A Kidney for Sue McManus

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Just wanted to update everyone on how things are going....its been about 5 weeks since my transplant and things seem to be settling down. I have been closely monitored by my doctors with blood draws several times a week. Then based on the results, the docs tweak my anti rejection meds! I guess that is the main thing I have to watch for now, staying out of crowds and away from anyone that is sick. All the meds they have me on suppresses my immune system and puts me at risk for getting sick!

Last Sunday was an exciting day for me....I got to go to church for the first time since my surgery! It was wonderful to be able to worship my God with my church family!! Speaking of church family, if anyone is looking for a church to go to during this Christmas time, we would love for you to visit us! Its The Woods Church and we are located at South Lake High School in St. Clair Shores....this Sunday the 20th, we have services at 09:30 and 11:00am...and we will have a Christmas Eve service at 4pm. Some of my kids will be involved with worship and the services....it would be great to see you there!

I also wanted to thank everyone for their continued support and prayers....so many people have touched and blessed our family and I cant begin to tell you all how much it has meant to us!

Just a little post to share good news! Sue is recovering extremely well. She has been walking the hallways, eating without problems, and best of all, her kidney function is surpassing what the doctors expected. Before her transplant on Wednesday, her GFR (a measure of kidney function) was 9. The doctors said it probably wouldn't go above 60 after transplant. It is currently at 78. A total miracle! Thank you Jesus! Her other labs are looking great and the plan is for her to go home tomorrow (Monday). Mike went home today and is doing well. We hope the other people involved in this process are having such good results.

Sue is doing so well. Her labs are looking better and better, showing a quick improvement in kidney function. That little kidney is working so well and you can see it as soon as you see her. I'm leaving the hospital feeling so thankful to see her returning to better health so quickly; she was getting so sick before. She has been sitting up in the chair all day and walked a lap around the SICU on strong legs. Mike is doing very well as well, although he does have pain and discomfort. We continue to pray against infection, rejection, pain, and other complications. We hope that they will be able to tolerate food without problem, especially so that Sue doesn't have to have the dreaded NG tube. Thank you for praying!!! Things are going so well today!

Sue is out of surgery and in recovery! The surgeon said it went really well. We are just waiting to see her in a few minutes.

They just took Sue to pre-op. Her new kidney is here! Mike is doing very well after his surgery. Thank you for your prayers!!! God has removed all fear and we are at peace and excited about everything that is happening today. Here's a little pic of the family right before they took Sue.

Today is the day of Sue's kidney transplant!!! Mike will be having his surgery early this morning, then his kidney will be flown to the other recipient while Sue's is flown to Detroit. Sue's kidney will be flown here and she will have surgery sometime this afternoon. Please pray for everyone involved today. If you see this or think of our family, someone is probably in surgery. Lots of nerves, excitement, and a little anxiety. Thanks everyone!!!

So we got the go ahead today...in 8 days I will be having surgery...Was able to talk with the drs and get an idea about the type of meds I will be on after and how things will go...I start the first of my antirejection meds this friday! I guess I am showing a weak positive response to my own blood so they arent totally sure if its a false positive or not, so just to be safe, they wont be putting me on the steroid free protocol....not crazy about that but truly thankful and feeling so blessed....God is truly amazing!

Full day of testing in preparation for next Wednesday....so far they drew 16 vials of blood...it was encouraging to see this sign too!

We have great news! We have a paired match for Sue, and a transplant date set for November 11!!! Sues brother-in-law, Mike, will donate a kidney to a person in need somewhere in the USA who he is a match for. This person's friend or family member will then donate their kidney to Sue! We are so excited and thankful. This is a huge answer to your prayers that not only is Sue receiving a kidney, but she is receiving one so quickly. We continue to pray that this transplant is successful for Sue and for the other people involved.

I wanted to thank everyone for their generosity to my family and myself. I have never experienced anything like the spaghetti dinner on Saturday...I felt the love and support from each of you! And I really can't express how much it means to me! There were people there that i knew from high school, an old coworker from when i worked at thrifty florist, many friends from our old church, and many from our now church family. There were family members that we hadnt seen in awhile, and many coworkers from when i worked at the hospital(including several old bosses!). There were also some awesome coworkers that i work with in hospice now as well as many of our neighbors!! I want to thank you all for taking the time to come and show your support for me and my family! For anyone that was there, if you took pictures during the event, I would love to see them. I spent so much time talking with people i didnt take a single pic. So if you have any pics of the event, could you post them on fb and tag me, please. I love scrapbooking and would love to make a book, or some pages! So please post any pics you may have...whether you think they are good or not. Thanks!

And as for an update on the kidney match, we are looking forward to hearing the results on a paired match that is cooking....this pair lives out of state and we are waiting on hearing the results on my brother in laws flow cytometry. My test result is good and has been posted for them to see. so its hurry up and wait.

Sue's fundraiser was incredible last night! We had somewhere around 350-400+ friends and family there. Thank you for coming, for donating, and for being so encouraging and supportive. It meant so much to all of us. Another very special thank you to all of the volunteers who worked so hard to make the dinner successful, and to Marie Kelsey for planning and organizing this whole event. The McManus Family cherishes you all and we are so thankful for all of your support!