no fears

I am Santa

2011-02-04T11:59:00.002-05:00

What? Okay, Alissa, you have gone off your rocker first because you're calling yourself Santa and second because you are talking to your self on a blog...

No wait. This is coming around to the kidney thing. So, I thought of an illustration. I am Santa. God is the elves. Hamelinks, Kryn specifically, are the kids on Christmas morning that were good throughout the year. (No coal in store for them.) So, elves are actually the ones that make the gifts, Santa doesn't. I guess some little kids could argue that, but from what I remember, Santa could never do it by himself. He needed the elves. They just don't always get the recognition they deserve. Poor little guys. But Santa is the forefront of this gift movement. He's the one that kids associate with getting presents, so that's where they usually direct their affections. I think in the typical stories of Santa, the big round guy never gives substantial recognition to the little elves. But, he also needs to work hard and work with the elves in order to the plans to go as...well...planned. Maybe the elves are actually the ones that want to make presents for kids. Maybe they want their name on the presents, but Santa rips off their tag and puts his own name on it, giving recognition to himself. Maybe the elves hired Santa to deliver their presents because he's big enough to lift the bag of presents and he's .... well, now I digress.

So, bringing this back around, I am Santa who needs to continually remember that I can't do "this", whatever "this" is, alone. As for giving a kidney, well the kidney wasn't mine to give. It was God's gift to the Kryn and his family that I was asked to deliver. It was, and still is, my job to make sure the tag with God's name on it stays and not my name, even though that would make me look really cool if it was from me. God wouldn't like it very much if I did a switcheroo.

On a broader scale, we are all Santas (plural). We have a duty to share the life that God gave us with others around us, whether in big or small ways. We have a duty to keep His name on the gifts that we're passing around. We have a duty to make sure that the presents get to where they're supposed to go before it's too late (Christmas morning).

Kinda cool I thought.

having a very small taste

2010-04-06T20:48:00.002-04:00

My dear friend Emily has been in the hospital for over two weeks now. I just went to go see her yesterday. It wasn't one of her better days, unfortunately. However, it was still wonderful to simply see her face and share a few blonde jokes. (I know. Two blondes sharing blonde jokes...kind of a blonde joke in and of itself.) LOL Anyway, I was greatly humbled at the thought that I started having cabin fever after just two days in the hospital, let alone over two weeks. On one side, I was able to relate a bit with being the one in the hospital bed. (I appreciated Metro Hospital's colored rooms versus UAMS's stark white rooms.) On the other hand, that is absolutely incomparable to what Emily and her family have been going through, not just the last few weeks, but for many years, some years better than others.

Father, I know You are the source of Emily's hope and her family's hope as well. I pray that saturate them with Your peace, the peace that no one can put words to, the peace that you gave me throughout the entirety of the kidney transplant. Father, heal Emily and bring her back to campus. I miss seeing her smiling face over the counter at the Fish House. Strengthen her parents as well. Sustain them through all that is required of them in order to help Emily get back up to full steam.

article in Spark

2010-03-11T14:29:00.004-05:00

The Spark is a magazine for Calvin alumni and friends. It comes out quarterly, I think. The lastest issue has been distributed and guess what... there's a whole article on organ donation. This time it's not just "look what happened"; it's "look at organ donation and consider". The large article is written by a professor here at Calvin, Ruth Bernd Groenhout. I encourage you to read it. I don't stand side-by-side with all that she says, but she is a good writer and has thought-provoking arguments and thoughts.

In addition to this article, a couple of "look what happened" pieces are thrown in, one of which being about Kryn and I along with Sally and her recipient. (Remember Sally? She is one of the great women here at Calvin who helped prepare me for the whole donation experience. See my post KIDNEY STORY Part 7: From Jill to Sally to Nancy) My apologies to the Hamelinks because only I was interviewed for this piece. However, it was a feature of how people within the Calvin community are involved with organ donation. Enjoy!

article from Times Record

2010-03-11T14:22:00.003-05:00

Here is another article that was printed last Saturday in Arkansas. (Notice that I finally figured out the link option on the blog. All you have to do is click on the highlighted word "article"!)

UAMS article

2010-02-08T20:28:00.002-05:00

http://share.uamsweb.com/2010/02/03/uams-helps-college-student-donate-kidney-to-mena-man/

Here is an article by UAMS about this whole story. It's nice little blip. :)

On the Arkansas news!!

2010-01-26T19:26:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry I didn't post this sooner, but here it is. Kryn and I were on the evening news in Little Rock, Arkansas. We were also featured in the hospital news letter.

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/?cid=282842

More to come later.

Susan

2010-01-13T23:53:00.002-05:00

Susan is home! Here is an e-mail that Steve, her husband, sent around.

Hello all,

Well, Susan has strengthened dramatically since yesterday. She conquered the nausea issue by getting off the Dilaudid (opiate) which was making her feel crappy. By last night she was only on oral Vicodin. She ate her first solid food today at breakfast, and was discharged about an hour ago, at 2:30 p.m. She's resting in her own bed right now and looking forward to feeling normal again. She walks fine, and I'm amazed at the difference over the past 24 hours.

The recipient is also well, we have been told. We learned that there were anxious moments when the kidney took an unusually long time to start up. But then it made a liter of urine overnight, and it seems that everything is going really well.

I think your next email will be written by Susan herself. In the meantime, contact me (Steve) if you want to visit (info below). Right now I think Susan wants peace and quiet, but by all means call if you're thinking of a visit sometime. And thanks again for prayers and good wishes!

Steve

hypersensitivity

2010-01-13T23:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, you know how when you learn about something, you seem to hear about it everywhere? yeah, same thing with this kidney thing. :) All movies seem to deal with transplants, especially kidney transplants. Even just now, as I'm watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I hear Angelo say to Ian, "...and I'll take out your kidneys..." It's funny really.

Shout-out to Susan

2010-01-12T01:10:00.002-05:00

Susan, a lovely lady from my church, just donated a kidney this morning. She is doing well. The surgeon said that her surgery went "perfectly" so that is great news. I also heard that she was nauseous, so please pray that she will not get as far as throwing up. It would be extremely painfully since she just had major surgery in the middle of her abdomen.

The great thing about Susan's donation is that it was non-directed. This means that she didn't know who her kidney was going to when she first made the choice to donate her kidney. Also, I think that this is Saint Mary's first non-directed kidney donation. GO SUSAN! All the best to her husband and family, as they have to try to fill in the gaps for the time being.

Here's to Susan and any others who have donated, who are about to donate, and who are thinking about donating. No, it's not for everyone, but it's an experience of a lifetime, an experience that changes lives for the better in most cases.

More to come.

it's been a while

2010-01-09T23:05:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are still reading this, I'm still writing here. The transplant may be over, but things are still happening concerning this event. I still have more to the story and more to write. Unfortunately, my computer decided to play a trick on me and not accept my password. So, I've been out of computer recently. Keep checking in if you're interested. I'll be putting on updates.

By the way, Kryn is doing great. He has plenty of medications to take, but overall his body has not rejected that third kidney of his.

correction

2009-12-24T14:40:00.002-05:00

UAMS stands for "University of Arkansas for Medical Services" NOT "University of Arkansas Medical School". Sorry for that. My two complimentary jumbo mugs corrected me. :)

having kids?

2009-12-23T08:06:00.003-05:00

(a post I started while in Arkansas ... maybe some young donors will have this question in the future)

Some have been concerned about whether this kidney transplant will affect my ability to have kids in the future. I'm young and healthy. That's still a good possibility for me. Others and myself, have wondered how the scares will affect the stretching and whether having one kidney will cause more strain on my body. Well, good news folks. Nothing to worry about. :)

leaving Arkansas

2009-12-22T22:38:00.003-05:00

At 7:40am tomorrow morning, Papa and I will be flying out of Little Rock, AR. It's amazing how fast this whole experience has gone. Yes, at times it has seemed to drag on, but in hindsight, it flew.

