Waiting for the phone to ring

Waiting for the phone to ring

Woman raising awareness of organ donation
while searching for living kidney donor

BY CHRIS BALUSIK • The Gazette Staff • May 10,
2010

Greenfield resident Theresa Staten always has
suspected this day was coming.

Having inherited her father's polycystic kidney
disease (PKD), she knew the possibility existed that
the little cysts associated with the condition could
one day become a big problem -- even though that
result was far from a lock.

"A lot of people have this, but don't even know it,"
Staten, 44, said. "They live their whole lives without
it giving them any problems, and it's usually not a
big deal. But for some people, it is."

She was among the latter group in which cysts
eventually enlarge the kidney and begin interfering
with kidney function, also resulting in elevated
blood pressure, kidney infections and production of
too many red blood cells. And as the disease has
progressed, it has Staten looking to raise awareness
of the importance of organ donation, both by
getting it noted on a driver's license for those
willing to donate after they die and by registering to
become living donors of such organs as kidneys.

Staten started monitoring her condition on an
annual basis when she was in her 20s, her father
having died of renal failure and complications of
diabetes tied to PKD after being on dialysis as much
as four times per day. Then, she began attending
nursing school to prepare for her current position
with Adena Health System and learned more about
her condition.

"Then, in just the last year, it got to the point where
it was time to do something about it because it
wasn't going to stay where it was, it was going to
get worse," she said.

There are five progressive stages of renal disease,
the last of which requires either regular kidney
dialysis or a kidney transplant. Staten said she's
right on the edge of entering Stage 5.

She heads to The Ohio State University Medical
Center this week to begin her work-up in hopes of
finding a suitable living kidney donor for
transplant. Finding a living donor generally
shortens the time before the transplant can take
place when compared with finding a solid match
and being in the right place on the waiting list for
receiving a kidney from a donor who has died.

After the work-up comes the waiting and the
frustration.

"I have had a couple of people already fill out the
paperwork to get the process started, but that
doesn't mean they're going to be a match," she said.

Staten said she's been amazed at the willingness of
those who have learned of her situation and stepped
forward to be tested. Besides the ones who already
have started the process, she had several others ask
her for contact numbers to set up testing of their
own after a prayer request during a retreat she
attended mentioned her situation.

"There are people out there who will do it, they just
have that passion in their hearts to do things for
people," she said.

It seems only fitting that a prayer request would
generate some response, because she said it has
been her faith that has helped her deal with the
situation.

"I know God has plans for me," she said. "Whatever
they are, I accept them. He just hasn't shown me
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those plans yet. That's what keeps me from basically
freaking out about the whole situation."

That, and a loving family that helps her deal with the
chronic fatigue she's been experiencing as the
disease progresses. She has been married 22 years
and has two daughters, 19 and 20, a 17-year-old
son and a 25-year-old stepdaughter who has
provided her with her first grandchild.

And while her process has begun, she would like to
use her situation to help encourage people to sign
up for organ donation of all kinds.

"We need to raise awareness of even being a donor
on the driver's license," she said. "Because if you're
a donor on your driver's license, you could
potentially save eight lives and improve the quality
of nearly 50 lives just by different body parts and
tissues.

"I don't think people really realize how much good
they can do by donating their bodies. We don't need
it when we're gone, let someone else benefit."

Anyone interested in being tested as a potential
donor in Staten's case can call her contact at OSU
Medical Center, Bonnie, at (800) 293-8965,
pressing option 4, then option 2.

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20100510/NEWS01/5050328