Patty got back to the farm this week! Per doctor’s orders she is still supposed to be resting and taking it easy as she is recovering from major surgery and her remaining kidney is working on compensating from the loss of the other kidney. Patty needs to take a lot of breaks during the day. She says she feels like she always needs coffee, but right now not even coffee is getting her back up to ‘normal.’ This recovery takes time!

John is doing well. We had a great family day at the beach before Patty left to go back to Mt. Angel. John is still getting tired often, but feels so much better already than before surgery. Mike was amazed that even when John was going down the hall at the hospital after surgery he started reading words on posters in the hall. Kidney disease can affect brain function, and even though John is a super smart kid, his reading had started to go backward as kidney function continued to go down. So seeing him regain his reading ability and start to feel better is absolutely amazing!

The doctors are still monitoring all of his levels. Getting the medications just right for a transplant patient takes time. We’re hopeful that John will come home within the next (4-6 weeks?). He’ll be taking medications strictly for the rest of his life, so it’s important to make sure it’s just the right combination for the kidney and his immune system. 

We’ve been so grateful to be able to rely on our friends, family, and COTA during this time. We truly have no idea what we would do without it.