7 minute read
and wifesharemore thanlove
BY AMI FELKER
A different kind of list
The first chore on most husbands’ weekend “honey do” list is cleaning out the garage or mowing the lawn, but Troy Himes’ list was different. No. 1 on his list? Undergo four hours of kidney dialysis every Saturday.
A Type 2 diabetic since the age of 13, Himes’ condition slowly deteriorated until he developed end-stage kidney failure and his kidneys could no longer function on their own. For three years, he underwent kidney dialysis treatments in his home three times a week. The treatmentsthemselves were not painful, but they left him tired and lethargic. His rockbottom energy level even left him unable to play with his baby son Damien.
Planning family vacations was a chore because he had to locate and make special arrangements with a dialysis center near their destination so he could maintain his treatment regimen. While many young families took trips to exotic locations, the Himes stayed relatively close to home and visited family in South Carolina.
When it was determined that Himes needed a kidney transplant, his wife Cassandra immediately agreed to be tested to determine if she could donate one of her kidneys. “We had just had our son and I knew he needed a father so I jumped at the chance to see if I could give Troy another chance at life,” she said. The high school English teacher said she knew before the tests came
Cassandra, Damien and Troy Himes. Troy encourages more people to become organ donors because there are thousands of people waiting on a transplant.
back that she would be a match. When the results were in she said, “This was just confirmation that we’re the perfect match.”
On Jan. 31, 2006, the couple underwent the transplant that would join them forever. Now, two years later, Troy Himes has a renewed zest for life. He is energetic and has returned to a normal life, caring for his loving wife and son, now four years old.
“Now I’m able to go places, dedicate myself to my job, and life has just been great,” he said. “I’m looking forward to enjoying the rest of my life with my family.”
Himes, now 36, is among more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Type 2 diabetics like Himes don’t produce sufficient insulin or their body ignores the insulin it does produce. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for approximately 95 percent of diabetes cases, is rising by epidemic proportions in the United States due in large part to obesity.
“We do everything we can to help prevent kidney failure in our diabetic patients,” said Dr. Horacio Adrogué, transplant nephrologist at The Methodist Hospital.
This includes tight control of the diabetes through medications and lifestyle; control of blood pressure and cholesterol; and restriction of excess salt. “We are continually researching additional ways to prevent kidney failure, including the role of diet, modest protein intake and not smoking,” he said.
If and when a patient’s kidneys do start losing function, dialysis — which performs the mechanical function for the kidneys — and kidney transplants currently are the only treatment options. Methodist physicians encourage all kidney failure patients to consider preemptive transplant, which involves seeking living donors before they need dialysis.
“Dialysis is certainly a life preserving treatment, but it greatly affects a patient’s quality of life. Preemptive kidney transplants from living donors can help patients prevent that intrusion on their lives,” said Dr. Graham Guerriero, surgical director of kidney transplantation at Methodist. “Patients who receive kidneys from living donors tend to do better than those transplanted with kidneys from deceased donors.”
Today, there are more than 75,000 people across the United States on the kidney transplant waiting list. In 2006, less than 11,000 of those waiting received kidneys from deceased donors, while 6,500 received kidneys from living donors. Adrogué says that more people are added to the waiting list every day, so live donation is absolutely critical to help loved ones have longer, healthier and happier lives.
Guerriero, who has been part of the kidney transplant program at Methodist since it began in 1963, said the patients who do best are those who are compliant with the medication and lifestyle requirements.
Methodist Transplant Center
is committed to exceeding the expectations of those it serves through comprehensive evaluation,extensive patient education and team-oriented care.Transplant Center physicians and staff are prepared to meet all patient needs,from transplant evaluation to long-term follow-up care after transplant.State-of-the-art facilities and technology ensure patients receive leading-edge care.
In addition to transplant procedures,the following services are provided by Methodist’s transplant team:
Coordination of care by organ-specific transplant
nurse coordinators
Ongoing communication with referring physicians
throughout the transplantation process
24-hour accessibility to the transplant team Relocation and accommodation assistance Financial counseling services Access to cutting-edge clinical research trials Multidisciplinary transplant education classes Active monthly caregiver support groups Weight loss programs Smoking cessation classes
He says it’s important to know that kidney transplants do not change diabetes, but rather free patients from the need for dialysis and restore their ability to filter their own blood. “Like most things in life, what you put in is what you get out of a kidney transplant,” he said.
Himes is among one of the quickly expanding group of patients who receives a kidney from living donors — mothers, fathers, children, siblings, friends and even fellow church members.
He and his wife work hard to care for his new kidney, and to help raise awareness about the priceless gift of organ donation. He encourages more people to become donors because there are thousands of people on the waiting list.
He says it’s a great feeling not to have to worry about undergoing dialysis. He is eternally grateful to his wife for her personal sacrifice for their family. “This confirms the love she has for me. We share more than just love now, a part of her is inside of me,” he said.
Methodist expands transplant program
Dr. Osama Gaber, division director of transplantation at The Methodist Hospital, is expanding the hospital’s kidney, pancreas and islet cell programs. World renowned for his clinical care and research in transplantation, he has published nearly 250 articles and more than 300 abstracts about kidney, pancreas, liver and transplant surgery. Much of his research has become standard practice in the field.
Prior to coming to Houston, Gaber served as medical director of transplant research at Methodist University Transplant Institute in Memphis, TN.
Donation and Transplantation Myth Busters
MYTH: Organs can be
purchasedon the black market in the United States.
BUSTED!
The National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) prohibits the sale of human organs, stating, “It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly acquire, receive or otherwise transfer any human organ for valuable consideration for use in human transplantation.” And due to the complexity of transplantation, piracy is virtually impossible. The process of matching donors with recipients and the need for highly skilled medical professionals and modern medical facilities make it highly unlikely that this system could be duplicated in secrecy. Even living donors are screened by social workers and psychologists to ensure there are no financial motives and that the donor’s intentions are completely altruistic.
MYTH: Physicians may not
do everything they can to save an organ donor’s life.
BUSTED!
Physicians involved in a patient’s care during an emergency or critical care setting are prohibited from having anything to do with transplant programs. The law states “in order to avoid conflict of interest, the physician who determines and/or certifies the death of a potential organ donor should not be involved in the organ removal or in subsequent transplantation procedures or responsible for the care of the potential recipients of these organs.” The organ donation center is not involved until all lifesaving efforts have been made.
World Medical Association Statement on Human Organ Donation and Transplantation Adopted by the 52nd WMA General Assembly in 2000 and revised by the General Assembly in 2006
MYTH: People can recover
