Meet the donor

Transplant went very well for both Brent and the donor.  The transplant took place on July the 21st, everything went well until August the 4th.  Brent had to make a ER visit because he was having chest pain and shortness of breath.  The anti-rejection medication he was taking caused his potassium level to rise.  This can cause damage to the kidney and even a heat attack.  The ER staff at Vanderbilt was going to have to dialyze in order to get his potassium down.  Once again prayers were answered.  Brent's wife (Francis) put the word out to Facebook  asking or prayers.  God heard the prayers and no dialysis was needed!
Now I would like you to meet the donor.  Her name is Kathy Shell, she is a co-worker and friend of Brent's.  Thank You Kathy!  You are a hero! 

Now I would like to ask a favor of everyone reading this blog, Please consider organ donation.  You can make a difference in so many people's lives.  120,000 Americans currently wait for a life saving gift.  These people have families, friends, and co-workers who fell the agony of waiting alongside with them.  22 people will die every day while waiting for an organ. If you would like to learn more about organ donation please visit www.organdonor.gov and remember this remarkable story.

 

Brent is still not out of the woods.  It may take up to a year before we will know if there will be any rejections.  Please keep them in your prayers.  Thank You!

 

 

 

 

The Blog Done It's Job

The Blog Done It's Job!  Celebration Time!  Brent finally got the news he has been waiting 3 years for.  After 3 years of dialysis, Brent has a kidney!  Number 13 passed all the test.  Brent heard from Vandy and Pre-op and surgery is in the near future (in the next month).   Please continue to pray for donor #13 and Brent, that they both remain healthy until the surgery and that there are no infections, and no rejections of the kidney.  God spoke to me one day and told me to write this blog.  I had no idea why God wanted me to write it, but I listened and was obedient and sat down one day and started writing from my heart.  Who knew it would inspire #13 to become a donor!  God did, he had a plan!
Number 13 is a co-worker/ friend  of Brent's.   She has worked with Brent and known Brent for many years but never knew the extent of his health problems until she read this blog.  She was inspired by this story and decided to get tested to see if she would be a suitable donor.  And she was the one.  She has passed all test and surgery is near.  Thank God for this sweet lady, to give up one of her kidney's  so that someone else can have a better life free from dialysis.
And I wanted to brag on Brent's  wife Francis, she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.  She takes care of her ill parents, works a full time job as a nurse practinctor, and uses her skills to take care of her husband.  And just like her husband, she never complains about anything.  She is always smiling, positive, and in a good mood.  This couple is such an inspiration!  I am honored to know them.  Next blog will be when Brent gets his kidney.  Good luck Brent!

Since the AVF surgery

It has been about a month since my last update and I wanted to bring every one up to speed.   As you all know Brent had AVF surgery to repair the Fistula.  There were a few problems from the surgery such as swelling and the vein being displaced.  The home dialysis nurse had to establish a new "button hole" (which is a new stick site for the needles).

We are currently waiting on number 11.  Number 11 received the kit from Vanderbilt to send her blood back to Vandy to get tested to see if she was a match.  We have not heard from her in 3 weeks.  We have tried to text her and call numerous times but have not received any communication back from her. This is very heart breaking for Brent.  Brent and Frances have decided to move on and start praying for number 12.
Brent and Frances have joined www.matchingdonors.com..  They are getting a lot of contacts and positive feedback from the site. As I was sitting here to today keeping Brent and Frances company while dialyzing they received  3 possible contacts!
One of Frances's friend is saving aluminum and has started a savings account.  She wants to buy some car magnet signs that say  "kidney needed for Brent".  If you would like to save aluminum cans for this cause please call Ann at 256-653-9776.

