This post will be pretty long, so get comfortable! I will be giving everyone a little history on my dad's medical situation, and how we ended up doing Living Kidney Donation.
My dad, Gary Hunt, is in kidney failure and has been for the last few years. He is 57 years young, and he now needs a kidney transplant. When he first told us his kidneys were failing it was about 5 years ago, but we never considered he would need a transplant. Hillary and I were both in college and it didn't seem like something that was an immediate issue. It just became something we were occasionally updated on.
About two years ago, my dad's kidney function dropped to a level that started to effect his everyday life. This was hard for Hillary and I. A little history, my dad is one of those thousand-mile-an-hour people. He could work all day then take us out to eat and then go to a movie! He could outlast his 20ish old daughters! My dad is wonderful, absolutely wonderful! But more on that later :)
He started to get nausea, headaches, and suffered from fatigue. I am not a doctor but these symptoms come from his blood not being filtered of toxins.These symptoms started to really slow him down. He may start dialysis soon but fortunately he has not had to, which is such an answered prayer. He was put on the transplant list a little over a year ago, and as I a understand it, the normal wait time is 3-5 years for a donated kidney.
I think this brings us up to date. Dialysis is the next step for people in kidney failure but it has it's risks and inconveniences. My dad works everyday and owns several companies. He is also married with a young child, my step-sister, Love. He doesn't have time to go to the hospital 3 times a week for four hours. He could get an number of infections, have a heart attack, and since this machine is filtering your blood to an exact scientific level there is room for error. Also, every year that he is on dialysis lessens the likely hood of his body accepting a cadaver kidney, which is why my sister Hillary stepped up to donate her kidney to my dad.
Before you freak out, let me explain. Live kidney donation from a blood relative is my dad's best option. His body has a higher chance of accepting it and it will last 15-20 years for him. My dad is 57, we are not ready to say goodbye yet. Some of you may say, "How could your dad ask for your kidney?", well he didn't. He never asked Hillary. She wanted to help. I think this process is even harder for my dad and mom. My dad needs a kidney, and he knows it, but he does not want us to be in pain. What parent would? My mom has been super supportive of my sister and I. She is great. Always there when we need her.
My sister started the testing process and came back a match! This part scared me, it's one thing to say you will get tested, but to be a match, that's serious stuff. She was fearless, or seemed to be. Hillary said she had a peace about it and was ready to have a healthy dad again. I was in awe of her, here is my baby sister stepping up to do something so selfless. But she felt like this is what God wanted. She is amazing, and I was so proud of her, yet so scared at the same time. Everything seemed to be set, she is 23 with no medical issues, no one thought her other tests would come back with any issues. The surgery was supposed to happen over spring break, but a few weeks before, her kidney function test came back with some problems.
She has Hydronephrosis. Which means her kidneys were swollen from urine backing up into them. Once again, I am not a doctor! But basically there was blockage in both kidneys and a cist the size of a baseball. The blockage was causing her kidneys to not filter at 100%, which is a criteria in order to be able to donate. The testing process is very detailed. They do not want to take one off of dialysis just to add the donator to the list later.
She was out on the donation. She was devastated, not for herself but for my dad. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how completely selfless she was. She didn't care about her problem, she just wanted to help my dad. Wow, this is getting tough to write. I remember her saying "I don't want dad to die because of me". Wow, this is real life stuff. Hillary thinks my dad's life rests in her hands, but it doesn't, it's in Gods. Which is why I think she tested first. The testing process showed a potentially life threatening issue, which would have not been detected until her kidneys were failing. Praise the Lord, her life was saved because of this crazy situation. She is my hero, my best friend. I wish I was so fearless. I guess she isn't much of a baby anymore!
So that leaves me or my brother Chris.
Chris is pastor and lives in Missouri with his wife and young daughter, Olive. He is also not a blood relative of my dads, and the odds of me matching are much higher. I know this has been tough on him, not being here to be the big brother but I know he wishes he was. And sometimes, I really do too. Being the oldest kind of sucks sometimes. I miss him, really miss him. I wish he was here to tell me what to do. I know there are phones, but it isn't the same. But I am glad he is serving the Lord where he is needed!
I would like to say I didn't hesitate but I did. I have a young son, and well I naturally like to worry...like alot. My dad is dying, you would think there wouldn't be hesitation but there was.I feel so much guilt for having this feeling, but I think it is becuase I am scared. But who wouldn't be? I think it would be strange for me to not be cautious. I am scared of having a surgery that keeps me from picking up my son for 6 weeks, that immobilizes me, and to be honest I was thinking "what if I need it?", but my extremely wise sister said that this is all short-term. Think long-term, dad will be healthy and you will recover....sounds simple enough but the worrying thing takes over! Also, I have a husband that I love and I couldn't imagine leaving him and Judah too early. I kept thinking "what if I die so my dad can live?". Weird I know but this is a major surgery, so Hayden and I had alot to talk about. More on that another time. I love my dad, I am a daddy's girl for sure but what girl isn't. I sure do love my momma, but I am a daddy's girl. I want to help him, I really do. He has given me more than I could ever have dreamed of. He is loving, wise, and thoughtful. Everything I hope I will be with Judah. I am not ready to lose my dad, I am just not. Not ready to not see his silly laugh he does where he looks like he can't breathe, not ready to say goodbye to all his great stories (even though some are inappropriate, haha). I want him to see Judah grow up, to walk Hillary down the isle, and more than anything I still want to hear "Hey Whitter" when I call. Love my daddy.
So I filled out my application, and yes you have to apply like you are trying to get a job, crazy huh, and sent it in. Approved! Yes,...I think. Worry kicking in. Then I started the weeks worth of tests on April 9, 2012.
I am going to stop here for this post but I just wanted to update you on what's going on with my family. Check back if you would like to read about our journey of live kidney donation. Thanks for reading!
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