Back on The List

So, we are working on getting John back on the kidney transplant list.


John has had FSGS since he was a child, diagnosed at age 7.  Eventually the disease took over both kidneys, and he had a transplant in 1986 from a living donor--his brother.  That transplant lasted several years.. but infection, rejection, and the disease overtook the donor kidney as well.  One theory is that the match was too good.  John was on dialysis* for a couple of years, and had a second transplant in 1992 from a deceased donor. 

*edited:  John was on dialysis for 3 years and 3 months!


We are lucky and grateful that transplant lasted for 22 years, with no complications! 


Over this past year, John's kidney function has declined and he is now in end-stage renal failure. The symptoms are hitting him a bit harder at age 46 than the last time he experienced it in his 20s. 


His best chance is a living donor transplant, as soon as possible.  His blood type is O+, but there is more to the matching process than just blood type.  We are looking in to a program called paired donation where multiple donors and recipients are matched.


He is being followed by the Transplant Institute in Boston, as well as a local nephrologist. We will update this blog with events and progress.