J Hood Needs a Kidney

Several people have asked lately how Jon is doing, he is doing well! We are approaching the 3 year mark on his kidney transplant date here in the next few weeks. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again. Be grateful and live your life to the fullest. Organ donor recipients are the definition of living on borrowed time. This person we never knew gave Jon the gift of more time. Transplants are not an easy option, or a cure for these people. It's more time and a better quality of life.

Deceased donor kidneys average 10 to 15 years we can only hope that we can get a good chunk of this.

Current function is at 46%
He gets blood drawn monthly
Follow ups every 3 months

They said it won't be "anytime soon" but they will put him back on the list at 20%. Even if that means a few more years that's still too soon for me though. No matter how much time that ends up being this man is a fighter, he does it quietly, and you'd never even know.

When/ if we get to the point he's close to being listed again you all will know, I'll be advocating for him to the masses once again, annoying him at appointments, and as he says violating his hipaa rights. 🤷‍♀️❤️

Happy 2 Years with Trey (what we named the 3rd kidney 😁).. The team is still trying to get his numbers where they need to be with the diagnosis we got a few months ago but he feels good. Currently doing weekly blood draws and has another ultrasound here soon. ❤️

We have answers as to why Jon’s kidneys failed in the first place..

Biopsy confirmed he has what’s called IgA nephropathy (nuh-FROP-uh-thee), also known as Berger's disease.

Key points about IgA nephropathy:
*IgA nephropathy is a disease in which IgA protein builds up in and damages the filtering part of the kidney (glomerulus).
*The damage may cause few or no symptoms.
*Treatment is aimed at protecting the kidney from further damage by controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.
*Regular testing is done to check kidney function.
*It is very rare in African Americans

No cure exists for IgA nephropathy, but certain medications can slow its course.

**The doctors are confident in their findings and now have a plan. They have increased his anti-rejection, steroids and blood pressure medications and said they caught it time that it didn't cause any damage to the transplanted kidney. He is also back on weekly blood draws until they feel everything is well managed** ❤️

Heading to a kidney biopsy like..

A little update.. Jon's team has been watching his protein numbers for a few months. High protein means the kidney is not filtering properly and is a sign of organ rejection. However, he is once again a medical anomaly as all his other numbers are great. He feels fine, he's not sick or anything. They said he could just have kidney disease and no real explanation. Wednesday they are going in to do a biopsy of the kidney to get more information. Keep Jon in your thoughts and prayers for a smooth recovery this week.. and hopefully some answers. ❤️