Written report on my CT of Kidneys

Interesting I have two ureter tubes on my left side. Basically this means that one may flow from kidney to bladder and the other could flow from bladder up to the kidney.
So, the nurse said they would not take my left one for sure and the surgeons would look to see if  they were to take my right kidney, would my left work properly afterwards. So, anyway I will not know what they think until Mon or Tues and they may want additional testing for that. Otherwise, my stupid veins kept rolling as they call it and I was basically stuck 6 times and my hand and wrist are swollen, finally the doctor had to do it so I could get the contrast dye in, haha Murphys Law of course.

Renal Ultrasound

On Thursday at 9:00 I will have my renal ultrasound. If all looks good I could have a written report as early as that afternoon, but all the doctors need to look so complete results could take a few days to a week. The nurse said today that the biggest hurdle is the vessels connecting correctly and that some people have tons which would just be to hard to do surgery on. So, I never thought I would be saying this but, pray I have the correct amount of renal arteries? Have a good day.

What is a renal ultrasound and renal arteriogram?

A renal ultrasound is an x-ray test that shows the size, number, position and structure of the kidneys. A renal arteriogram is an x-ray test that shows the number, size and location of the renal arteries (vessels that supply blood to the kidneys). A dye is injected into a large artery in the groin. This dye flows into the renal arteries so that they can be seen by x-ray.

Our tissue matching results

Good news today. All three of us that were tested are still matching well with Tyler. Steve has 3 out of 6, Tiff has 4 out of 6 as well as myself. So as the nurse said, he is very very lucky!!! I will be going ahead with the next step which is the kidney ultrasound hopefully by the end of this week. This will be a big step for us to see if my kidneys are healthy and would be a good match in his body. If not then Steve will get one done and so on. Below, I attached what the matching antigens mean for a kidney transplant. I guess those Timmers genes are just as strong as we thought!  Other than that, we just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has already expressed they would be tested for Tyler. We have always known that we had a great family and great friends, but we feel so blessed to have such love, help and concern from everyone.

Susanne and Steve

                

Tissue Matching
Tissue matching is a very complex area involving testing the similarity of certain proteins, called antigens, between the donor and recipient, which are defined through blood tests. We all have many genes, some of which determine the expression of these antigens. For kidney transplantation, we currently look at six of these, called major histo-compatibility complex or HLA antigens. By analyzing which six of these specific antigens both individuals have, we are able to determine the closeness of tissue matching. A six-antigen match (both people have the same set of six antigens) is the best compatibility between a donor recipient pair who is not identical twins. This match occurs 25 percent of the time between siblings having the same mother and father and also occurs from time-to-time in the general population.
Long-term outcomes in kidney transplantation do relate to matching (as well as other factors), which is the reason for seeking the best possible match. Analysis of thousands of transplants consistently shows that six-antigen matched kidneys have the best statistical results, followed progressively by five antigens, and then four antigens, etc. For this reason, when a close match is available, it is preferred.

Update on appointment status

We just received the call about our next visit. On October 24th, we will go to meet with the Transplant Team for Ty. On that day will will see the anesthesiologist first, then psychologist, then his clinic appt. then transplant finance, then Dr. Alonso the surgeon. Whew, long day for sure! Unfortunately, our test results from the antigen testing are not back yet, which makes for a long weekend!  Otherwise, just keep praying we find a suitable donor in the meantime!  We will update you as soon as we find out results hopefully by Mon or Tues.
Have a good weekend...
Steve and Susanne

Dear Family and Friends,      

We are reaching out to you about our 15 year old son Tyler Murphy. It is to let you know about his current health challenge and how you can help. This is not an easy thing for us to do, but we know that without reaching out, someone who might be interested in helping Ty would not have that opportunity.

In June of 2009, Tyler was struck with a rare auto-immune disorder called Henoch-Schonlein Purpura. Most children fully recover from this, but in a very small percentage of cases like Tyler’s, it can attack the Kidneys. We have been fighting for over two years to save his Kidneys, but unfortunately Tyler is now suffering from kidney failure and we are in the beginning stages of finding him a living donor.

We have already started testing to be donors ourselves, as well as some of our family members. Although we are hopeful that one of us will be able to donate to him, we also pray that others will consider being tested. The process for each person to be evaluated can take about a month, so we need to have back-ups in case any of us end up not being suitable donors. Tyler is getting very close to needing dialysis which would be very difficult on him so we need to find him a kidney as soon as possible.

 If anyone is interested in learning more or has any questions please feel free to ask us or you can contact Tyler’s transplant coordinators Julie Ross R.N. or Debbie Schoborg R.N. at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital 513-636-4531 or 513-636-4536. You can have a confidential conversation with them and get answers to any questions you may have. Please send this to anyone who you may feel would be interested in helping.

You must have A or O blood type to donate and be under the age of 50. Also, donors need to be in good health and not on any medications. We appreciate everyone taking the time to read this and helping us get the word out. We are literally asking you to give a part of yourself to our son, so please take your own family and health into consideration. Thank you all very much!

Sincerely,

Steve and Susanne Murphy

Living Donor Information