I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Introduction => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: treehugger on May 01, 2009, 10:31:21 AM

Title: Greetings from California
Post by: treehugger on May 01, 2009, 10:31:21 AM: Good morning, everyone. I just found this site a few days ago, have been lurking as a guest, and am now very excited to be here and making my first post. What a great place for information and support.

My husband Joe and I live in the SF Bay Area with our two rescued racing greyhounds (that's our Mandy in my avatar) and two cats.

Joe was diagnosed with kidney disease (we don't know the cause) in August 2002 as a "lucky" accident after a month-long gout attack (he had had gout for 6 years). He started out with 30% kidney function and had a very gradual decline until his nephrologist deemed him ready for dialysis late last spring. He had his catheter surgery in June and started manual and then cycler PD in August/September of last year.

He has been on "the list" for about 3.5 years, but now we are very excited to be starting the (very long) paired exchange process with me as the potential live donor (we don't have the same blood type). So happy that California finally got on the paired exchange band wagon. I just mailed in my paperwork last week, so now we are waiting for the next step. As far as I know, I have two very healthy kidneys, so it's time to get rid of one of them and put it to better use!

That's probably enough of an intro for now. Thanks to everyone who makes this site such a haven.

Cheers,
Kara
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: Wallyz on May 01, 2009, 10:36:17 AM: Welcome, and thanks for donating.

Question about the greyhounds- have you ever thought of getting some monkey jockeys (http://www.wonderlandgreyhound.com/history.html)?
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: paul.karen on May 01, 2009, 10:45:43 AM: LOL WallyZ

Nice to have you here kara.
And it is nice that you are getting in on the paired exchange program. That just seems to be a win win for everyone involved. :thumbup;

Sounds like a great house with all the pets. And Mandy is a cutie.
Hope to see you and Joe post often on many threads.
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: monrein on May 01, 2009, 11:26:27 AM: :welcomesign; Kara. Living donors rock and paired exchange is such a great way to go about donating when incompatibility is a factor. I look forward to hearing more about your journey here. :cuddle;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: MandaMe1986 on May 01, 2009, 11:46:50 AM: Hi there Kara happy you found us. Come back often! :waving;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: willieandwinnie on May 01, 2009, 12:00:45 PM: :welcomesign; Kara. Glad you joined our wonderful family. Loads of information and support are here. Hope to hear more from you and that was a great introduction. :cuddle;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: Maxridex on May 01, 2009, 02:29:48 PM: :welcomesign; Kara :D I'm new here today too :D Hope you keep contact with us on forums :)
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: Zach on May 01, 2009, 02:32:17 PM: Welcome to our community!
:beer1;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: G-Ma on May 01, 2009, 03:01:20 PM: :welcomesign;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: treehugger on May 01, 2009, 03:58:29 PM: Thanks for all the warm welcomes! I can see I have a lot more reading to do this weekend, both here, and at the livingdonoronline site (which I learned about at IHD, naturally). Now, about those monkey jockeys... :P
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: David13 on May 01, 2009, 04:12:21 PM: I would like to add my welcome to the others! :welcomesign;

This is a great site, as you have already found.

Keep us updated on the donation process.
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: willowtreewren on May 01, 2009, 04:19:47 PM: Hi, Kara,
I'm a caregiver, too. Still trying to donate to my husband. :cheer:

It's great to have you on board. A big :welcomesign; from Tennessee, too.

Keep us informed. :waving;

Aleta
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: Jean on May 01, 2009, 11:24:02 PM: Welcome from Sunny Southern California, Riverside to be exact. You will learn a whole lot of stuff here. All valuable in one way or another.
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: Joe Paul on May 02, 2009, 03:02:25 AM: Welcome Kara, good to have you aboard.
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: TeenHatesDialysis on May 02, 2009, 11:02:36 PM: :welcomesign;

Where is your husband's tranplsnt going to take place?

Although we currently live in Colorado, two of my daughters are listed at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford...so we are ready to fly 24/7.

I was born in SF and grew up in Pleasanton and love the Bay Area, but we chose Stanford as our transplant hospital due to their superior non-steroid protocol. They have an awesome transplant team :2thumbsup;

Please keep us updated on your paired exchange! Exciting! :grouphug;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: angellady07 on May 02, 2009, 11:47:25 PM: Welcome. :waving;
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: Yvonne on May 03, 2009, 12:17:21 AM: :welcomesign; :ukflag; Hope all goes well with the tests, I'm a carer also.
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: idahospud on May 03, 2009, 05:59:06 AM: :welcomesign; glad to have you with us :grouphug; carol
Title: Re: Greetings from California
Post by: treehugger on May 04, 2009, 08:32:35 AM: Quote from: TeenHatesDialysis on May 02, 2009, 11:02:36 PM
Where is your husband's tranplsnt going to take place?

I was born in SF and grew up in Pleasanton and love the Bay Area, but we chose Stanford as our transplant hospital due to their superior non-steroid protocol. They have an awesome transplant team

Hey, I grew up in Pleasanton. Small world, huh? So, the big question is, which highschool did you go to? I'm class of '92, Amador. :waving;

Our transplant is going to take place at UCSF.

Thanks for the welcome and best wishes to your daughters!

Kara