We went to KU yesterday for Jason's initial appointment. It was a fairly uneventful visit, but necessary in order to move forward in the transplant process. We met briefly with a pre-transplant nurse, social worker, and financial specialist. The rest of our time was spent with a few other patients in a class that covered the details of transplant.
The next step will be medical testing so they can determine if Jason is a candidate. They will request his records from St. Luke's, so may not need to repeat every test. He will be seen by their cardiologist at some point. On our end, we need to obtain clearance from a dentist. Once this part is completed, the transplant team will meet to make a decision.
Jason has been feeling pretty well for the past few weeks, aside from a cold that his wife was nice enough to share. Last month's labs showed that he was at 10% kidney function. His kidney doctor felt we could wait a bit longer before starting dialysis since he's not showing many symptoms yet. We will do labs again next week.
Throughout our marriage, Jason loved getting away to Kansas City for the day. We explored every area of the city many times, and had favorite spots. Since he always drove, I never grew comfortable finding my way around. Our friend Keith was kind enough to accompany us yesterday, and drove so I wouldn't be stressed. He is indispensable, and a constant support. At one point in the day, I asked Jason, "What would we do without Keith?" He answered simply, "Struggle."
Our church family wrote encouraging notes for us, which we read on the way to the appointment yesterday. We were extremely touched by this gesture. One especially moving note was written by a young girl named Abbey. At the end she wrote, "I hope whoever is giving up the kidney will know that it is going for a very nice, loving, and strong man."
Several times over the past month, I've heard the admonition "do not be afraid". One friend reminded me how often the Bible tells us not to be afraid. The following week, Keith preached a lesson on this very topic. I lost track of how many times he said those four words that morning. When I opened the note from sweet Abbey yesterday, the words from a verse she included leaped off the page: "do not fear for I am with you". While this process holds much uncertainty, there is no room for fear in the face of such a powerful promise.
"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you." (Isaiah 41:10)
