Local priest who donated kidney hopes to get back to work next week

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Local priest who donated kidney hopes to get back to work next week
By Pantagraph staff
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NORMAL -- A priest from Normal who donated his left kidney and a parishioner with kidney failure who received the organ are on the mend, Monsignor Eric Powell said Tuesday.

Powell, pastor of Epiphany Roman Catholic Church, and the parishioner — whom he has declined to identify — underwent the transplant on April 13 at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria. Both were discharged two days later.

“We both have sore stomachs but she (the parishioner) will need to adhere to a strict drug regimen to ensure acceptance of the donated kidney,” Powell said.

Powell has no fever and his body systems are working normally, so he hopes to return to Epiphany and begin working toward a regular schedule next week.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2009/04/21/news/doc49ee2405ab607251047953.txt