule. His transplant was scheduled for December 15th! Jen was teaching when John called! Jen never answers her phone when teaching, BUT John also never calls during work hours. She answered it and John shared the GREAT news! It was going to happen! What an amazing Thanksgiving gift!
On Wednesday, December 9th, (6 days before scheduled transplant) John went in for a Pre-op Physical Ultrasound. They were checking to make sure all his organs were functioning well and ready for a transplant. During this procedure they found a 2.28cm mass on his pancreas. Emergency Upper GI Endoscopy Ultrasound was scheduled for Thursday the 10th. Jen was not going to be done teaching until Friday the 11th. She needed to be there for this procedure and possibly start her leave earlier. On Thursday, stress, fear and worry were high emotions with the Musokwa's. John's procedure was for 2 pm and Jen had to drop John off at the door and wait. She was not able to go in, which was the worst feeling and she really struggled. However, during that time she had a sense of peace come over her. We believe that was God saying he had this, give your worries to me! God is good, the mass was benign and transplant was a go!
Tuesday morning, December 15th John and the donor had to be at the hospital first thing in the morning. Jen and the donor's spouse had to drop them off and wait until the first update, a couple of hours in. The transplant started about 8:30am and about 2:30pm Jen got the all good call. Procedure went well for both...PRAISE God! John was a little slower than the donor at getting to his room, but was good! About 7pm Jen spoke with his nurse and the nurse said "he was regaling the nurses with stories of their crazy boys!" John made it through that stage. Medical staff was working with a medicine dosage to stabilize a number for his release on Saturday!
John went home Saturday the 19th with lots of new medication including insulin for Diabetes which developed because of his transplant medication. Jen had to listen to a nurse via FaceTime to learn how to help give it to him, the new normal for staying in the loop. John was to return daily to a clinic at 7am for blood tests and follow-up. One of the appointments required an anti-rejection infusion, which was not communicated well to John or Jen. This infusion would cost $14,000 and needed prior authorization or they would end up footing the bill. The good news is that they found out after they signed a waiver, that it was covered but not before stress set in. For five days straight, Jen and John made the trip to the U of M hospitals and clinics, getting well acquainted with the area, but also dealing with exhaustion and stress.
For the first time on Christmas Eve, they felt reprieve that they would not need to drive there but rather a nurse would come to their house to draw the necessary blood. The Musokwa's were enjoying being together, watching the snow come down and relaxing. Then around 3 pm they received a call that the doctors believed John's antibodies were attacking his new kidney and he would need to be readmitted to the hospital to do a biopsy on the kidney to see what was going on! So much for the reprieve. In the next three hours they celebrated Christmas Eve with a meal, presents and prayer, then got on the slippery roads to make the long journey back to the hospital. He was readmitted Thursday, had his biopsy done on Christmas Day, and then had to wait until the next day for the results. They waited until the afternoon of the 26th when finally, the one doctor who could read the biopsy results, read them and gave him the fantastic news that his kidney was not being rejected. Jen was able to go pick him up that evening.
John and the donor are home recovering with their families! The road has been full of many ups and downs to this point and there is a long road ahead for them all! No matter what the road is, God is with them! Our church sang a song this morning that fits this and I want to share the verse from Way Maker with you!
You are way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are Yeah
You're the way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are
Please continue to check this page as we will update this page on John's progresses. John, Jen, the boys and the donor and her family may be home, but they still need prayers and help. If you feel it in your heart and are financially able to help them, please give on this page. They are still several thousand dollars in debt and the bills will be mounting up.
If you are not able to, that is ok, please share this page and continue to pray for all of them and the medical staff working on these two amazing humans!
God is good all the time! All the time God is good!
Thank you for all your support!!
Organizer and beneficiary
Jennifer Musokwa
Beneficiary