Today, I had my first post-operation appointment. We left Mena at 9:30am. Tammy drove and Kryn came along for his second appointment in Little Rock since the surgery. First, I had to register on the fourth floor, where the renal (kidney) transplant clinics are done. They sent me down to the third floor to pee in a cup and to have a tiny tube of blood taken. That was pretty quick. I've gotten pretty good about looking away as the nurse puts the needle in then looking on as she actually takes the blood. Today, she had to move the needle around a little bit, but there really wasn't a problem at all.

While Papa and I were waiting, there was a young man who was sent down the hall to the bathroom to pee in a cup. He came back with it only 1/3 full. Within less than a minute, he hurried out of the lab towards the bathroom again, holding the partially-filled cup. Papa and I predicted that it wasn't full enough so the nurse sent him back to...uh....you know. Thus, the young man wasn't so happy. He seemed a bit embarrassed too, so he put the cup in his pocket as he turned the corner to the bathroom. Heehee...it gave Papa and I a bit of a chuckle, even if our prediction wasn't actually the case.

After the labs, Papa and I went back to the fourth floor and waited to be called. The nurse that called me up checked my weight. (139.1 lbs still less than when I was admitted... 140... I know. It's pretty much the same.) She also checked my blood pressure which is supposedly on the low end of normal. That's a good thing. The nurse joked and made us feel right at home.

Next, my dad and I waited for Dr. Bentley. In the meantime, Diane gave me some new information and came to simply chat with us. She also brought in David from UAMS Marketing and Communications. (I'm sorry for forgetting his last name and not using that instead.) He spent some time with my dad and I talking about this whole experience of the kidney transplant, from the donor side of things. He even used his little voice recorder thing. The interview wasn't awkward like I'd thought it would be.

Oh....back up. Diane called me a few days ago and wondered if I would be up for allowing Marketing and Communications to do a story on this living donation, mostly for promotional purposes: promotion of living organ donation as well as UAMS itself. I agreed, remembering something Nancy told me, "All this attention may be uncomfortable, but if it spurs even one person to donate and save a life, then it's worth it." Okay, those probably weren't her exact words, but something very close.

Nevertheless, David got involved, along with Channel 4, a local news station. They sent over Antoine, a cameraman with a list of interview questions. Another young woman came from UAMS too. (I think her name was Andrea. I'm sorry if I got her name wrong too.) After Kryn and I had our appointments, we were interviewed in front of the camera. Tammy and Dr. Bentley got a good chunk of time as well. This wasn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. However, a camera lens often makes people quite self-conscious. It was all part of the experience though.

Back to my meeting with Dr. Bentley... Basically, we exchanged questions and he examined my incisions. From our little meeting, I learned that I can drive today (Tuesday). Lifting over 10 pounds is out of the question for at least 4 out from surgery, preferably 6 weeks. I can run and exercise, just no movements that put heavy strain on my core muscles (no sit-ups). No other medications are needed, not even the antacid I was taking. Also, I can take off my steri-strips, the things over my incisions. I can also take a bath. (Soaking isn't a good idea at first.) The only other limitation I have is with concerning over-the-counter medications. I should never use anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs such as Motrin, ibueprofin or Aleive. If used for an extended time or frequently, it can cause significant damage to my kidney. However, Tylenol is perfectly fine.

post-operation appointment

2009-12-22T15:04:00.002-05:00

Real quick. I'm waiting for Dr. Bentley in the examination room. I thought it would be unique to update from here. :)

KIDNEY STORY Part 7: between knowing and going

2009-12-21T16:51:00.007-05:00

I made quite a few awesome connections between when I found out I was a match and when I started going for my tests.

During this time, I started school and met my Education professor for the semester, Professor Unema (commonly known as "Jill"). Within a couple days of finding out about my decision, Jill gave me the name of a previous kidney donor who ironically works with "donations" at Calvin (financial donations). Sally donated her kidney to her uncle about 4 or 5 years ago. When she got a hold of my number, she didn't waste any time getting a hold of me. We met within a week and ended up talking for at least and hour or two about out stories, what to expect and what my scare might look like. She was so kind to she me hers. :)

In talking about experiences, she put me in contact with another woman; Nancy is Head of Health Services as Calvin College. Her husband donated his kidney to a good friend about 9 years ago. She also has a solid background in nursing and women's health. Again, we met with only a few days of hearing each others' names.

When I met with Sally, I was encouraged and sort of uplifted; I was reassured that this was all going in the right direction. She helped me feel okay about postponing the surgery until after school was finished. (It wasn't very practical to try to have the surgery and go to school.) When I met with Nancy, I expected to have the same uplifting feelings. However, Nancy challenged me on many different levels. While she was 110% in support of living organ donation, she asked tough questions that made me realize that I wasn't as informed as I thought I was. She asked about where I was going to stay for recovery, what sort of tests were to be done, what long-term effects this would entail for me (childbearing and such, what the credentials of UAMS were like. From that meeting on, she declared herself my medical advocate. Of course, I was more than thrilled to have her help. With her medical background, she wanted to make sure that I was being taken care of in Michigan and Arkansas. Later she used the name "pitbull". Whatever name you want to use, Nancy has been an amazing support as a nurse and as a dear friend.

While Nancy and I were concerning ourselves with logistics and making things run smoothly, Sally and I were developing our own friendship. We talked a lot about what things might feel like and what the experience of being a kidney donor was like. She helped to prepare me for different pains I might feel or how to deal with certain attention I might get. One evening, I went over to her house for take-out Chinese. We talked for about 5 hours straight. I'm not exaggerating. From when she picked me up to when she dropped me off, we were always gabbing about something, kidney-related or not. It was great to have someone who had been throught the experience before. Through this all, yet another friendship has started and grown like a weed...a good weed.

As a little shout-out to Jill, she has been the key to these amazing relationships. Jill herself has also been a wonderful person to get to know through this whole thing, not just in class, but on a personal level too. Out of all of my professors and teachers, she has taken the most interest in my personal life, in the best way possible. She never had to check read this blog every time I post. She never had to be so flexible with class. She never had to send me an envelope of personal notes from my peers. But she did. Jill kept track of what was going on throughout this process and she took a genuine interest in my wellbeing and Kryn's wellbeing as well. For that, I am very thankful.

Oh...Dr. Bentley is on his way in. :) Better go.

the end is near

2009-12-21T15:46:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that in 24 hours my dad and I will be gone from Mena. Can you believe it? It's been almost 2 weeks since the surgery. Well, here's a bit of what's been going on...

Yesterday was pretty full. As Cheryl says, "I was exhaauusted!" :) My dad and I went to church with Hamelinks. Let me just say again that Hamelinks have an amazing church family there at The Crossing Foursquare Church. They are so welcoming and loving. Victor, the pastor, said he wanted to keep me here. :) Don't worry, I'm heading back soon.

After church, Papa and I headed to Walmart to stroll while we waited for Jason and his girlfriend, Megan, to come. When they got here at about 2pm, we headed to La Villa, a local Mexican restaurant where Hamelinks also happened to be. It was really great to see Jason and to meet Megan. We went on a drive on the scenic route of 88, all the way to the Rich Mountain fire tower. That drive is gorgeous because it runs along the ridges and over looks the land for miles. Beautiful, to say the least.

