Drive for Five: Trial and Error

Over the years your scribe has met many couples who have been married for a long time. Frequently, the conversation will start with the journalist within asking, “How did you meet?”

From a dude who is now on a third marriage, I’m always fascinated to hear the stories of couples who obviously still love each other. Gives me hope.

I digress a bit while heading to the four-week anniversary of a wonderful human sharing their spare and giving me a new lease on life. I pray for this incredible soul who realized the sacrifice of something possessed in abundance, could really help someone else.

Anyway, back to enjoying meeting spouses who are still in love and asking them the question, “How did you meet?” Invariably, it seems as if one - usually the woman - will jokingly respond with, “I didn’t really like him that much when we met but, obviously, he’s grown on me.”

That statement takes me to the recovery phase of kidney transplant. Full disclosure, darling wife and sickly 66-year-old had been warned by the talented AdventHealth Porter team that the initial stages of recovery are not for the faint of heart. There’s much trail and error as the quest to get the right combo of anti-rejection drugs and other critical details necessary for a foreign invader to be accepted by a body sorely needing a new kidney after Amyloidosis destroyed your correspondent’s initial duo. After lots of chemotherapy for the rare and incurable bone-marrow disorder and two types of dialysis - hemo and peritoneal - this gift from a perfect stranger is kinda like couples who’s commencement included one suggesting, “I didn’t really like him/her at first.”

That’s the state of my body’s relationship with its new member. We’ve got some work ahead but we’re confident this fresh matrimony will improve over time. What’s kinda crazy is that, physically, your correspondent has felt pretty good and feels so blessed to have kicked any type of dialysis to the curb. Time away from being chained to a machine has been blissful.

But there’s work ahead for this relationship between kidney number three - they don’t remove the bad ones - and an appreciative dude who can’t blame his body for doing what’s it’s been trained to do for more than six decades: Fight back against the invader. Unfortunately when it comes to organ transplant? Our bodies first inclination is to counter-attack and halt in its tracks a perceived enemy.

Tweaking the anti-rejection drugs is absolutely critical. But, throwing a lot of medication at suppressing an immune system has its consequences. Including operating error when the recipient got confused with the constant change of medications and didn’t take a critical one for a bit. Duh.

Throughout this journey the past 16 months of diagnosis, treatment and now the ultimate prize the phrase, “Find joy in hope, patience with affliction and faith in prayer” has been an anchor. I need to walk that talk right now and realize, RARELY does recovery from an organ transplant go EXACTLY the way we desire. There are hiccups forcing us to persevere,. When informing others who have received and talented experts in this field, almost in unanimity the message has been, “This is not unusual at all. Carry on and believe things will get better. They will.”

What a blessing to be surrounded by other adventurers who have gone before me. I stand on their shoulders. Thanks for the support and well wishes. It has been a constant source of hope, joy and inspiration. It’s also very therapeutic to realize, others have been in this spot where body and organ are getting to know one another better. Be patient.

This season of life has led to creation of the "Drive for Five" Network and its mission to inspire, advocate and educate for more live organ donations, better policies encouraging participation and less kidney disease sufferers. Folks, we have a kidney crisis and it’s getting worse.

I was in Vail for the family’s annual Fourth of July celebration. The patriotic parade is a highlight. Next year? The gang’s goal? A Drive for Five float in the annual tradition!