CHRIS RECEIVED HIS DOUBLE TRANSPLANT!!!

First, I  must say we are so blessed! God has delivered Chris from death!!!  And we thank everyone for their prayers, that has helped sustain us and bring us thru this rough journey.

We received the call that Chris had a kidney and liver donor and we had to roll on November 12th to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He received his liver transplant on November 13th and his kidney on November 14th. He was only supposed to be in ICU 2-3 days. He was there for two weeks! He had a very rough recovery. I was not prepared to see him on a ventilator,  but he was, for five days, it was a fight with the dr to exubate him and he did not know who I was and he wasn't coherent for 11 days. I fought to get him off pain meds, because I knew his body was not clearing the pain meds, he was basically stoned while being off pain meds. I demanded narcan and on day four he got it and began to come around. He was as weak as a kitten and battling very low blood pressures when he was moved to the transplant floor. One day, I had left the room to have a cigarette and he called me, all I heard was a febal "help" and the intercom nurse asking him what he needed. I flew back into the hospital and yelled to call a code for him. The code was called and I listened to it while getting back to his room. The doctors thought he had had a stroke, and again, he didn't know who I was. Praise God,  after prayers and casting satan away, he was fine. It was the scariest thing I ever saw with him. He still has an open wound that did not heal that I pack and bandage twice a day. Visiting nurse will start on Thursday coming twice a week to do blood work and to pack and monitor the wound. Physical and Occupational therapy will start next week too. We were in St Louis for six weeks. Praise God for the Hope Lodge, it was a God send. Amazing people there! He is doing so much better thank you Jesus! We will still need to be in St Louis two days a month for follow ups for the next year. The medications he will take for life are not cheap, and one is not covered at all. He is susceptible to every germ as he is totally immuno-supressed. It will not be an easy journey,  but God will walk it with us. Our fire department family has been amazing, both financially with a huge collection of funds, and by bringing us enough wood to last two winters! We are beyond humbled. 

I thank God for every dollar we have raised and for every dollare that is to be donated going foward. Thank you so much for reading our journey and praying and donating. 

BACK GROUND INFO LEADING UP TO THE NEED FOR TRANSPLANTS:

Chris's journey started in 2019 when his transplanted kidney was found to have cancer and he had to have a partial nephrectomy (they removed 1/3 of his transplanted kidney.) The cancer kept returning, many cryoablations were done to get rid of the cancer and retain kidney function. It worked for a while. A year later, he started peritoneal dialysis. Eventually,  that was not clearing the toxins from his body, so we began home hemodialysis. The cancer eventually stopped and we were able to begin the process of being evaluated for another transplant. During the evaluation, it was determined that Chris would also need a liver transplant. St Louis University hospital kept jerking us around and moving the goal for the go ahead to be listed, so we  switched to Barnes Jewish hospital. God answered our prayers, and five weeks later, Chris was listed for a double transplant, praise God! On Thursday  October 31st, we were informed that Chris's platelet count tanked to 59, meaning he is losing liver function.  He has moved into the #1 position for type A blood for a double transplant. We have been told to anticipate we could be transplanted within the month. We keep a bag packed in the jeep and are ready to go when the call comes. They want us on the way in 15 minutes from the call. We were told we will have to stay in St Louis 3-4 weeks after he is discharged from the hospital. We can not be more than 50 miles from the hospital and we live 3.5 hours from the hospital, so we must find a place to stay. Nikki can not leave unless one of our kiddos takes her place. Chris needs a support person there 24/7, and that is required by the transplant team. This requires us to have to get a place to stay which won't be cheap. The cost of Chris's anti-rejection drugs will also not be cheap. He will take those for the rest of his life. Medicare put a cap on maximum out of pocket drug costs for part D, but the anti-rejection drugs are covered under part B. Which has no cap. Unfortunately,  Nikki's health situation is also bad. She's been in leg braces for two years, and requires a triple fusion in her right foot. She will be nonweight bearing for four months, and it is a risky surgery which may or may not restore her full mobility. Obviously,  that is on the back burner for another year while Chris is transplanted, recovered and stabilized. She had to get a mobility scooter to get around, and a ramp needs to be installed at the house. God has blessed our family and brought us through so much in the last five years! He has healed Chris's cancer so many times and we know He will continue to bless us. Chris is a church deacon and the chief of our local fire department. His love for the Lord is in everything he does. We covet your prayers and support. Our church family and fire department family has suppieted us in prayers so many times. Prayer changed lives! God bless everyone!