How has a year passed already? A year while the world experienced a bit of our “regular” lives. A year of finding ways to stay connected while being isolated and of wearing masks and extra handwashing–all things that have been our norm since 2017.  To say that 2020 was one for the books would be an understatement!

In December, we celebrated Arabella’s second kidneyversary, but we did so in the midst of weekly trips to Cincinnati for labs.  Her lab values were showing troubling trends and in January her team performed a biopsy to determine what was causing the issue.  We had mixed emotions over the results.  While we were happy to learn that she wasn’t experiencing rejection, we were concerned that the damage was caused by one of the medicines necessary to prevent rejection. In February, her numbers were worse still and a second biopsy was performed this week to check for rejection again. 

One of the hard realities of transplant is that there’s never a moment where we are able to fully relax.  While we are relieved that Arabella isn’t rejecting her kidney, the damage is happening nonetheless.  A limited number of medicines are routinely taken for transplants.  Her kidney damage now has ruled out the most common option.  Because of her post-tranplant lymphoma, another option also has been ruled out.  The third category of medicines has a higher risk for developing donor specific antibodies–which, in itself, is associated with rejection.  Despite that, her team has settled on a drug in the third category as her best choice.  It comes with risks, but that’s what all of transplant is–weighing the risks and then selecting the “safest” road.  

Within the week, Arabella will begin taking a new medication while weaning from the old one.  During that time, she will do weekly labs until she is able to achieve the right range for the new medicine.  Her doctors will continue to monitor her kidney numbers to see if the damage stops worsening.  That means we’ll once again be burning the road up and down Interstate 71.  And we can’t wait to get on the road again!

Thank you for following us on this journey.  Please join us in praying that Arabella will do well on the new medicine and won’t suffer side effects.  We’re also praying that her kidney numbers will stabilize without further damage.  We know we don’t walk this road alone and we’re grateful for those of you who make it easier for us.