UPDATES

BIG NEWS!!!

On June 1st, 2005, I underwent kidney transplant surgery, at University Hospital in Denver!

I had a living donor. A wonderful man by the name of Noel Hixenbaugh. ( pronounced Nole )

Noel is blood type A2, and was also a zero point antigen match. My blood type is O+..

It was a risky operation, but it was very successful. It was a Laproscopic procedure for Noel.

Figure 1 (left)
Ports are Positioned to insert laproscopic instruments.

Figure 2 (right)
Kidney is removed intact in synthetic, retractable sack.

They had both of us knocked out at 7:30am, and I was the last to wake up at 2:30pm.

It was so successful, that Noel was released 3 days after the surgery.

I was released 4 days after the surgery!

Just to give you an idea of how well the new kidney is working. Before transplant, my creatinine level was measured at 15.

24 hours after surgery, it was a 6. 4. 8 hours after surgery it was 2.2. 72 hours after surgery it went to 1.7! After 4 clinic visits in Denver, after being released, it's stabilized to a 1.8... On dialysis, my dry weight was 170lbs. Before I was released, my weight was158lbs.

Noel and I have each returned to Colorado Springs, and are resting up at our respective homes. Noel's scars are a lot smaller than mine! All they did was tape him up! They had to staple me back up! (Not that I'm complaining here!)

As far as recuperative care goes, I have clinic visits in Denver scheduled MWF, for the next 4-6 weeks, as long as my lab work stays steady. My biggest challenge is that I have to be careful to try not to do too many thing too fast. My wife Dee has threatened to duct tape me to a chair if I get too busy trying to work on things. Staple pulling & stint removal are mere weeks away!

Noel's had one surgical follow up to check the healing of his incisions.

I have so many people to thank, starting with Noel!

This whole process started in November of 2004, with Noel's contacting me, and his subsequent referral to my transplant coordinator in Denver, Joan Millspaugh.

Together Noel & Joan got all of the numerous tests accomplished and brought my case before the transplant board for consideration.

We got approval I think on April 29th, and originally scheduled the surgeries for May 31st.

Here are just a few of the folks on the Team that made this the success that it is.

On June 25th, 2005, we had our first annual Kidney-Q in my backyard!

Entry - 10/15/2007! Still going strong!