Schmidt Family Fighting Kidney Disease
This past October (2020) Joe visited the doctor for a general visit about elevated blood pressure. Because he is a living donor and now has only one kidney, they decided to run labs just to be sure the high blood pressure wasn’t causing any issues for it. To our surprise, the labs came back showing him to have chronic kidney disease. He was diagnosed stage 4 kidney disease and the roller coaster began. After an inconclusive biopsy of his kidney, we were referred for a kidney transplant. However, because Joe has had two bouts of melanoma, the doctors at UW Madison want him to be cancer free for 5 years before they will do the transplant.
He quickly progressed from stage 4 to Stage 5, which is end stage renal failure. Fast forward to a few weeks back, Joe tested positive for covid-19 just days before his scheduled surgery for a stomach catheter for at home dialysis. Because of this, his surgery had to be postponed to May 11. The covid hit him hard and he fell very ill. After several sets of labs and close monitoring by his nephrologist, we learned that his body could no longer fight in the condition it was in, and he wouldn’t make it to his May 11 surgery - he couldn’t go on without dialysis. On April 26, they did an emergency surgery to place a catheter in his chest, and he immediately began hemodialysis at St. Vincent. He will continue to do the hemodialysis 3-4 days a week, for 4 hours each day, until he has surgery to place the stomach catheter and begins PD dialysis at home. At that point, he will do dialysis 7 days a week, until he receives a transplant.
This has to be an emotional and financial burden on the family. A family who would gladly give their shirts off their back for anyone is now living with this nightmare. With piling up medical bills and loss of work any little bit would help this family of 8.
On behalf of Joe, Angie, their family and closest friends, I appreciate the outpouring of love, support and prayers over the last 6 months and undoubtedly, in the months to come.