If you don't know our story, my Braveheart got diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease due to complications from diabetes and high blood pressure that he contracted at the age of 27 from a virus that attacked his pancreas. With kidney function, you need 100% of both kidneys functioning. His primary care doctor saw some abnormality with his kidneys and referred him to a kidney specialist. It was early spring when we saw the kidney doctor. Through a series of tests, the doctor saw that his kidneys were at 21%. Not good news but not drastic yet. He wanted us to come back for a follow up appointment. At that appointment, Bill's kidney function dropped to 16%. The doctor was worried that the function decreased so quickly. He started talking to us about dialysis and kidney transplant. We started the journey by Bill doing a kidney biopsy to rule out any other disease. Test results showed failure from diabetes and high blood pressure. Now, we begin the journey of home dialysis and kidney transplant. It will be a journey of ups and downs requiring our strength, bravery, and vulnerability because this journey will be our new normal until transplant happens. A transplant will give Bill his quality of life back. We pray that we find a blood-match living donor soon so Bill won't be on dialysis for a long time. Dialysis will help him while we find a donor. But, it is not the same as finding a healthy kidney.
Thank you for traveling this journey with us! No matter your religious belief, we welcome prayers and well wishes.
Our daily prayers will be with both of you as you Journey!
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