A New Kidney Finally.... But Will It Work?

After years and years of waiting, my friend agreed to receive a "high-risk" kidney from a cadaver. Years of waiting, and hoping, and suffering through dialysis three times a week for four hours each time.  He had an enormous fistula on one arm that failed, and had to have surgery to create a fistula on his other arm. Two different dialysis centers and countless numbers of dialysis technicians, many who were competent and caring, and several who were cold, incompetent and should not have been in the profession. Countless incidents of passing out in the chair after dialysis with scary low blood pressure and having to wait another hour until his BP was sufficient to so home.  Most of the time feeling like shit when he came home and falling asleep without dinner. Constant decline in his energy and health, in survival mode with no joy of life or living.

Another three years of waiting, and finally the call came that a kidney was available. We rushed up to SF and waited throughout the day and night for the kidney to arrive. In the wee hours of the next morning, they came to the room and took him into surgery.

Some four hours later, I was told that the surgery was successful, but he remained in the Recovery room for almost six hours. He had a difficult few days on IV anti-rejection drugs and one incident of "hospital psychosis" from the steroid he was taking, where he "wandered' in the hospital and down several flights of stairs, and fell, breaking his foot and scraping, cutting and scratching up his legs and feet. This complicated his release and he was scheduled to go into a convalescent home, instead of going home as he should have been doing.

Then, the new kidney was a "sleepy" kidney and functioned minimally. He had to continue dialysis in the hospital, which was so disappointing to him and to me.  He had Lasix dripped into his IV to try to stimulate the kidney, to no avail.

It was decided to release him yesterday to the convalescent center, but they also decided to do a kidney biopsy. The wanted him to leave before the biopsy results were available, but I said NO. I felt that he should wait, in case there was a problem and we would have to turn around and bring him right back to the hospital. The agreed that he could stay until that evening and the results were known.

That was a good decision and I am glad that I spoke up, because they came back with the results that, in spite of all the anti-rejection meds, that the kidney was inflamed, which was he beginning of it  being rejected. They said this was completely unexpected and they were really surprised.

So he has to stay another few days with IV of extremely strong anti-rejection drugs. The have assured us that this is not uncommon, and they have very positive expectations that the new meds will work and all will be well. He is on IV for six hours with a series of three treatments right now.   Hoping that this ends well, but... It remains to be seen how this story ends.....