Transplant Donors needed

Hey guys, have a couple of things to tell you about today. The most important to me is a post I saw on our local yard sale site. It is a plea for a kidney, but it reminds us how important it is for organs donors all over. Here is the post:

My Uncle Jeff is in need this is the second time we have had to do a mass message over the internet I was his first donor when i just turned 20 I was denied for me being anemic. My aunt wrote this up please help if you can

My awesome husband of 16 years and father to our 13 yr old son and 9 yr old daughter is in need of a kidney transplant. Jeff was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy, a kidney disease, when he was 17. While most people with this disease can control it with methods such as medication, Jeff's level of this disease causes irreversible scar tissue to form in his kidneys. We knew from the beginning that this would come one day, but hoped and prayed that it wouldn't come this fast.

Jeff is only 37 years old and has been on dialysis since January of 2010. At first he did Hemodialysis and it was awful! He couldn't stand having to go to the clinic and spend 3-4 hours 3 times a week in there looking at blood. And it was quite depressing to be so young in there with almost everyone else being close to retirement age, if not older.

Jeff works for a company he loves, he loves what he does for a living and the people he works for and with. He also loves getting out there and seeing his customers. (He's a local truck driver who also does morning office work and dock work.) He could NOT do this on Hemodialysis. He started Peritoneal Dialysis in March. While this form of dialysis is something he can do at home and doesn't use the blood to filter toxins and excess fluid from the body, it is still very restricting to a 37 year old man who lives an active lifestyle and loves to work and play with his kids. Jeff has been working again since starting PD, but has to do 1-2 exchanges during his workday as well as being much more careful and not lifting as much. However, family time is REALLY what has been affected. Our kids play sports, have school programs and other activities in the evenings Jeff has to miss to do his dialysis. We are also a family who LOVES the water! Where we live, the lake's are a BIG deal and we LOVE it! Boating, fishing, camping and, of course, SWIMMING! This is something Jeff cannot do. Swimming is a no-no. Too much risk of infection.

Jeff has to be careful around the kids, too. No rough-housing with our teenager anymore because he has to be careful of his catheter. And trust me, they were good at wrestling around here and making me scared they were going to break something! : ) I know they miss that.

Thirty minutes, four times a day. That is how often Jeff does dialysis. And that is EVERY day. No days off and no skipping an exchange. EVER. While this could certainly sustain him for many years, it is NOT ideal. A kidney transplant would give Jeff his life back. He would have less limits on diet, activities, work, etc. It would be like regaining his freedom. And he could just be 'Dad' again. Not 'Dad on dialysis'.

We are asking ANYONE who is healthy both physically and mentally if they would be willing to be tested to see if they are a match to become a kidney donor for Jeff. Besides being physically and mentally healthy, you cannot have ever used iv drugs. No history of diabetes, high blood pressure for sure. Another thing to consider is finance. While OUR insurance actually pays for the donors part as well as Jeff's, what about the time off work it will require? While some testing (including the initial bloodwork) can be done through your local physician or clinic, some tests will be done through the transplant center. That means St. Louis or Kansas City and may require you to miss a day. Recovery after surgery is something potential donors must especially consider. The average recovery time after surgery is 4-6 weeks - some less, some more. It also depends on what kind of work you do. Is it physically demanding? Do you not have to move around a lot? There are many things to think about before deciding to become a donor. While we welcome anyone who is willing to be tested, we want you to have all the facts first. I have more information I can give you and here are some websites you might look at: www.kidney.org , http://som.missouri.edu/mokp/

Jeff is on the transplant list, but it can take an average of 3 years to get a kidney this way. That's why we're doing this. We found a donor once using this method. Unforetunately, through the testing process, we found out she was not eligible. Like I said, here we go again. But like Jeff said, it just wasn't meant to be. Everything happens for a reason.

If you are considering becoming a donor, PLEASE do some research and soul searching first. The internet can provide you with a lot of information. I have some, too. The next step is to call the transplant center for more information.The Barnes Transplant # is 1-800-633-9906 or 314-362-5365 option 2. My phone number is 417-840-2039.

Thank you for reading this, considering it and passing it on to others who may be willing to be tested.
I would love it if any of you could to please get tested to see if you can save a life.

My next thing is a bit of a rant. That so called church is at it again. They are going to protest Elizabeth Edwards funeral, with signs saying "God Hates Elizabeth Edwards". I can't even begin to tell you how heated up this has got me. These are the same people who go to military funerals holding signs saying "Thank God for Dead Soldiers". I don't care what your religion, political or any other views are, funerals are not the place for that mess.
If you have an issue with something in this country, yes we have the freedom of speech to be able to say we don't agree, but this takes it to a new low. I am anti-violence, but I would consider making an exception in this case, which is why my butt isn't going near them.
I have a brother-in-law who is a marine, and if anything happened to him and they tried this, with his three young children grieving their father, I believe I would be forced to use violence.
This is a horrible tacky way to get publicity. They need to seek counciling and the sooner the better, especially since they bring their young children to these protest when there is a very high probability of fighting. Where is the DSS at now? This should be investigated to see if it is a safe enviroment for these children, which I know it is not.
Okay sorry for that. Had to get it all out.
I know the last part is broken up and terrible writing skill, but it is my rant style. Okay, I am out. Time to look for an agent still. Have a great one!