Not thinking, we drove them around for an hour or so when they had just driven for three hours and they were going to drive for 9 more hours when they left. Yeah...dumb Alissa. :) It was still great to see them.

After Jason and Megan took off, Mark showed Papa and I the Christian Motorcycle Association headquarters outside of Mena. My dad enjoyed that like a little kid in a toy store. I guarantee he's itching to talk to Frank about it (his friend that's been down here before).

Next we had a great dinner at Rodney and Kay's house. They are an amazing couple that have a great story. They were so welcoming and hospitable. Next, came a relaxing evening at Bud and Cheryl's.

Today, Kayla and I had fun at the barn and now I'm here with Kryn at the coffee shop with some of his friends...just enjoying the day. :) Tonight is clam chowder, homemade by Cheryl! Tammy, Kryn, my dad and I will leave at about 9:30 in the morning for Little Rock. I have to get some blood drawn before my appointment at 1pm. I think Kryn is just going in for a check-up because I'm going in.

My dad and I will spend the night in Little Rock then fly out around 7am on Wednesday.

Yes, this wasn't that exciting of a post. Just checking in.

check it out!

2009-12-21T15:40:00.002-05:00

www.LivingKidneyDonation.co.uk

Here's another blog that was given to me. It's quite informative. The person who is writing is from the UK and is actually participating in a non-directed donation. (That is my understanding.) This means that there is no specific recipient set aside for the donor's kidney. I encourage you to check it out. Many of the tests are the same. You'll see that as I still continue the KIDNEY STORY series. :) Yes, I know it's a little late, but "better late than never."

switching of the guards

2009-12-19T14:38:00.002-05:00

My parents are switching places today. Mom was going to drive into Little Rock today by herself, but Bud and Cheryl insisted that they drive her in to the airport then bring my dad back. They should be back later this evening. So, what does Alissa do? She goes to the coffee shop. Kayla and Kelsey are working right now, so we're having some fun. :)

Yesterday, Diane called me to ask about letting some people at UAMS report on Kryn and my story. She doesn't know what they will do with the story. They may put in in the UAMS news or maybe even the local news channel will want to use it. I said "yes", but it's not really my kinda thing. I guess if it helps someone else out, why not? If it were in Michigan, I don't think I would do it, because so many people would already know me. Down here, I'm either a stranger or "the young lady who donated her kidney to Kryn". It's not a bad thing, just different. Anyway, we'll find out on Tuesday what they want me to do.

Countdown to Christmas: 6 days
Countdown to go home to snow and leave these lovely people here: 4 days

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. I don't want to know where I'd be without them all. Whether directly or indirectly, you have been a blessing to me and the people closely tied to this event. I wish you well in the last couple days before Christmas. Try not to get too overwhelmed with the frilly stuff. :)

research for you

2009-12-19T12:41:00.002-05:00

Here is some material for those of you who would like to know more about the process of kidney donation.

United Network of Organ Donation
- Commom Myths of Organ Donation
- Resources for Living Donors

Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients
This is more of a data and stats site. However, it still has great information: survival rates and such.

My favorite site so far is from the National Kidney Foundation
- Q&A on Living Donation
- Blood Types and more resource links
I really encourage you to take a look around here. There is a lot of information, resources and other links.

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
This site has many links to more information. It has a tally of donors and waiting list candidates. This is also a wealth of information.

University of Arkansas Medical School
This is the hospital through/at which this whole shindig took place. Just search "kidney transplant" and you'll find some information. This site is better for if you simply want to know more about the facility and the school. Of course there is info on kidney transplants and stuff.

So, have at it y'all.

back to wifi !!

2009-12-17T14:19:00.002-05:00

I'm back in the coffee shop. Mom and I are enjoying some soup while waiting for the drawing of the raffle tickets at 2pm. To fill you in, Hamelinks have been having a raffle ticket fundraiser going on for a few months now around Mena. Now is the day of the drawing and I guess they want me to pull the tickets. Kryn was going to be here with me to pull them, but he doesn't feel up to it.

As for an update on Kryn, he went back to Little Rock two days ago for a check-up. (Mom went with Tammy to navigate.) That went fine. His system is now working much better. The doctors didn't want to see him back in Little Rock for a month, but since I'm going back next Tuesday, he's coming too. heehee In the meantime, he has to have bloodwork done twice a week for a month up at Fort Smith. Then once a week after that however long it takes, probably at least the first 6 months. Mark, Kryn's dad, just told me that today Kryn is having a burning/tingling sensation in his fingers. Supposedly, that is a sign of drug toxicity. Basically, Kryn might be getting too much of one of his medications. This bloodwork with help to balance stuff like this.

Let's see. What else has been going on? Well, my mom and I have been recipients of amazing hospitality and royal spoiling here in Mena. Bud and Cheryl Smith have been treating us so well, waiting on us hand and foot at some points. Okay, not all the time. :) They have been cooking for us, absolutely amazing food, I may add. They have opened up their home and vehicles to our full use. It's been great to spend time getting to know them, laugh with them and simply relax in their comfortable TV room with them. They have hearts of gold. Mom and I have been picking Cheryl's brain about different recipes and tricks to cooking. She has about 1400 cookbooks in her house. AMAZING They have a big kitchen that they love to use and both Bud and Cheryl have a great sense of taste...they know what tastes good and how to make something taste good. Mom, Papa and I are so thankful to Bud and Cheryl for their generosity of time, energy, food and more. Thanks, you two! (I guess I'll come back some time.) :)

Off the the drawing and other stuff. I'll write when I can. Thanks for being patient.

on the outside

2009-12-14T13:08:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting in True North, Hamelink's coffee shop. (They have wireless.) We had breakfast at the diner this morning and now we're bumming around and visiting here. Kayla is working.

So I don't really know where to start. I feel like I have a lot of gaps to fill in. Let's start with a list of people from the hospital that were in on this whole shindig. I know that I'm going to miss some people's names, so please forgive me for that. I still appreciate your help, whether you were the surgeon or the part of the transport service that wheeled me to random places in the hospital.

Diane - This amazing woman has been with me from the very beginning of this whole process. I don't think I even realize all that she's done to organize this. I would love to elaborate even more but she's one of the people that I could write a blog about; it would be just about her and all she does. I will mention that her job dropped off a bit when I actually got to the hospital, but she still popped up here and there.

Paula - She sort of took over Diane's role when I was admitted into the hospital. She came around to make sure things were running smoothly. She helped me got out of the hospital without waiting for a wheelchair.

The receptionist or one of the nurses at the E7 desk led me to my room. (I don't really know what her role was.) She was very friendly and welcoming...as welcoming as one can be to a hospital floor...not the most homey place.

Dr. Rohden - She was the surgeon that was in my entire surgery. She was sure to answer all my questions and such. When I went in to the operating room, she was leaning over the operating table, just waiting for me. I asked if she had drank her coffee this morning. She said she didn't drink coffee for a good reason (would make her hands less precise). I told her it wasn't good for her anyway. :) I know...coming from a barista herself.

Dr. Bentley - He was my other surgeon, but he left my surgery when it was time to get Kryn ready. He was very personable and even came in to chat for a bit when we first met. I'll see him before I leave for MI.

Hannah - was my primary day nurse. She was so sweet. I guess that's how she's known on the floor as well. She was gentle and pleasant the whole time, even if I was being a bit demanding. Also, I felt bad one morning when they had to draw my blood three times. The only spot that most people can get to work is the crook of my right arm, this certain vein. Hannah had already drawn it twice that morning and she felt so bad that she had to do it again (computer and lab complications). She ended up calling in the head nurse, Sue, who took it from a different place. Poor Hannah felt so bad for having draw that blood.

