Newest Permacath Update

Well Scott is out. It took maybe 45 minutes. We have eaten breakfast and now we are waiting to do dialysis.

What we found out was the last permacath did not work for Scott. It was the most common used permacath and it was inserted correctly, but just didn't work for him. So they took that one out and put in a different one.

Thank you for your prayers.

The Permacath

Hi all!

Yesterday, Scott went to do his first round of hemodialysis. When the nurse tried to start him, the permacath wouldn't work. So they called his doctor and she had to get him in to get it readjusted. So now here we are at Baptist sitting in radiology waiting. Thank you for your love and prayers. More updates to come.

"God on high, hear my prayer. In my need you have always been there." -Les Miserables

Surgery #4

Here we are at Deaconess awaiting surgery number 4 of 2012. Just in case you missed us on Facebook, the last surgery was a success. It went really quick and the port looks good. Scott will start hemodialysis on Sunday. His actual schedule for hemo will be Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a 3 1/2 hour sitting. He will do hemo until the hernia surgery is healed.

Now, on to today's surgery. Scott is having surgery on a hernia spot in his peritoneal cavity. This is the reason we have to do hemodialysis. He can't do dialysis at home because it would not let the surgery heal properly.

This morning has gone pretty quick. We are actually back in prep now. Dr. Hemrick's connecting flight through Dallas was late so we are behind schedule, but all in all it has gone pretty fast. I will update everyone as soon as the surgery is over. Once we talk to the doctor and Scott goes back, I will post updates on Facebook.

"In all things God is good. God is good in all things."

Surgeries

Hi all!

We've been waiting to post about this because there have been a lot of "what do we dos" involved in this process.  A few weeks ago, Scott went to see the doctor about a spot that was hurting him.  He found out that it was a hernia.  Scott requested that the surgeon that put in his pd port do the surgery because this will make the 3rd surgery this year.  They agreed to this which is good because the hernia just so happens to be in his peritoneal cavity (this is the cavity in which he does his dialysis).  Due to this, he has to do hemodialysis (blood related) until the hernia surgery is healed. 

Today, he got a call about putting this port in.  Yeah...it's this Thursday.  Kinda quick.  He will be getting his permacath to do hemodialysis.  We're not quite sure what hemodialysis is all about.  We've been trained on peritoneal dialysis for 11 months so this will be a big change.  We are under the understanding that as soon as the hernia surgery (Friday Dec. 28th) has healed (surgery number 4 this year by the way), he will be able to go back to peritoneal dialysis and the permacath will be removed.  There is no telling how long this will be.

I can honestly say that this has been an extremely stressful couple of weeks for the Garnand household.  Luckily we have an awesome family to fall back on and for me personally, I work for an AMAZING school district!  I can't express how blessed we are.  What we need now is lots of prayer. So please keep him in your prayers not only for his upcoming surgeries, but for the craziness that will probably only add to his stress.  We are going to try really hard not to worry and hope for everything to fall into place according to God's plans.

Thank you so much for your love, thoughts and prayers.  They mean so much to us.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:34

Birthday Bash Post Party

The Birthday Bash was a HUGH success!  The bands were great, the sweets were yummy, the games were fun and the auctions were a hit!  We want to say thank you to everyone who came and donated items to the Bash.  Your love and support has and will continue to make this process continue to be successful.  To our volunteers- I cannot express how thankful we are to you.  The Bash would not have happened if it wasn't for your help.  To our families- There are no words to express our gratitude for your love and help.  We know that not only could we not do this without you, but we are who we are because of you.  Final totals are still being calculated.  Let's just say it was a very successful evening with what we know so far.  Thank you again for all of your prayers, love and support. 

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever." - Psalms 136:1

Oh My!  Have we been busy!  The Bash is only 2 days away!!!