                                                 Brent and Frances doing Home Dialysis

AVF Surgery this week

Brent will be having an outpatient surgery this week to repair the vascular access on his arm for his dialysis.  Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) provides vascular access to the vein for dialysis. It allows the vein to become larger and for the walls of the vein to thicken which makes it easier for the vein to be punctured repeatedly.  After a while, the fistula wears down and needs to be replaced.  Please keep Brent and Frances in your prayers this week.  Here is a diagram of the procedure:

PRAYING FOR NUMBER 11

Brent had a very sweet couple try to donate a kidney but they didn't pass.  They were number 9 and 10.  It can take 3 to 5 years to receive a kidney.  Please keep Brent and Frances in your prayers along with the couple that tried to donate and could not.  Thank You!

Meet the Greens

I would like to tell you about a great friend of mine and his journey of faith while loosing both kidney's and partial eye sight.  Brent Green and his wife France have been married 15 years.   They have no children. Brent is only 47 years old and has to undergo home dialysis  5  nights a week.  He has been doing dialysis since September of 2012.  Both of Brent's kidneys were removed due to kidney disease called (PKD) Polycystic Kidney Disease that lead to complete kidney failure. (PKD) was inherited from his father's side. (PKD) is a kidney disease that causes growths of numerous cysts on the kidneys and other organs such as the liver.  Brent now has Polycystic liver and the pain from the liver disease is worse than the pain he experienced with both kidneys.  One of his kidneys weighed 12 pounds upon removal!  (The average weight of a human kidney is about 1/2 pound).   He trusted God to remove his first kidney  in February of  2013 and trusted God to remove his second kidney in October of 2013.  Brent also never lost faith in God when he  lost part of his eye sight in June of 2012 due to a  genetic mutation of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy(LHON) inherited from his mother's side. As I mentioned above Brent now has Polycystic liver. The disease will possibly lead to complete liver failure but  Brent's prayer as of now is to receive a kidney.

Brent is the most humble person I know.  You would never even know he had medical problems if you didn't know him personally.  He never complains even though he has every right to. He still works a full time job even though he could get disability.  Despite his severe leg cramping from dialysis and liver pain every day,  he still works a full time job and attends church regularly.

Brent never had children but still wanted to teach children about Jesus.  He taught AWANA at our church (First Baptist of Hazel Green) for 5 years and I had the honors of working side by side with him.   Brent bought many of the children's meals, books, and  AWANA vest,  every Wednesday night and lead several children to Christ. While leaving AWANA one night he noticed his eyes were not focusing.  He made an appointment with the eye Dr. and went through the process of seeing several different eye doctors in Huntsville and Birmingham. Finally after spending a week in the hospital on steroid treatments  the diagnosis of (LHON) finally came. (LHON) affects the central vision of the eye and there is no cure. If Brent gets a kidney it is possible some of his eye sight may return.
 Brent was also one of our head ushers at our church.  Brent still comes to church regularly, and  gives testimonies at several local churches.
Brent depends on a machine to keep him alive. The dialysis process takes 3 1/2 hours every night and he is stuck with 2, 14 gauge needles. Brent's wife is a nurse practitioner.  What a blessing sent from God! The Lord paired Brent and Francis together knowing that Brent would need her and her skills one day.  The process is very stressful  on him and his wife and he is always in a lot of pain. Brent's farther died on the dialysis machine.  What a sign of his remarkable faith! Brent trusts God every night to get him through the dialysis process.

Nxstage Dialysis Machine

Brent's wife is is not an acceptable donor for Brent due to her diabetes and hypertension.  Brent has been on the kidney donor list for 2 years and has had 8 failed donors. 
If you would like to become a donor please go to the Vanderbilt website at http://www.vanderbilthealth.com/transplant/29111 and fill out the form,  place Brent Green's name in the "intended recipient's" field.  Or call Vanderbilt's Kidney transplant line at 615-936-0695.
Even if you don't match, there is a SWAP program in which another recipient unmatched donor could use Brent's unmatched donor.  But both patients still get a kidney!  Brent's insurance pays for the donor's testing and surgery.
Donor guidelines: BMI (Body Mas Index) should be less than 35, must have controlled blood pressure with out medications, no diabetes, no regular use of arthritic medication, and no history of metastatic cancer, and you must live in the United States.  Brent's blood type is "O"