Happy Easter to our friends and family. Since it's been a while, we thought we'd share an update on the journey over the past few years. 

While going through the process to qualify for a kidney transplant back in October of 2020, they discovered myo melanoma, yes, cancer of the blood.  Jim needed to start kidney dialysis three times a week for four hours each session, to ensure his blood was cleaned as they started him on chemotherapy, the kidney transplant needed to be put on pause to address the cancer first. 

Due to the chemotherapy treatment, he's undergone over the past 16 months, the doctors have found that it's had an impact on his heart and has compromised his bone marrow, so this impacts his ability to be a candidate for a kidney transplant. 

Jim's last chemotherapy treatment was on January 25th. The Mayo Clinic and U of MN will look at his heart condition and his ability to produce platelets next February 2023. In the meantime, he has dialysis three times a week and is in twice a week for blook platelets as needed. 

Please pray for his heart to recover from the chemotherapy and for his body to continue to heal so that it can start making its own platelets. This will be critical for him to be able to stop the weekly transfusions. 

Even though this is a lot happening, he continues to have hope that in time his body will heal and he can receive another kidney transplant. We have a donor that is staying healthy and taking care of Jim's kidney, so when his body is ready, they can move forward with the transplant. 

Jim and Mary are doing some traveling by coordinating Jim's dialysis at other Davita centers and going to nearby hospitals for transplants. They traveled to Florida in March for a week away and are now planning visits to Tennesee and New York in the next few months. 

Jim's nephrologist (kidney specialist) said that he has two to five years at his age with dialysis, but we are saying that God will take him home when God wants him. We are staying positive and living each day to the fullest. 

Please donate blood as often as you can, as there is a shortage and Jim is grateful for those who are able to donate as it keeps his body going. Calls and facetime are also welcome as we miss many of your smiling faces!

With love, 

Jim and Mary