If you don't follow us on Facebook, Eric was not able to give.  So...we are now list bound.  Scott has been listed for a year so, a good portion is over ;)

The Birthday Bash Fundraiser is this Saturday at Cherokee Hills Christian Church from 6-10pm.  Here is a list of items that will be up for Silent Auction:

Home Décor Items:

• Home Décor 
• Faith Hope and Love Picture
• Picture
• Purse
• 2 candles – Lavender/Cedarwood and Apple/Pear
• Table Decore
• 3 beautifully handmade table runners and a set of glass plates
• Western Décor
• 2 xL Cattlemen’s T-Shirts, a Cattlemen’s mug and a Painted Ponie from Langstons
• Garden Fun
• Raccoon Key finder statue and $50 to TLC

• Yankee Candle Gift Basket
• Sugared Vanilla Candle
• Macintosh Apple air fresheners
• Macintosh Apple candle
• Sentsy Blue
• Bars-Cutiepie Cupcake, Snowberry, Welcome Home, Skinny Dippin, Cherry Vanilla, Cozy Fireside
• Baked Apple Pie Scent Pak
• Room Spray-Embers and Maple Butter
• 2 Warmers with Lightbulbs
• Sentsy Red
• Bars-Clove&Cinnamon, Sugar Cookie, Black Raspberry Vanilla, Cherry Vanilla, Snowberry and Eskimo Kiss
• Mochadoodle Scent Pak
• Room Spray-Amber Road and Happy Birthday
• 1 Warmer with Lightbulb

Family Fun Packs

• 4 passes to the Science Museum of Oklahoma
• 4 passes to the Sam Noble Museum in Norman
• 4 passes to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
• 5 passes to CineMark Theaters (Tinseltown)
• Family Photo Shoot
• Include sitting and editing
• 1 Night Stay at Quarts Mountain Resort
• Learning Tree $50 gift card
• Fun for the Kids
• 1 voucher to CiCi’s and Wendy’s Treehouse in Nichols Hills and a Scooby Doo coloring pack
• Baby Basket
• 5 bibs, a moose onesie and a blanket

Ideas for Mom:

• Scrap Booking Kit
• Day of Pampering
• $45 Hair Saloon card (appt w/Shanan Hull)
• $20 Ivy Nail Salon on MacArthur
• Gift Card to Sun Capsule in Apple Glade Shopping Center for Tanning or Toning
• $10 Gift Card to Cuppies & Joe Downtown
• Jewelry 
• Red Premier Designs necklace and $100 gift card to BC Clark

Ideas for Dad:

• Dad’s Workshop (Items sold separately)
• 2 Belt Sanders
• Bench Grinder
• Tool Stand
• Man Cave Munchies
• Framed Autographed T-Shirt
• $15 Taco Mayo

Miscellaneous:

• Doggie Daycare at Central Park on May Ave
• Doggie Grooming at Central Park on Classen
• 2 Car Washes from USA Car Wash

FOOD!

• Eischen’s in Okarche $50 gift card
• Pops $25 gift card and 6 pack of Round Barn rootbeer
• BBQ (2 up for grabs)
• $35 Swadleys
• Kidney Bean T-shirt (size of your choosing)
• Bite on Us!
• 10 Bite on Us cards from City Bites
• Kidney Bean T-shirt (size of your choosing)

Live Auction Items:

• Water Fun and Safety
• Water Raft, 2 life jackets (child and infant) and 4 flotation devices
• Thunder tickets
• Quilt
• Coke Mirror

We are still selling tickets for the Quilt Drawing (yes one quilt is for the live auction and the big one is for the drawing).  You can buy tickets at the door.

We hope to see you there on Saturday!!!

Update for the Bean

Long time no see blog followers.  For those of you who follow us on facebook, you have seen the most recent updates.  For those of you who don't, here is the latest news...

• Scott's brother Eric is a blood match!  He goes in Wednesday for further testing to see whether or not his kidneys are healthy enough to donate to Scott.  This will be a long day for Eric.  Please keep him in your prayers as he goes through this process.  Also pray for emotions during the results.  No matter what the doctor says, this will prove to be a very emotional day.
• We are planning a huge fundraiser for Scott.  It just so happens to be on his birthday (10/27/12)!  More information is to come.  Here's what we have so far:
• Music!  We are finalizing with our bands this week.  So far we have 3 in the works.  Once this week is over, we will announce who and what type of music they play :)
• Silent Auction! Before and a little during the concert, we will have items up for a silent auction.  Right now we have things such as Scentsy, tanning, toning, haircuts, and house labor up for auction.  If you have an idea of something that you could donate for the auction, please message us on the facebook site, or email us at thekidneybeanproject@gmail.com  When it is closer to the event, we will put a list of items here on the blog and on the facebook page.
• Bake Sale!  Throughout the night we will have yummy treats to sell.
• Games for the Kids!  This may or may not happen.  We have some ideas worked out, but without some major man power, it may not be able to work.  If for some reason we do not have a "kid area" we are planning on maybe doing a "Date Night" right before the Christmas holiday.

