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Long time TTF member 'Give Forward' funding for transplant!
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pete hausner
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 1551
Location: Outer Beantown

11/30/16 8:30 PM

In our thoughts and prayers, Erik...

Looks like the New Year will truly be just that.

PH

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

12/8/16 5:57 PM

I was told today that I will qualify for 30 days of paid leave for the surgery. They are not touching my sick/regular leave. YAY!!!

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/8/16 7:13 PM

Cool!

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

12/23/16 7:41 PM

Pre-Op appointments set, 6Jan17.

Starting to get really scared now. I have never been in the hospital, ever. Of course I have visited other folks.

Really scared that I will get sick or she will and it will delay things again. Wish us luck. Oh and I don't shake hands with anyone these days.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

12/23/16 8:31 PM

Calm calm calm, Stress will waste life force energy.
You guys have a whole lot of well wishes, thoughts and prayers, and that is just from the TTF folk! ;)

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/6/17 5:30 PM

Update for ALL!
Lauren and I went for our preops today. It is a go. Everything went fine. They are taking my right kidney. One last trip on Tuesday for final labs so they have the right blood in the ORs for us both and an early show time on Wednesday.

I actually asked them to take pics of my kidney when they got it out and they agreed. LOL. If they get them to me I will make sure y'all get to see my guts.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/6/17 5:44 PM

When is OR day ??

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/6/17 5:53 PM

11JAN17, starting at 0545.

MUSC's chief of surgery is cutting my daughter and the #2 is doing my part.


With a bunch of med students in the gallery.

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

1/7/17 8:50 AM

Great

My very best to both of you and what you're doing is wonderful. May the new year be great.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/9/17 6:05 PM

PreOps went fine, both of us are a go.

Going to MUSC tomorrow for final labs so they have 2 units of blood type matched for us each in the OR ready to go. Not that we want to use it.

I have never been so scared in my entire life.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/9/17 6:16 PM

"I have never been so scared in my entire life."

I bet, so much to fathom. I can only begin to imagine.

Continued positive vibes from me and mine to you and yours!!!

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sanrensho
Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 835
Location: North Vancouver

1/9/17 7:22 PM

This is taking weight weenieism to an extreme.

Good luck Erik. Hope everything can return to normal soon so I can see your Strava workouts again.

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PLee
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 3712
Location: Brooklyn, NY

1/10/17 9:24 AM

Exactly what I was thinking! How much does a kidney weigh, anyway?

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/11/17 2:43 PM

Well, I got a picture of a kidney in a surgical tray this morning in my email! I must have missed when it may have been said the OR date was move forward, thinking it was the 17th.

It was short and sweet, Just read:


quote:


Done!!! Yes. This was mine!!!



Next Message:


quote:
Floating and hurting but good. But I will be okay.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/11/17 4:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Erik:
Floating and hurting but good.


quote:
Originally posted by Me:
"I bet you are getting the finest pain meds in your IV. Dilaudid I presume??"

quote:
Originally posted by Erik:
Yep that is the stuff.

Erik Singletary

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/13/17 5:00 PM

Today email:

"I am having issues logging into the forum using my phone.

Please fill everyone in. We are recovering and her kidney is in high gear.

If you want you can post the picture I sent you. Some folks might get a kick out of it.
"

I wuzzant gonna...

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/14/17 8:35 PM

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Lauren and I both were released today and are doing GREAT. She is staying with family in Charleston for a week or so until her meds get stabilized and for her daily visits to the docs. I am home, thank goodness.

All is good and we both are very grateful for your help and friendship.

Yes, Sparky does have and actual picture of my kidney. My family is not squeamish at all, so a little copy is being framed for Lauren and me. Hit me up for an Instagram link if you want to check out exactly what it looks like.

Off to bed, it has been a long day, the two hour car ride home was not fun at all.

Just taking Tylenol now and it is getting the job done. I found out that I am allergic to Oxycodone. It gives me a rash. Hate the stuff anyway.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/14/17 9:01 PM

Erik,

Good to hear everything went alright.

I've been away so missed the whole pre-op stage. But it's the result that counts, right?

You're a brave man.

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Tom Price
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 505
Location: Rochester, NY

1/14/17 10:06 PM

What a great gift from a father!! I am glad things went well.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/18/17 6:17 PM

An open letter to all who have supported my family,

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone. The last year has been one of the toughest I can ever imagine. My daughter was diagnosed with IGA Nephropathy in February and things went from there. As we struggled and explored options on how to best go forward we received emotional support from all corners of the globe, and across the nation.

