March is National Kidney Awareness Month, and we wanted to highlight how important it is to take action to protect and improve kidney health with an inspirational story from one of NOAH’s very own.
Greetings friends! Please allow me to say hello and introduce myself; my name is John Engel. I am a Behavioral Health Counselor and I have been with NOAH for the past three years. I am currently working remote and based out of the Cholla clinic.
Some of you may know that I had a kidney transplant last year in March. Prior to my transplant I was on dialysis for almost two years. This process meant 10-hour hook ups to my home dialysis machine daily and I was fortunate to do this from the comfort of my home. Luckily, I was able to work around my schedule. A routine would involve starting work at 8:00 a.m. and then I needed to hook up to my home dialysis machine by 7 p.m. so that I could disconnect and start work again at 8:00 a.m.
I was fortunate to be referred to the Mayo Clinic for a transplant evaluation. I met the many requirements; therefore, I was put on the national organ registry. The next hurdle was the waiting list. After being put on the registry in the US the average wait time is 3-5 years, unless you have a compatible donor that could donate one of their kidneys.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are 100,00 requests for kidneys at any given time in the United States. Recipients could get a kidney from a living donor or one from a deceased donor. The difference between the two is that a living donor’s kidney works faster and last longer.
After being on the list for about 45 days, I got the phone call that they may have a live donor, but there were other candidates in the running, and they would get back to me. The following Monday I got the call to say that the kidney was mine if I still wanted it! To put it mildly I was shocked and numb, and I didn’t have time to process this until later. My family and loved ones celebrated the news, however, I had to remind myself that there were a million factors that could delay or cancel the surgery. I kept myself grounded by having this running thought, until I am on the gurney being wheeled to the operating room, not to get my hopes up too high.
After successful transplant and staying 2 days in the hospital, I was able to go home and recover. I was out for 6 weeks and to say it was a rough go of it in the beginning, is an understatement. With a difficult new medication regimen that included some heavy-duty anti-rejection medications, a new diet, and frequent follow up appointments, I eventually began to feel better.
One of the biggest concerns post-surgery was finding myself slipping into a state of depression. It is surreal to be a mental health counselor that has treated many clients with their depression and then to have depression myself. I sat around a lot and was very emotional. It took a while, but with love and support I came out of my depression and continued to heal.
Now after a year of healing and many trips to the Mayo Clinic, I feel that I am thriving. My friends and family tell me that I look better and have that spark of life back. It is hard to express the magnitude of appreciation I feel for the anonymous donor, care teams, friends, co-workers and especially my family.
My objective is to advocate for donors and the waiting recipients that need kidneys. According to the National Kidney Foundation, 12 people die every day waiting for a kidney. The simple fact is there is more demand for kidneys than available. Some may wonder, “what happens if my remaining kidney fails after donating my kidney?” The answer is simple, if a donor’s kidney fails, this means they are put at the top of the list for a new kidney themselves.
How can you help? Know the facts; you can find information on kidney health you can find information at Mayoclinic.org however, if you feel that donating a kidney is not right for you, there are other ways to help. Volunteer, Advocate, or Fundraising. A good place to start is The National Kidney Foundation or organdonor.gov. You can also be a donor yourself by checking the box on your identification/drivers license.
Thank you for reading my continuing story. May you have great kidney health.
