PKD Life - Summer 2020 - 15

Josh's kidney
donor, his
brother Jeff
(left), is a
dialysis nurse.

because my immune system was compromised,
I really couldn't be around them when they were
sick. So I had to spend two weeks at my mom's
house. It was really hard being away from Ashley
and the kids.
My children have had to be really understanding, even when they don't understand what's going
on. Back when my cyst ruptured, doctors forbade
me to lift anything over 25 pounds. So I couldn't
pick them up, and my energy level was so low I
couldn't keep up with them. I told Colton that I had
a boo-boo. And I told Kennedy that I had problems
in my belly. She's pretty intrigued with the whole
thing-she's actually gone with me to some doctor's
appointments. She's smart and trying to understand
what's happening.

BACK TO WORK

My Advice
1 Listen to
your body.
Your kidneys
can complicate
a lot of different things in
your system.

2 Make a CKD diet
your lifestyle. I've
noticed how much
healthier I feel and
how much it helps my
kidney function when
I follow a diet for
chronic kidney disease.

3 Stay active. You
need to keep yourself
hydrated and rest when
your body is telling you
to, but there are easy
adjustments to make
to be able to fit activities into your life.

Both my surgery and Jeff 's went well, and I was
home within five days of the transplant. My brother
was such a help to my wife, Ashley, when she was
learning how to care for me after my kidneys were
removed. He knew what to watch for after we had
the transplant surgeries, because he's highly educated in this field.

FAMILY MATTERS

Honestly, the worst part about the entire process
happened about two weeks after my surgery. My
daughter, Kennedy, who's 4, and my son, Colton,
who's 2, came down with the flu. My doctor said

I am a firefighter, and right now I've been temporarily reassigned to fire prevention. I am working
to rebuild my strength and look forward
to going back to full duty in the coming months.
My doctors have reassured me that
they've had several transplant patients
who've had jobs that are considered risky
and dangerous, and they were able to
return to work without any problems.

KEEPING THE FAITH

Ashley has had her own medical issues.
At the beginning of our marriage, she had
three brain surgeries. She and I would not
have been able to handle everything as
well as we have without God. Our faith and
trusting Him has brought us through the
darkest nights in hospitals, waiting rooms, and doctor's offices. We kept faith in the best times when we
could thank and praise Him endlessly, and we kept
our faith when it seemed like there was no way in
sight. The prayers from everyone were felt every day,
and they still are.
All things considered, we feel blessed that we
have come as far as we have. Although life hasn't
been easy, we know it'll always be worth it. To take
our kids to Disney one day, to run on the beach with
our kids, to hike the highest trails we can with them
in tow ... those are our favorite things we get to look
forward to now.

S H A R E Y O U R S TO R Y AT C O N N E C T. P K D C U R E .O R G / V O I C E S - O F - P K D

http://CONNECT.PKDCURE.ORG/VOICES-OF-PKD

PKD Life - Summer 2020

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