November 14, 2021

There were many difficult days after Chris's diagnosis. The 3 Biggies; Hemodialysis 3 days a week (at 0430!), the diet restrictions and yes, just feeling overwhelmed at times. We've all had moments that we have had to overcome but this young man has always put his family first! He didn't drop out of school while he was initially in the hospital for over 2 weeks! He was using his GI bill and said that he was not going to compromise what benefit his family receives. With the help from Amanda he got all that he needed to write his professors and do his homework. I would say that the highlight for me was the recording he made for his speech class. (Seeing him in action, so to speak)

Over time the dialysis changed to Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), meaning he was doing his dialysis at home. That was better in so many ways for him! Not only could he be home and not get up so early, but the diet restrictions let up a bit. He felt better with the dialysis every day as opposed to 3 days a week, flushing those nasty toxins out. Although, the amount of medical supplies needed was vast and took up a lot of space. Keeping himself healthy wasn't just diet and dialysis though. Caring for his exit site was of upmost importance! He had a wonderful nurse at DaVita, "Tee", that took the BEST care of him. Her "off duty" phone calls to check on him made a world of difference to him, and us, knowing that she truly cared for his welfare! In fact, the whole team at the DaVita Cleveland Clinic in OKC is the absolute BEST! His Doctor, Nutritionist, Social Worker and the receptionist all treated him like family...taking care of their own!

Attitude is EVERYTHING!!! I'm positive there are countless others that have the mental strength to handle a lot. Chris just keeps picking himself up and moving forward! Riding his stationary bike is helping him to gain muscle strength. His new "hidden talent" of cooking has emerged and he thoroughly enjoys cooking different meals experimenting with foods he couldn't eat before. And, he is looking forward to returning to school in January.

You see, it's not just about caring for his new kidney...it's about caring for Chris as a whole. As we chip away at helping to lift the financial burdens, Chris is keeping his eyes forward to see what his future holds. :)