A kidney in kindness

[okarol]

A kidney in kindness

By Christine Hollister
05/01/2008

Lutheran Church Pastor Jeremy Jacoby proceeded through months of testing to determine if he would be eligible to donate one of his kidneys to parishioner Jon Adams, everything kept coming back as a go.

All of the tests were finally in the clear. There really was only one minor glitch in the entire process: Adams, an avid Green Bay Packers fan, didn’t know if his body would be able to accept the kidney of a die-hard Bronco’s fan.

But the two were able to reach an agreement.

“We made a deal that he couldn’t cover my kidney with anything Packers,” Jacoby joked.

“I think I’m going to put a Broncos patch over that part of my jersey for him,” Adams laughed.

•••

It would have been hard to believe one year ago where life would take the two men and their young families.

Jacoby and Adams met in April of last year when Family of Christ Lutheran Church formed a congregation at the Frederick High School auditorium.

Adams, 33, began attending church with his wife, Lisa, and daughters, Ellen, 2, and Allison, 4. Though they lived in Brighton, the family quickly became involved in the church and Adams was named church president.

The family became fast friends with Jacoby, 36, his wife, Julie, and their two daughters, Jessica, 4, and Johanna, 3.

•••

Later that April, Adams began feeling extremely run down. He just wasn’t himself, he said.

“He had some flu-like symptoms, was constantly lethargic and had a yellow tint to his skin,” his wife, Lisa, remembers. “He just could not get going.” Adams remembers going into work the day before his doctor’s appointment. He was feeling so tired, he had to go and take a nap in his van.

He went to the doctor May 1.

When looking over the creatine levels in his blood work results, doctors were shocked at what they found.

“With the creatine levels, anything over a ‘one’ is bad, and usually around ’10,’ you’re in a coma,” Lisa said. “Jon’s was off the charts—a ’24.’ They couldn’t believe he was alive.”

Adams, who had previously lead a very healthy life, was diagnosed with advanced renal failure and was immediately sent to the emergency room to begin dialysis.

“That day was pretty rough. Fortunately we caught it when we did,” Adams said. “When I went to take a nap in the van that day, I could have very easily slipped into a coma.”

•••

After calling their parents, Jacoby was the first person Jon and Lisa called.

“He was our new pastor,” Lisa said. “He has become our friend ever since.”

The Jacobys supported their new friends through Adams’ four-hour dialysis sessions three days a week. Adams was given a life expectancy of 10 years on dialysis.

“It’s hard to explain what dialysis is like,” he said. “You’re living on a machine. Afterwards you’re washed out and tired.”

Not being able to imagine years living on dialysis and still with such a short life expectancy, Adams began to explore the possibility of a kidney transplant. To receive a kidney from a deceased donor could take from three to five years on average, he said, and kidneys from deceased donors typically don’t last as long as a kidney from a living donor. The wait for a living donor was much shorter, provided he could find someone who would qualify.

•••

In August, Adams put the word out that he was in need of a kidney donor. As he endured his routine of lengthy dialysis treatments, many of his friends and family members went to get tested to see if they would qualify to donate one of their kidneys.

“I was kind of banking on my dad. He was the lead candidate,” Adams said. “But we found out he had high blood pressure so he couldn’t. I was shocked and didn’t know what would happen next.”

Jacoby said his wife, Julie, initially had her blood type tested, but at AB negative, it wasn’t the B-positive or O-type blood that was needed to make the match. It was then that Jacoby decided to have his blood drawn to check his blood type.

“It was easy to put myself in his shoes,” Jacoby said. “We’re close to the same age, and I knew if I could help him and I didn’t, nothing I was saying in church about love meant anything.”

•••

Over a period of months, Jacoby proceeded with more testing, including additional blood work, an EKG, a 24-hour urine test and others.

“All along I was viewing this as a process, each was one step closer,” Jacoby said. “I was viewing it as if God could close the door on it at any point if he wanted to, but he didn’t.”

An MRI in March was the last step in determining if Jacoby would be an eligible donor. When it also came back clear, he was given the go for the operation. Adams’ transplant coordinator at the hospital heard the news first and relayed the good news.

Adams called Jacoby, not knowing for sure if his friend knew yet that he would be donating his kidney to him. Both said the phone call was a bit awkward.

“Inside I was jumping for joy,” Adams said. “But I wasn’t sure if he knew so there was a lot of speechlessness. I mean, what do you say, ‘Congratulations?’”

•••

“Kidney donors actually have a longer life expectancy than the general population,” Jacoby said.

The pastor has learned a lot about organ donation in the last few months. He’s talked with doctors about the risks from the surgery – problems with anesthesia, infection, internal bleeding – and has learned how life will be with only one kidney. He said his one kidney will never function at 100 percent, but should reach 70 to 80 percent, as it grows stronger and larger in size.

He’s also become a lot healthier, he said, drinking the required 64 ounces of water each day, working out and eating healthy, though he still admits he enjoys the occasional Dr. Pepper. But where Jacoby is feeling water-logged, Adams is very limited on water intake, and often eats ice to try to help quench his thirst.

And Adams has also been doing his research.

“I got a handbook this thick on how to take care of his kidney,” he laughed, holding up his hands a couple of inches apart.

•••

Sunday, just two days prior to their life-changing early-morning operations, the men sat at an FHS cafeteria table after church discussing the events of the upcoming week. Both wore red bracelets on their right wrists, given to them the week before at pre-op.

Jacoby, who has never had surgery before, said, “I’ve been too busy to be nervous.”

Nearby, Lisa Adams and Julie Jacoby talked optimistically, with just a tinge of anxiousness, about their husbands.

“We’re just excited we get to go through this with such close friends. I can’t imagine anybody else I’d rather sit in a waiting room with,” Lisa said, putting a hand on Julie’s arm. “We can’t say thank you enough. We’re so glad it’s them.”

“We’re excited for Jon and the life change it’s going to bring to him,” Julie said. “And I’m really proud of my husband. It’s the big heart I always knew he had.”

“Hopefully it’s a big kidney, too,” Lisa laughed.

•••

Jacoby and Adams both went in for surgery yesterday morning. Jacoby is expected to be in University Hospital for a couple of days. Adams might stay through the end of the week. Adams will take off a month from work, but they both plan on making it to church this coming Sunday.

“You can’t miss any more church, ever,” Jacoby joked with Adams.

Adams said he looks forward to feeling strong enough to play with his daughters. And to have the time to make up for the birthday parties and soccer games he missed while undergoing dialysis.

“I still have a long road ahead, but the freedom generated by it is enormous,” Adams said.

“We are so thankful and we could never repay them for this,” Lisa said.

“I don’t know how you thank someone for something like this,” Adams said. “I guess I’ll have to put lots of No. 7s (John Elway’s Bronco’s jersey number) on my back.”

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