Lauren’s chronic condition is incurable but treatable. Her first battle was against relentless migraine headaches brought on by hypertension, a symptom of her disease. She beat that, medications and monitoring brought her BP to well within normal level and bingo, she no longer fought that demon. Then came the fatigue due to decreased kidney function, which has no cure. It was time for me to step in.

In August I was tested by the Medical University of South Carolina to determine if I was healthy enough and a match, for me to donate a kidney to Lauren. I was found to fit the role in every way. It was not without setbacks; I caught Mono in September, which I most likely contracted while at the hospital being tested. All I can say, “isn’t that ironic”. This actually turned out to be a good thing with regards to the timing for our surgery. It delayed things enough that Lauren and Edwin’s insurance coverage could be upped and tailored to support the kidney transplant better. Had we done the surgery in November they would not have been covered nearly as well as they are now.

On January 11, 2017 Lauren and I underwent what in my USAF aircraft lingo would be called a “hot swap”. We arrived at MUSC, terrified, early in the morning and by the end of the day Lauren had my fully functioning left kidney. They are amazing, the staff of the entire transplant center was world class.

Lauren and I were released on Saturday, January 14, 2017. I came home to recuperate with Jeannie’s help while Lauren and Ed went to the love and warmth of Suzan and Rich Familia’s home in North Charleston so Lauren could make her numerous follow-on appointments at MUSC and be seen daily by a home nurse. The goal is to make her immune system stabilized so it will not reject her new kidney. That requires testing and fine tuning of medications.

Emotionally this has been a very tough time on my family, without friends and family to support us, it would have been even more difficult.

We are all getting better.

Thank you, keep the love and support flowing our way; we still need it but things are bright, smiles abound and Lauren has hikes to do again.

We love you all,
Erik, Jeannie, Lauren, Ryan, and Tyler Singletary

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/18/17 7:28 PM

We are at our best when things are at the worst, as they say.

For someone I don't actually know, I feel like I know Erik pretty well. ;)

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dan emery
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 6884
Location: Maine

1/18/17 7:28 PM

You're Welcome

It's an honor to be able to support a family like yours.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/18/17 9:27 PM

What Dan said. ;)

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

1/28/17 7:05 PM

I am sure Erik will chime in here soon. But he has had a bit of a set back. I am sure he'd want his supporters to know. Some pneumonia apparently.

So ramp up the good will, thoughts and cosmic positive energy!!

His daughter is a new person he told me, and doing well.

Ciao

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/31/17 5:54 PM

Thanks Sparky for keeping folks up to date.

Well, last Tuesday i starting running a raging fever, I had been walking a bunch and FEELING great. I even got in a 5k walk in the hood. I was 10 or so days post op and thought that pneumonia was not a concern anymore. Especially because I had been active as directed by my docs. Well my lungs said FU.

While in the hospital I popped a low grade fever and a chest X-ray revealed a bit of congestion due to the OR sleepy gas. I got on the breathing thing and and the fever went away. The docs felt I was good to go and so did I.

No such luck. It got me, yuck. 101 fever, trip to the doc, IV antibiotic and a 10 day doxy bottle to take home. And it made me weak as .....

Update to today. I made the 2 hour drive to MUSC for a follow up with them. They knew all about my setback of course and I opted to see a REALLY cute doc today. LOL, Jeannie was in the room and even mentioned it.

Lungs are clear, just weak now, no fever now and a few more days of doxy.

My kidney function is well within norms.

I am going back to work tomorrow for half days the rest of the week. I can't stand sitting around anymore and my work is not hard.


My daughter? Uh, doing great!!! Home on the farm, mask and gloves around her chickens and taking a ton of meds as expected. She went hiking (short ones) TWICE this week and I am lucky to walk down the block. She is also a new person, sweet, loving, thankful and smiling. Before she could be a real pill. The fact that she is feeling alive again has changed her life.

She says she can feel her new kidney under the skin and muscle of her lower right abdomen where it is placed and each time she noticed it she says a silent thank you to me. She also says she will not take peeing for granted ever again and that she has not seen clear pee since she was a child until now. Before her failing kidneys spilled blood in her urine so much that she could see it. Now that is diluted to the point it can only be detected by testing. She goes to MUSC every Thursday for the endocrine tests and those are going fine. She hates that the meds make her face puffy but they will scale back on the prednisone after her body settles down and that will go away.

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