Sue - head nurse during the day. She drew that stubborn blood. :) She joked with me and had some fun. She had been a nurse for quite a while.

Kreth - He was my primary night nurse. He was always very accommodating and friendly, despite the fact that it was probably 3am. He was patient, even when I called him concerned about a little tiny shoulder pain. lol (oh boy, alissa)

My final day nurse (whose name escapes me right now) was the one who told us all we needed to know before we left the hospital. She was the one that gave me the final green light to get out of there.

There was a whole slew of technical staff that have to do the dirty work (take blood pressure, empty catheters, etc). Shannon, Adam and Clement were the three that I saw most.

Shannon - She only has a hundred and some days of school before she's done. She was very bubbly and positive.

Adam - I think I saw him the most. He is a student right now as well. He works from 3pm to 11pm then has to go back and study and do work. One night, he had a test the next day. I couldn't believe how he was able to fit it all in. Okay, I guess I can. That's my usual schedule. :) It was fun talking to him.

Clement - He took the third shift. When I heard him talk the first time, I knew he was from Nigeria. Thus, we had some things to talk about, since I've been to Ghana, not far from Nigeria. We also had some good conversation, but I was often half-asleep, since it was third shift.

Crystal was also a technician that help out the last day.

Dr. Wallace was the intern that was assigned to me. He was actually one of the first people I saw and one of the last people to see me out the door. He was very friendly and helpful throughout that whole stay. He would always say, "If I don't know the answer, then I can find someone who does." He's actually specializing in anesthesiology, so he was there when they put me in my deep sleep. :) He was fun to have around too.

Dr. Copeland was the resident helping out my side of the story. He was sure to get some pictures of the kidney, especially Dr. Bentley holding it. I'll post those a little later. Just know that those are coming.

I had many transport staff taking me from place to place. An awesome young woman about my age, took me down to the x-ray. She has an amazing story as to why she is in nursing. However, it's not my story to tell. There was also Jonathan that brought me from recovery to my room. I must have been so groggy. That must have been funny for him. :) There were a couple more as well, I think. I'm sorry I don't remember them as well. On those short trips, I also met others in the elevators and such that made for great conversation. One young man recognized me later on E7 when he saw me again shuffling around.

Julie - She was there when I woke up from surgery. She was very sweet and patient when I couldn't seem to focus hard enough on my deep breaths. I just wanted to go back to sleep. :)

There were a couple of people prepping me for surgery that were very helpful. Thanks to them as well. I'm sorry that I forgot your names, even though I said them a few times over and over again.

James was assisting the surgery...maybe just anesthesia...I don't remember. He made for a lighter wednesday morning as well. He followed me from the prep room to the surgery room.

There were many other people that I didn't meet or mention. Thank you to all of them as well.

Connecting with the outside world

2009-12-13T13:38:00.002-05:00

Day 2 of real clothes and homecooked food... Papa is flying out today. He and mom will switch this saturday. We should be home on the 23rd. Kryn is home from the hospital as of last night.

In response to a previous comment, I won't say anything about the sunshine, but I will say that it's chilly here and that I can't find any clouds today. ;) It calls for a walk later.

I'll work on a post for later, but for now that's all my dad's phone will allow. All the best to you who are starting exams. So close!

checking out

2009-12-11T11:54:00.002-05:00

My papers are being sent through the system. My dad is down getting my medications. Paula, another one of the transplant coordinators, said I am free to go when I'm ready. woohoo!

Right now, Kryn is hanging out in my room. This is the first time he's been up and around. At one point, we were both dozing as our parents were chatting away. Unfortunately, he won't be able to leave today, but he will be out of here tomorrow if everything goes well, by Sunday at the latest. He's already on pain pills rather than drip morphine. We're all doing well. Kryn and I are both really tired. Neither Kryn nor I got very much sleep last night, for different reasons. However, we're recovering slowly but surely. (I guess I'm having a pretty quick recovery compared to most donors.)

Umm...I'm getting kinda tired again. I'll try to post as much as possible.

Again, thank you very much for all of your prayers and best wishes. Everything has gone really well. The nurses and doctors have been really nice and hospitable. (heehee) But really, they have been very nice.

For now, I wish the best to all of you, whether down here in sunny Arkansas, up north in the crazy blizzard, or somewhere else around the world.

out tomorrow?

2009-12-10T17:14:00.005-05:00

Yeppers! A few minutes ago, two of my doctors came in to ask how things are and they asked, "What do you think about getting out of here tomorrow?"

As many of you may know, the hospital is actually one of the worst places to recover fully because there are so many sick people here, so many germs. Thus, the best thing for the patient is to get stable and cleared then head out as soon as possible. So, currently,

- I have no IVs in me (tubes for liquids to keep me hydrated)
- I don't have a morphine pump anymore (strong pain medication for which I could simply push a button and I would get more...this went through my IV as well).
- I don't have the blood pressure pumps around my legs. These were automated and they kept my blood pumping through my legs as I laid still in bed.
- I don't have a catheter anymore. Basically I can pee in a toilet again, not through a tube.
- I have walked around the floor on my own with little pain.
- There is no redness or swelling around my incisions, the incisions that are not as big as I thought.
- I'm only taking pain medications by mouth.

All I have to do is get my bowels moving Then I can be on my way. Woohoo!! Kidney out one day, stand up the next, then leave the next day.

A few more details.

2009-12-09T21:19:00.002-05:00

This is Alissa's mom, I am sitting by her bedside at 8:00 in the evening after the surgery. The surgery took a little longer than we expected it to, but they updated us regularly during the process which kept us at ease. As soon as she returned to her room she wanted to call her Calvin family to let them know she was fine, which she did. Kryn is in his room this evening feeling fine also, he too ask for his phone when he woke up :). There is some type of count that for a normal person should be below one, if it is even 1.5 it means your kidney is failing, his count was up to 8.1 before the surgery. Tonight it is already down to 6.? - praise the Lord. Alissa is having some nausea and a couple of her fingers are numb, which is really bugging her. The numbness is due to her laying on her arm for SIX hours! She is doing great but they are not going to get her up and around until tomorrow morning. She would like me to tell all of you that she is feeling a lot better than she expected but her fingers are numb (I told you it was bugging her :). I'm sure she will be posting something tomorrow, but for tonight that's all she has (she is pretty tired). We want to thank all of you for your many prayers, calls, emails, etc. We just praise the Lord for guiding everyone involved through this whole process. Please continue to keep Alissa and especially Kryn in your prayers. Thanks much.

surgery is done

2009-12-09T15:11:00.002-05:00

Alissa is in recovery. Praise GOD all went well. We will post more later. Thank you for your prayers.

The kidney is out.

2009-12-09T13:55:00.001-05:00

yes, I'm posting

2009-12-09T03:16:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry, Joe. I know that I said I wouldn't stay up late on the computer, but I can't sleep. I did sleep for a while, maybe 3/4 of a REM cycle, but then this silly IV monitor woke me up again. :( Now the potassium in the IV stuff is making my arm ache a bit.

Earlier, Bebo Norman got me to sleep. (Jason G, I'm still using that music to get to sleep.) Now, I just need to update, to communicate, before I get some last minutes of shut-eye.

I'm tired. I'm a little stuffy, but not bad. Down the hall a little ways, Kryn is probably still in his regular clothes. He was stubborn and didn't want an IV yet. (It's okay. He goes in later than I do. He can be stubborn about that.) I think we're all just ready to have this over with and be on the upwards slope. 24hours and the worst will be over with. Fortunately, Kayla and Kelsey came over and played UNO with me for a while. It brought some more laughter around.