We are super excited about everything that is happening.  Please continue to pray for Scott and those who will be in and out of our lives.  We appreciate everything that has been placed in our path.

"It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become.” - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Donor News

We just found out that Scott's cousin Leah is a crossmatch! This mean that she will be able to come down and be tested to be a donor for Scott. She will be traveling to Oklahoma the week of July 9th. Please keep her on your prayers.

"Chutes and Ladders Game: take three steps forward." -Robert Muzny

Summer Update

Wow, it's been a while...

Many things have happened since gallbladder surgery.  Scott is doing very well, we recently celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary and the Thunder fight strong!!! :)

The last week of school, Piedmont Elementary (which is the school I teach at) did a Spirit week for Scott.  Each day, the students had an option to bring a dollar to wear something special.

Monday - PJ day
Tuesday - Hat day
Wednesday - Beach towel and sunglasses day
Thursday - Backwards, inside out, mixed up clothes day
Friday - Twin day or Book character day (yes I dressed up as the lovely Valerie Frizzle in Thunder gear)

Totals are not in just yet on how much we raised for HelpHOPELive in Scott's honor, but I know that whatever the amount, it will help more than enough.  We are so very grateful for our PES family.  
More events are going to be planned this summer, so be on the look out!

On the health side, Scott really is doing pretty well.  We're working on remembering binders to help his phosphorus overload.  Wednesday morning he goes in to start the blood match with his cousin Leah.  Please keep her in you prayers.  Not only for the possibility of her being a donor, but for her health as well.  We will continue to keep you updated.  Hopefully on a more regular basis.

"Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!" Psalm 81:1

Gallbladder Update

At 8:00 this morning, Scott went in to surgery. All went well. On the way home, he started getting sick. Now we are sitting here resting. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

The whole earth is at rest and quiet Isaiah 14:7a ESV

Gallbladder surgery consultation

Well...we went in to see Dr. Hemrick this afternoon and well, Scott will be getting his gallbladder out on March 28th (next Wednesday) at 8:00 am. We will have to be at Integris at 5:30 in the morning...whew...early! If all goes well he'll be back on his feet in about a week and fully recovered in three.

On the kidney front... Scott goes in tomorrow morning for his next blood test with another possible donor. Pending those results, we will know what happens next.

Thanks for all your love and prayers!

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 ESV)

News

Well, where to begin...

Last Friday, Scott found out that his gallbladder is not draining correctly.  We will be going on Monday to the surgeon for a consultation to get it out.  Hopefully, we will be able to do this next week.  We also learned that he will not be able to have his kidney transplant for 3-5 months after getting his gallbladder out.

This past week, Scott's dad and stepmom (John and Robin) came in for a visit and testing.  We have had a lot of fun this week.  We will miss them very much!  Last night, we found out that John will not be able to give Scott a kidney.  The nephrologist discovered that there is calcium buildup in his kidneys.  This is normal and okay for John, but would not be healthy enough for what Scott needs.  Needless to say, we are all pretty bummed, but everything happens for a reason.  Whatever it may be, God has a plan and everything that is happening is in all of our best interests.  (easier said that believed sometimes, but it is the truth). 

We are now looking at this news as an opportunity to do some fundraising and get Scott a little healthier with dialysis before the transplant.  We have a couple of things planned and as soon as we know dates we will let everyone know.

"God understands the way, and he knows it's place." Job 28:23

March update

Wow. So much has happened since our last our last update. At Scott's last clinical, the doctor decided that he needed more fluid during the course of dialysis. So now, he does 13L a night. At first, it was kind of a pain, but Scott seems to be getting used to it. They also found out that he had to have is gallbladder checked. He did that last Tuesday. We're still waiting on the results. The big thing here is if there is something wrong with his gallbladder, then it will have to be removed before he can have his transplant.

Next Sunday, Scott's dad will be coming in to finalize his testing to be Scott's donor. For those of you who don't know, Scott's dad is a match. He may get mad at me for telling the world, but I think it's awesome. So he will be here for a week with us.

Other than that, things on the home front seem to be going well. Any time Raylee sees Scott's catheter entrance she says "Daddy boo boo." I don't think she's sure what to think. Sleep has entered our home again. This is a plus. We are working on some pretty cool ideas for fundraising so stay tuned! The one thing that you can do for us until then is share this link with everyone you know. There is also a link to the right that you can help us share for donations. Any little bit helps.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. Ecclesiastes 4:9 ESV

Dialysis and Sleep

Well... We got the big shipment in today. I'm so glad we cleaned out the guest room closet.

