Life Can Change So Quickly...

First I want to thank all of you who have been praying for me and the whole kidney donation process.  And especially this past week as I had the appointment with the cardiologist.  Well, the outcome of that meeting was along the lines of what I had feared but praying wasn't the case.

Basically I have been diagnosed with a congenital bicuspid heart defect / disease - this affects about 1% of the population, a significant number.  So what is this defect?  The normal heart valve has 3 cusps or leaflets or flaps that look like triangular pie wedges (see FOTO below).  This opens and closes with each heartbeat and keeps the blood flowing in one direction as the heart pumps it through the open tricuspid valve.  When the valve closes, the leaflets / flaps seals and keeps blood from flowing back in the direction it came from, thus ensuring that blood only flows in the desired direction.

Well, with a bicuspid valve defect, instead of 3 cusps or leaflets, there is only 2 (see FOTO).  It is caused when the leaflets or flaps are not formed properly in the womb during pregnancy.  The bicuspid valve can function without complications for years, well into adulthood.  But because the defective bicuspid valve wears out quicker than the normal tricuspid valve, many people with this disease start showing symptoms in their 30's or 40's - shortness of breath, dizziness, heart murmurs, stenosis (stiffening of the leaflets), regurgitation (backflow of blood), etc.

For me, it was the heart murmur that first alerted the doctors to this disease / defect.  And because I have inherited high cholesterol, I am at greater risk.  About 30% of people with this heart disease develop complications.  And about 80% of the people with this defect will require heart surgery.  So for me, with this defect and the high cholesterol, there is a very good chance that I will need heart surgery in the next 10-15 years - according to the cardiologist.  Thus, with this likelihood of heart surgery in the near future, he highly recommends AGAINST kidney donation.

So that is where we are in the whole kidney donation process - it is looking very unlikely that I will be able to donate my kidney.  The doctors don't want to put me at risk.  I meet with the renal doctor on 20.Sept, likely for the final time. Pray for that meeting.

So that is the physical side - but there is also an emotional side.  I won't lie and say that I am not hugely disappointed that I won't be able to donate.  It's been a year of lots of tests and medical exams and appointments - all in preparation for donation.  And the fact that we were just 10 days away from the surgery date when everything was halted.... :-(  And needless to say, the potential recipient was also very disappointed - he was sooo looking forward to this.  I met with him last week and explained everything and he took it very well even though it was obvious that he was extremely disappointed.  I explained to him that this whole process has been in God's hands and it will remain in His hands.   So pray for the recipient, that he will come to know the Lord.

In any case, thanks so much for being on this journey with me.  And isn't it 'funny' how life can change so quickly - one day you're doing fine, having run a half-marathon, getting ready to donate your kidney.  And the next day you get a call from the doctor saying you have a serious heart issue that will very likely preclude you from donating.  Funny.  God funny.

If you want more info on biscuspid valve defect, visit the Cleveland Clinic's website - they are the world leaders in this field.