Witnessing miracles

"We strongly feel Mark needs to be evaluated for a heart transplant before going ahead with the kidney transplant".

It was a month before the scheduled kidney transplant for March 21, 2002 that had been rescheduled already. I was sitting at work and time just froze. "What?"

"I'm so sorry Tammy. I've been dreading making this call. His heart function is so low and his heart is so weak. We think the surgery might be too hard on the heart. We think this is the best."

I could hardly talk. We had already had 2 brothers be denied as a donor with the third and last brother finally being approved, although just barely. Now that we finally got a transplant surgery date, we were faced with this?

Telling Mark was even harder. Normally he's a positive person but this one hit hard. After I told him he looked so defeated. I told him he couldn't give up and he responded with "Yes, I can". I didn't blame him. I wanted to give up and I wasn't in his shoes.

After much discussion, it was decided to go through with the transplant as a high risk. A cardiologist would need to be there during the surgery. We were told there was a 50/50 chance something would happen. We were also told that if he survived the kidney transplant, they would highly recommend being evaluated for a heart transplant. At this time, they felt having a new kidney could put less stress on the heart and the heart was so weak they felt they should try to do the kidney transplant first.

It wasn't easy. Mark did end up having a heart attack during the kidney transplant surgery....but he made it through.

It was a couple years after the kidney transplant and things started settling down that Mark decided to get evaluated for a heart transplant. We knew we were likely looking at another transplant surgery. We were basically starting over. Going through tests after tests, going through the whole process step-by-step, so many steps people don't even realize. We even met with a heart transplant support group---a requirement during the process.

We weren't being told the results of the tests as we went along. We just showed up when they wanted us to.

There was this one rather invasive test where they actually made an incision near his heart and went in to examine the heart and the functionality. It took a couple hours and I had to sit in the waiting room. When the doctor came out, he had a smile on their face. "Well, Tammy, we're done. Everything went well and his heart looks pretty good!"

I was shocked. "Are you sure?"

The doctor kinda laughed and said, "Yes. It's really not that bad and I certainly don't think he needs a heart transplant, at least not yet".

I was dumbfounded. We later found out that his heart function had actually increased. A normal ejection fraction is 60-70%. Right before the kidney transplant, it had gone down to 15% and we were told it would never get better. At the time of these studies, his function had actually gone up to about 25%. As I'm typing this, it is now up to 40%. Truly shocking as that just doesn't happen.

We ended up not going through with a heart transplant and it has never been brought up again.

I tell that story because we believe God performed a miracle. He improved Mark's heart when every doctor told us he wouldn't survive, that he needed a transplant and his heart would not improve. God proved them wrong and Mark beat the odds.

That was in 2004 and just recently in 2016 we experienced yet another miracle in which God proved doctors wrong and Mark beating the odds.

When Mark first had his kidney transplant, we were told we would be lucky to make it 10 years--that diabetes will "fry" a new kidney. Mark has had his kidney for 14-1/2 years and we have always been grateful that he has made it so far.

This summer, his kidney numbers started creeping up a little bit. As the fall came, the numbers increased even more and what was more terrifying was that Mark was having more and more protein in his urine (a definite sign of kidney failure).

We were told that most likely the cause was chronic rejection. Being the kidney was almost 15 years and with Mark's diabetes, it was thought to be the most likely reason. It was devastating for Mark to hear. Even knowing that he was still a few years away from needing dialysis if chronic rejection was the case, he had a hard time feeling positive.

It was recommended he have a kidney biopsy to determine the exact cause for his kidney numbers and protein in the urine to be increasing.

We were hesitant at first. We knew if it was chronic rejection, there was nothing they could do. In our minds, we didn't want to go through a rather invasive procedure only to be given bad news.

However, that tiny bit of hope that it wasn't chronic rejection convinced us to go ahead with the biopsy.

Just a couple days before the biopsy, I got a call from Mark's nephrologist. He said that the latest tests just a couple days ago showed that there was more protein in the urine and his kidney number was even higher. "I just wanted to prepare you for the fact that we will most likely see some chronic rejection in the biopsy. I know it's disappointing but that doesn't mean he'll lose the kidney right away"

I couldn't tell Mark. I knew that would destroy him. I held onto that small hope and miracle that they wouldn't find rejection and I never told Mark about that phone call.

Mark had the biopsy done and we waited 3 long days before our transplant coordinator called with the results.

"Well, Tammy, I have good news! There is no rejection!"

I thought I heard her wrong. "Um, really? Are you sure?"

She laughed a little and said "Yep, I'm sure. I've got the report right here. I'll read it to you". She went ahead and read the report word for word, many medical terms but also very thorough examination and tested many different antibodies for rejection. I heard our coordinator tell me many times as she was reading the report of the antibodies "No rejection", "No rejection". It was music to my ears.

That being said, there were a few issues that were brought up but the fact that there was no rejection was a miracle.

Another miracle of many that Mark has been a recipient of.

I firmly believe that medical practice is necessary. Without it, Mark wouldn't be here. I believe God gives the knowledge and expertise needed for the medical professionals to do the work they need to. For that I am so grateful.

I also believe in the power of God and with God, anything is possible.

Mark is proof of that. He truly is a walking miracle, not just once but time and time again.