November News

After a couple of rounds of testing at Johns Hopkins and the UNC transplant center in Chapel Hill, we're still waiting for an answer about the possibility of an ABO-incompatible transplant between me and Patrick.

Last fall with Mom, Dad, Patrick, Aaron and Christi 

At Hopkins, Patrick was evaluated by the transplant team, and met with Dr. Robert Montgomery, renowned transplant surgeon. He and Mom were very impressed with the staff and with the facilities. Hopkins is a leader in doing blood type incompatible surgeries, and their success rates in retaining kidney function post-transplant are excellent. So we are feeling that the opportunity to have the procedure there could be very fortunate for both of us, but logisitically not as convenient becuase we would have to travel to Balitimore and Patrick would need to stay there for at lease a month post-op. At this point, he has not yet been accepted as a patient; they are waiting  on a few more lab results. After they approve Patrick as a recipient, they will evaulate me as a donor. As we know from experience, this is a time-consuming process, and it may move more quickly at UNC, where Patrick is already approved for transplant, and currently on the wait list.

I was evaluated at UNC last week, and met the director of the Living Donor Program, Dr. Tomasz Kozlowski, who would perform the surgery if we go with UNC for the transplant. The staff were all really friendly, and although UNC is relativiely new to doing ABO-incompatible transplants, they have been sucessful with the surgeries they have performed and are confident that Patrick's proceedure would go smoothly. I have not yet been approved, pending a few more labs to be done asap. We are looking to go with whichever center can give us approval and schedule a surgery date quickly and move the process along. Unfortunately, it looks like the transplant will not be able to happen over the Decemebr break, between semesters, so it would be in January, at the earliest. I am anticipating having a disruption in my spring semester, and hoping for the best with juggling my classes at UNCG.

In the meantime, Patrick's health is stable, his blood pressure is much lower that it was in Sept- Oct, and his spirits are overall a little more positive. It's just been hard to keep hanging on, but we know that there is so much to be grateful for, and so much to be hopeful about! Positivity is the key, for sure, and in this time, as the holidays, the season of lights, and the darkness of winter approach, I wish everyone a beacon of hope that love, blessings, and solidarity may abound in our hearts and lives in the new year. It's almost here! My best to you all.