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I was diagnosed with a kidney condition called
membranous GN back in 2017.
They discovered this through some blood work,
which led to a biopsy and the discovery of that disease.
And I began treatment with my local nephrologist
in Springfield, Missouri.
But the condition progressed, and they
wanted to start and get the ball really rolling
on a kidney transplant.
And the University of Chicago is one of the top hospitals
that my nephrologist recommended.
The operation used to historically
be a pretty big operation with a major cut on their side
and occasionally taking out a piece of rib.
This was refined-- with advances in laparoscopic surgery--
to be able to do this in a more minimally invasive approach.
And this approach, this minimally invasive kidney
donation approach, allowed patients
to go home in a day or two and have much less pain.
We certainly didn't want to wait on the donor list.
And while that may be an option for some,
and a good option, just the amount of time
that it takes from being listed on the donor list
to potentially getting a kidney, the time frame
was a little bit too long for my health needs.
My sister, Caroline, stepped up and said
that she would absolutely be honored to donate her kidney.
So it went from a waiting period of five-plus years
to about four or five months.
I started with blood work at my local hospital,
and that was sent right to the University of Chicago.
And once I was accepted as a good match for my brother,
then I went to Chicago in December
and did some more tests.
It was about a day and a half of tests.
I got to see the city.
I got to visit a friend.
And it was a really pretty easy process.
About a decade ago, our team refined and developed
a technique for, really, the least invasive approach
towards kidney donation--
we call it single-port donor nephrectomy-- and take
advantage of, really, the first scar that any of us
are born with, which is our belly button.
We make a small incision, hiding it in the belly button,
and put a special instrument through which
we insert the camera and the instruments
needed to do the operation.
We spend that time, for the next period of hour or two,
separating the kidney from the patient,
carefully and meticulously dissecting
the blood vessels and the kidney, and, at the final step,
divide those blood vessels and put the kidney
into a special sterilized bag and stretch out
the belly button just large enough to bring the kidney out
for the recipient.
At the end of the operation, we close up the belly button,
and everyone ends up with an innie.
And the incision is not much bigger than your original belly
button.
We put a little piece of gauze and a Band-Aid
over the incision.
It's actually not a full Band-Aid.
We cut the Band-Aid in half.
And patients go to recovery and wake
up and can look down at their tummy
and see a half of Band-Aid over their belly button
and know that they've not only saved someone's life
by donating their kidney, being able to go home
with minimal pain and back to full function.
I just remember feeling around to see where the incision was,
and all it was, was a little bandage on my belly button,
which kind of shocked me.
After the surgery, we were actually two rooms apart
on the same floor.
So after the next day, it was very easy
for me to get up and walk and go visit her.
And she came to my room a couple of times as well.
I got to go home within 24 hours.
The recovery wasn't bad at all.
I feel good.
It's a life-changing procedure.
And it will change someone's life,
even if you don't know 'em.
It's easy.
They're professional.
They know what they're doing.
Giving life is such a huge thing.
And maybe you don't know who is receiving the kidney,
but it does something in your heart
that is so impactful and motivating for yourself.
So I hope for my brother that he gets
to live a long and healthy life.
I feel a lot closer to my sister.
We have always been close.
We come from a very close-knit and involved family,
but I feel even closer now.
Of course, a part of her is inside me keeping me healthy.
And so I'm so grateful, so thankful for her.
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