ACLT’s Post

Rebirth As Easter passes, I reflect upon the concept of rebirth, as fantastic as it may seem, but today of all days it seems possible. Is organ transplantation rebirth, a do-over, or is it simply the continuation of many years of battling chronic kidney disease with a degree of improvement? The moment of the transplant, when the kidney starts working inside the body of the recipient, is nothing less than a miracle, only comparable to birth in medical terms. Based on my experience with three transplants, that euphoria continues for a time period after the procedure where gratitude and happiness are dominant while fear for the future is suppressed. The recipient and the donor recover together in many cases, as it was in two of mine (father and sister) and create a bond stronger than they had before. That bond of course also includes complex feelings of fear for the donor’s future health, and fear of messing up the gifted kidney. Over time, the new kidney settles in, and much of what the recipient could not do before is possible. In my case, I was able to work full time, travel, do sports, eat and drink freely and be happy since I was not so tired or in pain anymore. However, over the long term, due to the lack of new and better immune suppressants to preserve the organ safely, the side effects and the complications become more serious and impact life in a major way. Headaches, tremors, hypertension, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, infections, cancers, mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as the decline of kidney function lead back to the situation prior to the transplant. I have no illusions of living forever and even less of living without pain or suffering. It is part of life’s cycle to start healthy and new, and end old and broken. All I am seeking is a little longer to enjoy the freedom and happiness. I savor the time before I have to go back to that broken state from where I was saved - not just once but twice. Thank you Pappa and Lisa. And thank you to the family who decided to donate their daughter’s pancreas to me. #organtransplantation #kidneytranslant #pancreastransplant #drugdevelopment #innovation #dialysis Lyfebulb Patient Care America Phil Keough Leslie Simmons Brille Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ITB-MED Bristol Myers Squibb Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Hansa Biopharma Memo Therapeutics AG CSL DaVita Kidney Care Fresenius Medical Care ProKidney Corp. eGenesis, Inc. Sana Biotechnology, Inc. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Lisa Hehenberger Michael Hehenberger Critical Path Institute (C-Path)

https://gofund.me/12e72e3d https://lnkd.in/gWuJxz2i Sorry it has been a minute since my last update. It took me a little longer to put May behind me this year. Dave has been taking Chemo for 2 weeks now. He has been handling the Chemo pretty well. Dave has learned that he has to pre-load nausea pills in order to stomach the dose of 8 Chemo pills every morning and evening. The one time he didn't pre load the nausea pills, he was sick within the hour. Dave is finally over the cold sensitivity. No more ice shards. Dave has moved on to ice cream and ice in his drinks. That made him very happy. It's the small things that count now. Like he stepped outside to talk with the neighbors about early mowing. Apparently, 15 minutes was too long since he ended up blistering on his face from the sun. That is just 1 of the side effects - No Sun. David had a neurology appointment in Tuscaloosa last week. The neurologist was conducting a nerve study testing Dave's neuropathy. He put a needle into the side of Dave's left foot and shot a current of electricity into his baby toe. Dave hasn't felt anything in that toe since 1997. Now, it hasn't stopped hurting(a considerable amount). After the nerve and muscle study of Dave's left leg, both of his feet have been hurting. To the point that it is hard to walk. Now we don't know if this is related to the Chemo side effects or diabetes side effects or just his original injury, which doesn't explain the right foot hurting as well. Dave will be calling his care team for answers. He also already has a follow-up appointment with VA Neurology. David has also invested in new UV 50 protection shirts with long sleeves and hoods so he can be out in the sun. Another investment is $$ but necessary. He blistered just talking to the neighbor for a few minutes. Dave received another prescription in the mail to take with breakfast every day. An Iron supplement. So he is up to 10 pills in the morning and 9 at night. David is looking forward to next Tuesday. He takes the morning dose of Chemo pills, and then he is off for a week to give his body time to recover. https://gofund.me/12e72e3d https://lnkd.in/gWuJxz2i #workingwithcancer #SurvivingChemotherapy #gofund.me

Spain, world leader in liver transplants Spain is the country with the highest rate of liver transplants in the world. In 2022, 1,159 liver transplants were performed in Spain, of which 91 were from living donors. The 5-year survival rate after a liver transplant in Spain is 80%.

