Testing 1,2,3......

Today we left at 6:00 am to head over to Barnes for a full day of testing. My test consisted of drawing 5 vials of blood. Jim's consisted of drawing 16 vials of blood,  a urinalysis, a chest x-ray, an EKG, a dental x-ray, a 2D echocardiogram, and the 1st of 3 Hepatitis B shots.

We then attended a 2 hour Kidney Transplant Education Class, talked with a clinical financial specialist, a clinical social worker then had an hour physician consult. All in all, not a bad day.

Some of the things we learned today are:

• Barnes does over 200 transplants a year
• A living donor kidney last 15 years on average, a deceased donor last 10 years on average
• Waiting time on a donor list is 3-4 years
• Anti-rejection drugs are very expensive 
• End stage renal disease patients are eligible for Medicare effective at the start of dialysis or a transplant

We should know in about 10 days if I am a match. Lindsay is being tested later this week. Larry will be tested once he completes his paperwork.

Jim's next appointment is in September and we will find out the results of the all the testing from today. He will have to take a stress test within the next few weeks (as soon as his gout in his right knee goes away...ugh)

My Thoughts: The Barnes Transplant Team are remarkable people. Very helpful. They say the become part of your family....and it's easy to see why.