A new lease on life!

Andrew L.
on 10/27/12 6:53 am - Klamath Falls, OR

RNY on 04/11/12

My best friend had Polycystic kidney disease and less than six weeks ago had a kidney transplant. For those who are unfamiliar with the disease, cysts grow on the kidneys reducing the kidney function which causes the kidneys to grow and the cycle to repeat. At the time of Dave's surgery this kidneys weighed over eight pounds a piece...concidering that a healthy kidney weights around four ounces(a quarter pound) it was like giving birth to twins. Luckily both my brother and a friend of ours were a very close match and he was able to have a transplant....most are not so lucky and are stuck on dialysis looking for a donor for years. He was in good hands as his doctor is renounced as one of the best in the country.

Dave's new kidney from his donor.

The new kidney inside Dave

The diseased kidneys they cut out of him....nasty.

Today Dave and I went for a mountain bike ride to feel out his progress...we love to ride and are blessed with such good trails in town.

We had a great ride and an even better time. He was starting to get a little tired about 3.5mi in so we headed back to the truck and called it a day. He did dammed good for being a month and a half out from a MAJOR surgery like that!! I pushed myself and waited for him at different points so we both got a good workout in. With his new kidney and my RNY we are as active and feel as good as we did 20 years ago...which is awesome. It feels like we both have a new lease on life.

Here is to good times and even better friends.