A close coworker & dear friend of mine, her husband Bob, is in need of a kidney transplant. Please share so we can help spread the word and help connect him or someone else else who is on the wait list, with someone who may be a match 💜 Bob Kido, Sr. has been giving back to others throughout his entire life. After being diagnosed with end stage renal failure, he now needs our help! Bob has been valiantly battling chronic kidney disease since 2019 as a result of Type 2 Diabetes, and is currently on home dialysis for 8 hours per day, 5 days a week. Although the dialysis is currently working, it takes a toll on his body, and isn’t a viable long term solution. The best option for a longer, healthier, more normal life is a kidney transplant. A new kidney would also give him more time to do the things he enjoys most including spending time with his loving wife, children, grandchildren and other family and friends. As he started the testing process for a kidney transplant in 2022, Bob was diagnosed with Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy. This chronic disease attacked his core muscles, leaving him unable to stand or walk for over six months. It also put a hold on the transplant process. Through undying faith and unwavering commitment, Bob spent countless, grueling hours rehabilitating his body each and every day until he was finally able to walk (and eventually play golf) again! As he resumed testing for his kidney transplant, a heart condition was found, which necessitated triple bypass surgery. Again, the transplant process was halted. With familiar resolve, Bob attacked rehab head on for several months and recovered. Now, two years later, he has been cleared by his doctors to resume his search for a kidney and has been reactivated on the transplant list. However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. Time is not on their side. Some wait for years; many die while waiting. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor. YOU CAN ALSO CONTACT BOB’S TRANSPLANT CENTER DIRECTLY at 717-231-8700 TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR TALK THROUGH CONCERNS. https://lnkd.in/eY2aa2rB

Explore the latest LTSI newsletter, where we journey into 'Liver Transplant Beyond Borders.' 🚀 Discover the groundbreaking insights and global perspectives shaping the future of liver transplant. Click the link below to dive in! https://lnkd.in/gK8mT8qT

Octreotide was well tolerated and 50% of refractory PLE dogs showed clinical improvements. Read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/dn_pVgFH #PLE #dog #GI #octreotide

With kidney and pancreas organ offers in decline, and organ non-use emerging as a critical issue, understanding acceptance and refusal behaviors is more important than ever.   Join UNOS expert Sarah Taranto this Sunday at ATC for her session: "Organ Offers Acceptance/Refusal Practices in Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation." Sarah will delve into the tools that can help programs accept more offers, benchmark their acceptance and refusal behaviors, and forecast their program trends.   Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights and improve your understanding of your program's organ offer practices. See you there! #ATC2024 #Transplantation #OrganDonation #HealthcareInnovation #AIinHealthcare

#chemotherapy #lymphoma #suffering #life #love #reverenceforlife #loveofJesus My dear friends in a reverence for life, yesterday I experienced the second of six rounds of chemo treatment for the strain of lymphoma that decided to coalesce in my system. This was administered by the folks at Mitchell Cancer Institute in South Alabama, and I have nothing but encomia for those folks. Everyone to a person was kind, friendly, caring, attentive and knowledgeable. As I had weathered the first round so well, this round required less time for completion, as will each successive round if my performance continues to meet or exceed standards. The reason is that the rate of infusion of the first element of the chemical concoction is increased as the one being infused demonstrates tolerance. As my tolerance was apparently manifest, next time the rate of infusion will be speedier still, necessitating even less time in the chair. Side effects so far are the same as with round 1:  lowered appetite, but not calamitously, increased thirst, and urine that has turned a lighter shade of pinkish orange! The thirst may be in some part caused by the antihistamine I am required to ingest to ward off potential bone pain. Today I also commence steroid ingestion for 4 days, so my weight will ramp up considerably, then regress to the mean. Other side effects continue: alopecia progresses with daily clumps of hair left on the pillow, towel, or shirt. I noticed every male patient in the clinic sported a ball cap, so I’ll don mine from now to join the club. Proving that social media now tracks every aspect of your life, I am amused to note the increase in hair restoration ads making their way to my in-box! Even a few from funeral establishments. Sorry boys, you’ll have to wait your turn! The rash outbreak that closely mirrored cold sores has greatly abated, but in its wake my upper lip sports a fine, powdery replacement. Finally, I was a bit more fatigued than normal yesterday, nodding off repeatedly while watching the endless quests to prove that the Bermuda Triangle is rife with some supernatural ability to affect navigation, et al. Probably didn’t miss much anyway! My dear friends, as I occupied my chemo chair I was struck once again by the fellowship of sufferers populating the chairs all around me. We greeted each other without pause or reserve, wished each other well, often intoning a prayer or blessing. My dear friends, the lines of Gray’s poem always return to me: “To each his suff'rings: all are men, Condemn'd alike to groan, The tender for another's pain; Th' unfeeling for his own.” It is in suffering that we are united. All life suffers, all life experiences pain, all life must fight through distress and torment. May we embrace that unity and ameliorate the suffering of others, regardless of species, overcoming the barriers we erect between us by invoking the love of Jesus to guide us. That is a reverence for life. Cum meo maximo amore!

"High-Tie Sigmoidectomy Syndrome" In our most recent letter to the editor, we propose the use of the term "High-Tie Sigmoidectomy Syndrome" instead of "Low Anterior Resection Syndrome" (LARS) when describing a specific set of defecatory and genitourinary issues that arise from the high ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) after sigmoidectomy.

What is the KDPI and how is it used? Dr. Anne Hummel, a transplant nephrologist, and Nicole Jefferson, a two-time high KDPI kidney transplant recipient, are here to give you the facts.