You can save my life by becoming a living kidney donor. Dear Friends,
SO BE IT. For those who may not know, I have Type1 diabetes. But over time, my kidney disease has gotten worse causing my kidneys to fail and keep me alive. This is what I am facing now, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant. My wife Cathy’s and my lives have taken on a whole new course along with family and friends. Getting regular dialysis treatments of one kind or another will help my kidneys do their job and keep me alive. I currently go 3 times a week for 4 hours doing hemodialysis at the dialysis center. But a transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. A transplant would also give me more time to do the things I enjoy most, like spending more time with my family and friends and do some traveling now that I’m retired. I'd like to finish my RT 66 trip plus take full advantage of my Golden Eagle Pass for National Parks. And I really enjoy the woodworking stuff. However, finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. (No, I don’t have their phone numbers.) Time is not on our side. Some wait for years; many die while waiting. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor. There are kidney/pancreas transplants but basically, I’m past the safe age for that to happen. So I’m looking for a living donor. Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult, but it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has a much better function. You might not know a lot about living donation - I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:
~You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life. I actually know a person who is 66 years young with one kidney.
~Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
~The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.
~The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. The hospital can give you extensive information on this.
~You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests. You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or nkfcares@kidney.org. If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can also help. https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com is a dialysis center. https://www.davita.com is another dialysis center. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and explore the process of determining if you are a match for me. You can also contact my transplant center directly at 410-328-5408. Or go to their website:
https://ummclivingdonation.org/ This is at The University of Maryland Medical Center. However, I know living donation may not be right for everyone — but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death and also, help me by sharing my story with everyone you know. At the very least I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney sooner and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list. This is only the beginning for me. I’m waiting to see if I made the cut at Maryland. Gosh, it’s like going to baseball tryouts and waiting to see if you made the team. Thanks for reading
Ray Vendryes
P.S. Some of this general information came from National Kidney Foundation. Message me on Facebook at Ray Vendryes or
Email vendr001@yahoo.com or call 410-867-7439