On a side note to all you Ghana people out there, I met a man from Nigeria. I went for a little stroll just a few minutes ago and recognized him from earlier. He's a technician I think who came in to take my blood pressure as I was talking on the phone, so I didn't say anything to him then. But now I heard his accent and recognized the West African tinge to it. He said that he had come in to take my weight, but I was sleeping, so he took my weight right there in the hallway. He'll be around till the end of Friday.

All the best to those who have tests (or are giving tests) or papers. You're almost there. So close. :)

Okay, here goes. I'm going to go try and get some sleep. I'll write later.

Gratefully, Alissa

oh...I forgot

2009-12-08T20:16:00.002-05:00

As an answer to prayer, no sniffles or aches or me today. It's not a huge deal. I was just a little concerned yesterday when I was tired and a little achey from traveling. I didn't want to go into this whole thing not feeling well. So, thanks again for those prayers.

the plan

2009-12-08T19:40:00.002-05:00

So, I'm camping out here tonight while my parents stay at the Guesthouse Inn (where we were last night). Nothing will go on here tonight, so I'll be fine on my own. It's best that my parents get a decent night's sleep if they can.

Note: All the times that I post are translated into the Eastern time zone.

Tomorrow morning, my parents will be here shortly before 7am. I will be transported down to the pre-operation room around 7:30am. I should be sleeping soundly shortly after 8am. Actual surgery will start closer to 9am. At the earliest, I will out of surgery by 12:30pm, but no later than 2:30pm. It sounds like a very long time, but not all of that is intense surgery. This event is sort of dance. They have to get me to a certain point before they can take Kryn into surgery. Then they have to orchestrate it in a way so that Kryn and I are both ready at the same time. My kidney will go directly from me to him. Good news, one of my surgeons commented on how my height (5'7") is a good height because there's more room to move. Things will be easier for the surgeons. I won't go into details.

I should be awake by tomorrow afternoon, but still groggy. The nurse will probably try to have me sit up tomorrow evening. I've heard that it is the worst part of this all. No worries though. After that, it's all uphill.

Anyway, if all goes super well, then I'll be out of here on Friday. It shouldn't be longer than five days (Monday). After I'm released, I'll be chilling in Mena, Arkansas. It's directly west of Little Rock.

Thank you again, to all of you who are praying and or thinking about this whole thing. I'm trying to get back to each of you as you write and such, but there are just so many of you that I can't keep up. Please know that I'm not brushing anyone off. I greatly appreciate EVERYONE'S support and prayers.

For now, that's the plan, Stan. (My dad likes to say that.) I'll try to post at least once more before the morning.

funny

2009-12-08T18:54:00.002-05:00

just having some fun with photobooth

settling in

2009-12-08T16:30:00.003-05:00

Yep. I'm here. I've got a band around my wrist and a silly gown on. Don't follow me too close or you'll see more than you may want. Just kidding. I've got pj pants on underneath. heehee

Okay, so all is going well. I wouldn't tell you it was if it really wasn't. That would dispell the whole purpose of this blog. So far, I've met my resident intern, my nurse, some other specialist people, my surgeon, my anesthesiologist, and a young women who wheeled me down to the x-ray room. I've been asked if I have any medical history or problems. All I say is "no", "nope" or "nahuh". "Have you had any major surgery before?" I answer, "well, I had my tonsils out when I was 7 or 8." The people here aren't used to seeing a patient who is healthy. :)

I think that all of the activity for the day is pretty much over. For those med people out there, I've had to had an EKG (monitors the heart's activity and circulation), an x-ray, some simple blood work and now I have an IV in to start pumping fluids through me. (Good. Now I don't have to drink as much.) No. It's all good. People are quite friendly save one doctor but even she wasn't bad.

Right now, my parents and I are watching America's Funniest Home Videos. Just now, they had a bunch of winter happenings...you know, the ones that are very funny, but you know they must have hurt a LOT. As we like to say in my apartment, in fun of the famous youtube video..."not funnyyy." Oh but it is. :) We're just hanging out the rest of the night. Oh, I get to use phone and internet in my room. With that said, I would still encourage you to check this blog to see how things are before you call for the next few days. You may be seeing some unusual posts on here within the next few days. I gave Kayla and Kelsey (Kryn's sisters) permission to post on here. They talked about taking pictures while I'm sleeping and such. I guess we'll see what comes of this. Enjoy the laughs. The previous picture was me showing them how to post a picture.

Coming up: the plan for the next day or so

verses of the morning

2009-12-08T11:17:00.002-05:00

Faith and Deeds - James 2:14-26

"Come near to God and He will come near to you." James 4:8

Prayer of Faith - James 5:13-20

Just some food for thought. I'll try to post more later. We're on our way to the hospital within the hour. :)

on my way

2009-12-07T17:05:00.002-05:00

Here I sit with my parents in the South Bend airport. Our flight leaves 5:25pm. We have to switch planes in Atlanta, Georgia then we get into Little Rock, Arkansas at about 9:10pm. No problems so far. The weather seems to be fine for flying.

One slight concern...I have the early symptoms of a slight cold. It is most likely just sinuses and staying in a dry house for a few days. But still, we want this to run as smoothly as possible. Other than that, just pray for peace and support for the people who are most involved with this, whether those people are able to be in Arkansas or not. (kinda vague...sorry)

Tonight, my parents and I will stay in a hotel (hopefully with a gym or at least a decent treadmill). We will head over to the hospital around noon to check in to my room. (sounds like a hotel) We'll have to fill out some paperwork/information. We will also meet with the surgeon for the first time. Also, my parents will get to meet Diane for the first time! We'll eat some wonderful hospital food and hopefully catch the finale of the Biggest Loser. I'll make some phone calls tomorrow night, maybe play some games with the Hamelinks or something. :) If I have some time, I'd like to ask and maybe visit the children's section of the hospital. I don't know. We'll see.

For now, we're off. I'm leavin' on a jetplane...

I'll try to get an address to post if any of you want to send me a nice Christmas card with your dog on it or my Christmas present...you know, a new snowboard, a pony (Santa still hasn't gotten that for me), a new car... I'M JUST KIDIDNG. I had a request for a snail mail address already.

Here it is..I just got confirmation from Kayla.

147 Polk 682

Mena, AR 71953

KIDNEY STORY Part 6: telling everyone else

2009-12-06T10:03:00.002-05:00

I'm sort of giving shorts now, since this whole thing is going to be done and over soon. So,

I've told a lot of people about this. My siblings are all behind me. My parents' co-workers/friends (many times one in the same) were excited. I'm thinking specifically of Kristen and Misty since they were some of the first to find out that I was an official match. My friends from high school were all great about this. Grandparents were curious, yet still proud. My professors have been very willing to work with me, for that I am sooo thankful. At Calvin, people have been great with it too, slightly taken back at first, but all around supportive and rightfully concerned. It's been amazing and often amusing to see people's reactions to what is going on.

This was hard.

2009-12-06T00:17:00.002-05:00

I said goodbye to everyone at Calvin this evening. Yes, it's only a month. Yes, we've all gone longer than that before. BUT this is me leaving when they're staying. This is a member of our Calvin family (me) going through a stressful experience, thus the rest of the family is significantly affected in some way or another. (For that, I am sorry, Family.) It was hard to say "goodbye", even if just for a month.

Tonight, I was reminded of how much I love the people I live with and around. I was told how much they love me. Get this, I have a scrapbook next to me that has pages of words, pictures, memories, peoples' feelings and thoughts. The turkeys in my house along with others around us put this together. Now, I'm not the crying type usually, but when I opened up this book, the waterworks started. I kept fighting them all evening through all the hugs and laughs. Every person I hugged goodbye (through the whole day actually) was another person with whom I have shared a significant part of my life. It was hard to leave them.

