Learning all about transplant..

Today was a very informational day. We only met with the head of nephrology today, Dr. Veheskari. He cleared us to begin the transplant "process", but there is a long laundry list of things that need to be done before the transplant committee deems him eligible for surgery.

We have to first meet the surgeon. She will examine Parker to determine if his current size and health are ready for transplant. One concern that was mentioned is the size of his liver, which is common for PKD patients. He said that with his liver being larger than normal, it may make things more cramped and difficult. If this is the case, he will have to grow a little more length wise before the adult kidney would fit. What I did learn today, though, is that the adult kidney will eventually shrink to fit Parker and grow with him. I did not realize this, and think that it is extremely cool. After the surgeon examines Parker, if she decides that he is ready, we have to do the following: an echo cardiogram of his heart, tissue sampling, blood work, and possibly a bladder study to see how much volume his bladder can hold- since it has never really been used.

Jason and I have to meet with a psychologist. This is to determine that Parker is in a stable, compliant home. Basically they have to make sure that once he is transplanted we will take care of him and his new kidney the best that we can. The government requires this to ensure that viable organs are not wasted. I know with all my heart that this is not a problem for us. We fight tooth and nail to make sure Parker's care is nothing but the best. We also have to meet with a social worker to discuss the insurance and financial aspect of everything.

In the meantime, we have to make sure he is up to date on all of his vaccines, especially hepatitis B and MMR. They may add the Hepatitis A shot, but at this point that's not clear. We have to make a dental appointment and make sure that any dental work that needs to be done is done now. I don't think this will be an issue. He's young and doesn't eat food quite yet.

After ALL of this, the transplant committee will meet to discuss his case and determine if he is approved for surgery. All in all today was a good day. We learned a lot, and now know what needs to be done in order to get this ball rolling.


We were watching Mickey while waiting to see the doctor.


As you can tell, Parker is worn out from his early morning. It did not take long for him to crash out.

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