Scott seems to be doing well so far. They say it will take a week or so before he really feels different. We are still getting used to everything (drain line problems, some pain here and there, bedtime schedules, "Honey get the dogs out" schedules...) Eventually we'll have it down.

I can't tell you enough how grateful we are for your prayers. I do ask for one thing in particular... Pray for rest. Between dwell and drain times is when Scott experiences the most discomfort. I feel horrible because I sleep right through it. At the same time, I have caught a small case of insomnia (example, it's 10:15 and I'm not even remotely tired) so when it's time for him to "unhook" from the machine at 4:30-5:00, I'm trying to be as loving as I can.

I am hoping within the next week or so we will be able to work out all the little bugs and kinks. On a happier note, Scott is able to pick up and play with Raylee. This makes her very happy. If I could only describe her cheesy grin when he told her that he was doing bedtime (Momma's not as good as he is).

Thank you a million times again.

If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

Dialysis Training and Fundraising

For the past 3 days, Scott has been training for dialysis. If you would like more information on peritoneal dialysis, please follow this link:

http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/peritoneal-dialysis-4391


He's been learning how to use the peritoneal machine and we will be bringing our new bundle of joy home with us tonight (come on you chuckled). Our nurse, Penny, has been awesome! She is very informative and has a great attitude. We look forward to working more with her.

Help.Hope.Live is the organization that is helping us with fundraising. Soon, we will have a link to the site for donations and future fundraising events.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers!

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name! (Psalm 97:12 ESV)

Surgery 1 update

Hey all!

We went in to see the surgeon. He said things look great! He still doesn't want Scott to drive or lift over 15 pounds for the rest of the week (poor Raylee) but other than that, things look good.

After the surgeon we went to see the dialysis nurse. She was going to change the bandage, but said that everything looked so good that she is going to wait until Wednesday. We also found out that next week, Scott will go in for dialysis training Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This to say...dialysis will start next week. The great thing about this is that Scott should start feeling awesome when dialysis starts. Not that he feels totally yucky right now, but we are starting dialysis before he has a chance to get really sick.

Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers!

Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully and shout for joy. -Psalm 33:3

Surgery 1

Today Scott had his catheter placed for dialysis. Everything went great! A little nauseous on the way home (his wife the speed demon you know ;) ) Came home, sat on the couch and is now downing a bowl of soup and crackers. Yum! We go back in a week for our 1st checkup. As of right now, dialysis will start in 2 weeks.

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts!

"For where two or three gather in my name, there I an with them." -Matthew 18:20

Step one on the journey...

Hey All!

Welcome to our new blog!  We are starting this blog to update you on the goings on in the Garnand household...well...Scott's kidneys to be exact.  In case you didn't know, Scott has been diagnosed with chronic renal failure.  This means that his kidneys are progressively getting worse. 

Back story:
    When Scott was about 2 years old, it was discovered that he had a blockage that backed up and caused damage to his bladder and kidneys.  Several surgeries later, he was presumed fine and led a pretty much normal life.  In 2004, Scott was living in VA and was having problems with his eyes.  They were blood shot and looked as if he had poison ivy.  After visiting the ER, he found out that his kidney were failing.  He was told that he would have to have a new kidney, or start dialysis in the next two years.
    8 years later, we are now coming to a point where he will need to begin dialysis.  Wednesday, we go in to have a catheter placed for home dialysis.  Scott's father is planning on being a living donor for him.  (Updates to come when we have them).  There are several steps along the way, which is one reason for starting this blog.

We have been asked many times "What can I do to help?"  Here is a list:

   1. Pray - Pray for our family.  As you can imagine, this is a very stressful time.  Pray for level heads, healing, faith, finances and calmness.  If you could make us a continual part of your prayer time, we will gladly appreciate it.
   2. Don't be afraid to ask - I know this sounds silly, but don't skirt around a question.  We may not be able to answer it right away, but believe me, sometimes it's just nice to talk.  It also can help us think of things we may need to ask anyways.
   3. Donate - (more to come soon).

Thank you for your love and support.  As more information comes, we will let you know.  Right now we're ready for a little normalcy to return.  We can be reached through comments, facebook, thekidneybeanproject.gmail.com and by phone (for those who have numbers).

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord.  "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11