I don't know what else to say except

"THANK YOU".

I'm thinking of you all and missing you all very much, more than I can tell you. Stick together and take care of yourselves as you enter this exam season. :) But seriously...take care of yourselves. With my love, Alissa

Finished with Classes

2009-12-05T00:38:00.003-05:00

I finished off my fall semester with a 4-hour test and exam for math. whew! I've been tying up loose ends since then. Tonight, Joe cooked us all dinner for our usual Friday meal with the guys. After that, Joe drove all of us girls to T.G.I. Fridays for dessert. We had a great time of sweets and laughs. I'm thankful that I have close friends with whom I can go out do these things. But it gets even better. We came back and us girls got in comfy clothes and put up a Christmas tree and decorated it with homemade ornaments. It's quite lovely, so lovely we took some great pictures. Sorry, I don't have them readily available.

Okay. I'm tired....soooo tired. Just wanted to say school is done and I'll be home in less than 24 hours. *mixed feelings about leaving*

ONE WEEK cont

2009-12-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I kinda jumped from my first paragraph to my breakdown of the verses. My connection is that since I can't handle these things with my own strength, I turn to God. I found the following verses comforting and thought-provoking. There. There's my connection.

ONE WEEK

2009-12-02T08:03:00.000-05:00

Exactly one week from this very minute, I will be in surgery. Kinda weird to think about. :) Things are going smoothly. No bumps in the road yet. Okay, so I have three exams within the next couple of days, but other than that, I can't complain.

Am I worried? No, not for myself. If anything, I'm worried about the people around me. I'm worried about how my parents will do as they sit in the waiting room for a few hours. I'm worried how friends here at Calvin will be handling this as they prepare for final tests and then exam week. (Tricia, Lisa, Aeri, Joe, Cassie...) I am worried for how this will affect those around me in the near future. I can't handle this worry. I can't handle these nerves and jitters and exams on my own.

Romans 12:9

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Kryn is my brother-in-Christ. His family is my family

Honor one another above yourselves. never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, Hoping for the best out come possible.

patient in affliction, Ironically "patient" is spelled the same for the person and feeling, so this could be taken two ways. :) I will be a hospital patient in affliction. (heehee) Although, I think this context is talking about being patient with your circumstances when affliction is upon you. In this case, many will be "afflicted"; many will be worried and uneasy about what is going to be happening.

faithful in prayer. I know many of you are praying for Kryn and me. Continue to pray. Continue your conversation with God, if you are doing so. Have faith that He listens to you; He protects and supports His children, not just me and Kryn, but our families and friends. When you come to Him with your worries, He supports you as well.

Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. I may be sharing my kidneys with Kryn, but there are so many people who are sharing and giving of themselves to make this whole thing happen. As far as hospitality goes, Bud and Cheryl are opening up their home to me and my parents while we're down there.

Bless those who persecute you; Bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Empathy for Kryn. Empathy for Mark, Tammy, Kelsey and Kayla. Empathy for others that this will be affecting; trying to understand how they feel and why they feel the way they feel.

Live in harmony with one another.

Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. I've got to keep myself in check. The amazing good that is coming from this cannot be attributed to my doing. Things have fallen into place so well. If you had seen every little detail that I've seen, you would know for sure that I had not done a lick of the planning. (If you know my work and planning-ahead skills at all, you know what I mean.) God has His hand in this quite firmly, I believe. I could not do this without Him. Whatever it is you're struggling with, whether something quite involved or lemon juice in a paper cut, you can't do it alone either.

KIDNEY STORY Part 5: telling Hamelinks

2009-11-30T00:36:00.000-05:00

Here's another journal entry recalling Wednesday night, right after I told Mom.

After dinner, I got to call Mark and Tammy. Tammy answered her phone but didn't know who it was at first.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Tammy" pause "It's Alissa"

"Alissa?"

"Yeah"

"Oh Alissa! Well what are you doing calling me?"

"Well..."

"You're not a match."

"Uh huh"

"You're a match. You're a match!"

I started laughing out of joy and amusement.

"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!..." Tammy was a little excited. :) She wanted to put me on speaker phone but couldn't figure it out. So she called back. Kryn and Kelsey weren't there. [Mark, Tammy and Kayla were the only ones around.] All three of them were so excited and joking around. They asked questions about how I found out and what I'm doing in school... "We'll have so much fun! Well, you and Kryn won't really, but the rest of us will." She ended with a "Tammy chuckle", adorable if you ask me.

KIDNEY STORY Part 4: the news

2009-11-29T23:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a journal entry from Wednesday, August 19, 2009.

So my life may be flipping upside down. No joke. I called Diane [living kidney donor transplant coordinator that I've been working with since the beginning] yesterday at 3:52pm to see how things were coming along. She told me that my lab results showed that I can be a donor. She just got the e-mail at 9 something this morning. We talked for a good long while about how much time would be taken out of school (a good 3 weeks at least). She gave me the option of calling Tammy and Mark to tell them. (I took it, but I'm thinking of giving that responsibility back to Diane so they don't have to wait, since I was going to tell them any way. Let her initially tell them and I'll call them on my own time after I've talked to Mom.) Diane also had me give her permission to tell Mark details about my test results. I told her I was an open book. We also talked about school more. I told her about my situation a bit and that I felt like I am in the cartoon room with doors surrounding me. I'm standing in the middle waiting to see which doors open and close. She's so great! Thank You [God] for sending Diane to that job and for being my contact person.

After I hung up, I tried calling Professor Hoeksema to see about the possibilities of starting school then dropping if I need to. Financially, credit, classes, etc...No answer. Financial Aid said that I should know my package by next week.

I moved from the driveway to the porch. I sat on this wicker couch and made a pros and cons list for not going to school...becoming at peace with the whole idea. (Later, Sara unknowingly made me wish to go back to so badly.)

I set down my pencil and decided to go for a run. Papa came home before I left. He stood in the kitchen by the stove corner. I sat on the stairs. As I tied my shoes, I asked him what he and Mom thought about this whole possible kidney transplant thing. He said that they were concerned fro my health and that it would be the hardest thing to give to God. "Why? Did you hear any more about it?" I grinned nervously and proceeded to tell him that I called Diane...

NOT part of my journal anymore:

I didn't tell my mom that night because we had company. However, the next night, I told Papa that I needed to tell her at dinner. We sat down and I couldn't eat anything really. He noticed that so got the ball rolling. I got the meat of the subject out and she simply nodded her head and said "Okay." Honestly, I expected my mom to react a bit more protectively than she did. Yes, we all had a discussion about what I need to do and what I need to find out about. However, I was very pleased with how well my parents took the news. Thank you, Papa and Mom!

anxious anyone?

2009-11-29T15:31:00.000-05:00

The date is creeping closer and closer. I have so much to do. Life doesn't like to pause or even slow down.

Yes, I'm getting a bit anxious, but I'm still not worried. Yes, these two feelings are often considered very close or even the same, but I consider my bits of anxiety to be anticipation mixed with "let's get this done already". If I were worried, I would be nervous and upset about not knowing the outcome of this surgery. In reality, I have full confidence that I'm in God's hands, so I'm not worried. I'm just wanting my school work to be done and for me to have already had the surgery with only recovery ahead of me.

That's it for now, folks. Back to school and studying. Have a wonderful rainy Sunday. :)

KIDNEY STORY Part 3: First set of lab work

2009-11-20T20:58:00.001-05:00

Like I said, Diane and I got the first set of labs set up. Diane sent a package to Springhill Camps for me. I was nervous that the package wouldn't get to Springhill in time for the labs because of the different address and somewhat rural location. No worries. It came in time. I remember that afternoon was interesting. I was on my 2-hour break (the only one during the day).

I ended up walking all the way from the main office back to the barn reading the materials that Diane had sent. She sent a small box with three protected test tubes in it as well as a specific mailing bag and instructions for the clinic. The blood samples had to be sent overnight to the lab down in Little Rock, Arkansas. There was also a small booklet about the basics of donating a kidney. It had donors' narratives and other very helpful information. It had statistics about the success rate of the surgery (less than 1% die from this surgery). This surgery has been performed for over 40 years, from what I remember. That was comforting.

I remember sitting on the railroad ties outside of the barn underneath a pine tree. I sat and read through the entire booklet. Okay, so it's not that big of a booklet. I started to feel a bit overwhelmed as to how this was going to happen. School? Family? Work? Money? How are people going to take it, specifically the people closest to me (immediate family)?

For the immediate future, I had to take care of my morning lessons. ... A brief blurb for those of you don't know, I worked at a Christian camp as a wrangler for the summer. I help to take care of a herd of about 90 horses, taught riding lessons to campers, and led trail rides. ... I felt compelled to tell my lead wrangler, Elissa Peterson, about what was going on. As we took a quick ride up to the front of camp, I told her what was going on. She proceeded with caution in her response. I think that El was concerned that I was impulsively doing something. She asked some harder questions about why I was doing this and who it was for. At the moment and even now, I really appreciate her inquiries. Her questions started a process of questions and decisions that have ultimately brought me to the place I'm in right now.

After talking with El, she okayed my morning leave. She arranged for another wrangler to take my place. So, right after morning meeting and breakfast at about 7:30am, I hopped on my bike and booked it to the Spectrum Health Clinic two miles away in Evart. I didn't know what to expect, so I had my headphones for comfort and extra clothes so I could change out of my horse-stench rags. I also had to take the three test tubes and mailing bag. The nurse there was great. She had one of the test tubes filled before I even knew it. I expected it to be an involved process like giving blood...you know, tape the thing in my arm to skin, take a sample then sit there for a while. But no. She just poked me then stuck the tubes in one at a time. It was actually pretty cool to see the tubes fill with blood. Okay, I'm sorry for the graphics. If you have a bit of uneasiness, just let me know. I'll tone these sorts of things down. I find it cool, but i realize that many others may not think as much. Please just let me know.

Since that took so little time, I made it back to the barn (on my bike and in little time) before my lesson even started. No one else at camp ever knew about this whole ordeal. I didn't want to tell many people before I even knew if I was a match.

Oh yeah.... the purpose of this first set of blood work was to simply see if I was a match for Kryn. The blood test had to come back negative, meaning that Kryn's blood did not attack my blood. A little info, he's O negative. I'm O positive. I can give blood to him but he couldn't give blood to me. It's just how blood types work. The blood work also was intended to tell the similarities between the Kryn and my tissue types. I don't know how they do it, but it's so interesting to me. Incredible really.

El and I talked one or two more times after this lab work. Our conversations and her questions really helped me to think through this decision and its surrounding issues. (Thanks, El!)

Well, camp was done later that week (I think...maybe the next week). I wasn't going to tell anyone else until I knew if I was a match, not even my parents. I didn't want anyone to fret over something that didn't even need to be fretted over. But I ended up telling them that I had arranged the blood work. They were fine (a little apprehensive) about the idea of me donating a kidney, but they weren't so excited about me not telling them. (Sorry, Mom and Papa.)

Tammy's e-mail

2009-11-20T12:40:00.000-05:00

This is an e-mail that Tammy (Kryn's mom) just sent out.

Hi All,
Just an update on Kryn and his upcoming transplant. A donor has come forth!!!! Alissa Pitcher (a dear friend of Kayla's from Michigan) is going to donate a kidney to Kryn. She has passed all her medical tests and the transplant is scheduled for December 9 in Little Rock, AR. A young man by the name of Sean Guinn (had a kidney transplant five years ago) has set up a raffle to raise funds for any transplant expenses not covered by insurance. If any of you feel led to donate, an account has been set up in Mena, AR. It is "Kidney Fund", c/o Diamond Bank, 203 Hwy 71 N, Mena, AR 71953.

Please, please continue to pray for health both for Alissa and Kryn that they would stay well so this transplant can happen on December 9. Kryn is extremely tired. His kidneys are, of course, barely functioning, but they are functioning. It seems like each time his blood is drawn, they put him on another course of medications to rid his blood of stuff that's not supposed to be in there. (Sorry to all you medical people). With the Lord's hand on Kryn and his young, healthy body, he still has been able to avoid dialysis! PTL!

Thank you to all who have already donated! Thank you for your prayers and phone calls! We are doing great and things are coming together with plans and preparations!

Love Tammy

KIDNEY STORY Part 2: First contact

2009-11-15T00:10:00.000-05:00

In Tammy's mass e-mail, she gave the contact information for woman, in case someone was interested in donating. I mentioned it to my mom, but I don't know if she took my comments that seriously. However, I found out later that she had considered giving also. Anyway, I gave this lady, Diane, a call. Who would've known that we would one day be on a texting basis?

I didn't hear from Diane till about the middle or later part of the summer. I was working at Springhill Camps as a wrangler (teaching horseback riding, taking care of horses, working with awesome people...), so my usual means of communication were greatly limited. However, she sent me an e-mail and also called, I believe. We had some good long talks. One was her asking me a ton of questions about family medical history, my medical history and such. I found the questionnaire quite comical, especially when she asked questions like, "have you every been pregnant?" or "are you currently using any type of illegal drug?". I know that there are many cases where some of these questions would reveal necessary information, but it was fun for me to keep saying "no" to everything she asked. I tried changing my tone of voice or the variation of the word (nope, uh-uh). After that questionnaire, it was just a matter of arranging for some simple labs to be done in order to confirm that I was a match for Kryn. We set the appointment and date for the labs to be done in little Evart, MI at the little Spectrum Health clinic.

KIDNEY STORY Part 1: How I found out

2009-11-14T01:44:00.000-05:00

Many of you have asked how this whole shindig occurred? "How did you find out about it?" Here goes...

This last spring, Tammy (Kryn's mom) sent out a mass e-mail to friends and extended family explaining the dilemma that they were in. Kryn needed a kidney transplant and none of the immediate family were found to be a match along with many of the extended family. Tammy asked for prayers about issue. Without pressuring anyone, she threw in the information that was needed if anyone was interested in donating.

As my mom read me the e-mail, I became very curious. "What if I could do this? Can I really help in this way?" As soon as Mom read Kryn's blood type, my curiosity grew stronger. I knew that my blood type was compatible with his.

So, by a simple mass e-mail, you too can save a life.

One month away

2009-11-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

One month from now, I will be a lesser person. One month from right now, the surgery will be complete and Kryn will be feeling much better.

Welcome to all of you who are visiting this blog for the first time. Please read the previous blogs. I’ll try my best to keep them short from here on out.

Yesterday, I went to His Place, my parents’ church. During the prayer time in the service, I was standing in the back by my parents singing while many others were up front fervently praying. I saw Frank, a good friend of my parents. He was standing up front, head bowed. Suddenly, he turned and walked straight up to me. He held my hands and prayed. He prayed for me then he assured me that God was going to be with me every step of the way. Frank assured me that God would bless me. …God already has.

Reflections on a weekend in Little Rock (a little late)

2009-11-09T19:46:00.001-05:00

Well, the second post of many. I’m sitting in O’Hare waiting for my flight back to Grand Rapids. I’m coming back from Mena, Arkansas, where the Hamelinks live. It’s been an amazing weekend with them, from which I can say, “God is working!” He is inspiring people and encouraging them. He is moving them and giving them hope. He is also using people to encourage me, my family, and the Hamelink family.

Christina (nurse at UMAS) - As I was registering at the ER desk for my CTA scan, she was standing nearby. When I explained my reason for being there her eyes lit up. She couldn’t believe it. Over the counter we gave each other a high-five. She danced around a bit. A bounce sprung from her every step. Within a couple of minutes, I found myself hugging this woman who hadn’t even told me her name yet. However, after she gave her name, she also gave a story of hope and encouragement. See, Christina works with many different people who are hurting and discouraged. She told of the people who are struggling with kidney failure, who are on dialysis and waiting for a kidney, living or a cadaver. She said, “I’m gonna go tell that lady that there IS hope, that miracles DO happen.” (Christina shared a little about her daughter too, which I appreciated.) … God is working. He is using Kryn’s story to encourage others who see no hope. Can you imagine having no hope? Can you imagine drowning in pain and seeing only a downward slope in front of you? God sees those people and is able to use God-fearing enthusiastic people like Christina to share His hope with those downcast people. God is using people like Christina to encourage me in this journey. (She said that she wants to come see Kryn and I when we have our surgery. I hope she does.) … God is working.

Janice and Richard – They gladly took a picture of Kryn and I for the local newspaper. That evening, they went home, printed two copies of the a picture up, put each one in a frame and hand-delivered it to Hamelink’s house before we even got home.

Heinrichs – They have adopted many children who have special needs. They also organize…well, I’m not sure what to call it. They give out food and other necessities to people in need. They also have places for others to stay until they can get back on their feet.

Susan and knee surgery – She had just had knee surgery that week and was there at church walking around quite well. She was an encouragement to me, both verbally and physically, seeing her thriving in her church family.

Bud and Cheryl – The list is just starting. J They have graciously offered their home to me and my parents after the surgery. Cheryl is more than willing to take care of our meals. (I’m up for that. She and Bud are both amazing chefs. Mmm mmm mmmmm… quick recovery with that sort of nourishment.) These two amazing people are so welcoming and easy-going. I can’t wait to get to know more about them.

Tiffany – She was the nurse that checked me in before my full physical on Friday. She was very sweet and friendly. Once she heard about Kryn’s situation, she became intrigued. She ended up sitting in on the first part of my exam. I could see that her eyes were bright with interest and curiosity.

Diane – She’s done so much already. Diane is a living donor transplant coordinator. Basically, she has made herself available to me at anytime. I call. She answers. Yes, she is as busy as ever, my goodness. But yet she still has time to not only answer my phone calls, but go in depth and make sure all is well on this end. She share our faith. I appreciate that we can connect on a deeper level than just with the necessary business of the transplant. I am so grateful to her for her patience with me as well as her clear direction.

Nancy – Here at Calvin, God likes to smoosh unlikely people together. He brings us together at just the right time. Well, Nancy and I have been smooshed. For that, I am very grateful. She has been my devil’s advocate when needed as well as offering support when needed. She even made time to take me to my lab appointments early on a Friday morning, then proceeded to stick by my dad’s and my side through the whole morning. In her words, “I’m your pit bull. Imagine those pit bull teeth.” Indeed, she has offered herself as my advocate in any situation. I feel confident that she knows her stuff. Between a history of medicine and supporting her husband who was a kidney donor, I think she knows what she’s doing, to say the least.

Sally – So amazing. Sally was a donor about 4-5 years ago here in Grand Rapids. She has giving me so much wonderful advice and cautions. Descriptions have been personal and thorough. J I like that. This lovely lady got up EARLY on a Friday to take me to the airport. How early? She had to pick me up at 4:45AM!!! Imagine a 15 minute car ride and a basic morning routine attached to that. Her enthusiasm has been very confirming in the deciding and solidifying stages of this transplant experience.

Leslie, Miriam, Antonio – Owners of a local Mexican restaurant in Mena, AR. (Leslie works there, not as an owner.) They were thrilled about Kryn getting a kidney. On a side note, I got to speak a very little bit of Spanish with Antonio.

Victor – He is the pastor at the Hamelink’s church. He was on his game this Sunday. He led a time of prayer for Kryn and me. He is real, not putting up a front. He loves his people. He loves Kryn and has a big heart for others. I’m excited to go back and hear him speak again.

People…more than I can keep track … are pouring encouragement towards the Hamelink family. I am thankful that I get to experience much of this out-pouring.

Here we go!

2009-10-25T04:00:00.000-04:00

A little over a month from now, on December 9th, I'm going to be part of an amazing happening. I'll be down in Arkansas, of all places, giving a kidney. Yes, one of my organs is going to someone else. This may seem pretty bizarre and maybe a bit "out of the blue" to you, but it's been in the works since spring of 2009. I've been thinking, anticipating, researching, dialoguing and praying about this ever since then. It's something that I feel a great peace about; a peace that "passes all understanding"; a peace that, I believe, only comes from God.

When telling people about this, I've gotten many different reactions. Most common is a mixture of disbelief and not knowing what to ask or say. (It's kind of funny.) Another is of sheer excitement and appreciation. Those people are gung-ho about this decision and pretty enthusiastic about their support for me. Yet another, is of genuine support and care, the same as the previous but not as outwardly enthusiastic. This one often comes from people a bit closer to me. They have respect for my decision and have quietly yet firmly voiced their support. For that, I am grateful.

My parents' responses have developed. At first they questioned this, as any loving and protective parent probably would. But throughout the process they have climbed farther and farther on-board with this adventure. To be honest, I thought that they would take some convincing. Then again, I should've realized that this kidney is going to OUR family, not just "mine". ;) Nevertheless, both of my parents are being extremely supportive. For that, I am VERY grateful, to say the least. I don't want to think of where I would be at without them. As for the rest of my family (siblings, grandparents, uncle, etc...), they have also been very supportive. It means a great deal to me to know that I have such an amazing support system.

Now not all responses have been completely positive. I wasn't so naive to expect complete approval. I knew that some people would strongly question my motives, the procedure, and the situation in general. Frankly, those voices are very valuable to me. Those voices that are not in harmony with mine are the ones that have been challenging me the most. Those people, who may be reading this, should know that their words and concerns have not gone unheard. I've been chewing on those words for quite a while. In fact, I greatly appreciate it when these people voice their concerns. It makes me step back from the swinging motion of this event and take a breath. I will still be coming back to their words throughout this whole process in order to put myself in check.

So why write a blog? Well, there is a lot of information that is tied to donating a kidney and to understanding everything that will be happening. There will also be a period of time where many people will want to know how I and the recipient are doing. This allows people to check here rather than all call my parents or other closely-tied people. I will try my best to post as often as possible. I may elect a person to take over in the immediate days surrounding the surgery. For right now, this is going to be a place to come in order to learn more about this whole process. I will try to put as much information on here as possible.

Who is getting my kidney? Well, he's a part of my extended family, in a sort of way. :) His name is Kryn Hamelink. He's turning 23 this Friday. (old man...heehee) His younger sister, Kayla, was my best friend for some crucial development years around early elementary and early middle school. Through church and life in general, our families became quite close. The Hamelink family are those friends that you don't have to talk to in many months, but when you do reconnect, it's like no time passed at all. They are a crazy family that are full of laughter. They always have plenty of things going on, yet they always make time for people. They welcome people into their home with open arms and great food. :) While I may have never been that close to Kryn individually, we have still shared plenty of memories together. We have been a part of this "extended family" for quite a few years. Thus, he's a brother, not only through our immediate families, but also through our family in Christ.

Here's to you, brother.