Kidney Transplant Update / 5 Year Intestinal Transplantversary

Hey there! Hope you are all doing well and staying safe. I am Kelsey, her oldest daughter. I have been updating her blog the past few times. If you are new here or want to hear more about Mom's story, you might want to go back to the blog update on Saturday March 3rd, 2012.  Well, let's get started!

From Wednesday through Saturday, it was pretty rough for Mom. She was having muscle spasms and some intense pain from the transplant and was vomiting because she was so nauseated. I was asking her if she remembered how she felt on those days and she said that she can hardly remember it. Saturday was probably one of her roughest days, but I know a God who is a healer and way maker and I know people who prayed for Mom on Saturday night for a specific touch! Mom was able sleep well on Saturday night and woke up on Sunday much better and she was able to eat, walk the halls and we even got to talk to her for a while with out her having to hang up because she was in so much pain! 

On Monday, she called us with some great news! She was coming home tomorrow (Tuesday)! She had her dialysis catheter line pulled out of her chest that was used for dialysis. She hasn't had to do any dialysis so far!! Woo hoo!! 

Mom and Dad both got home on Tuesday at 5:30 and we were all so excited to see each other! 

Last night was her first night back and she had a rough night trying to get in and out of the bed, but she is soooo thankful to be home again and in her own space! She has been sitting up on the couch today talking and making phone calls. 

Last weekend was also her 5 year intestinal transplant anniversary! That's crazy! We are all so thankful that she got the opportunity to receive this gift of life. We know it doesn't go smooth for some and we are so very blessed. I will put some pictures down below of that journey. 

My Dad did open the shop back up for window tinting, graphics, and some other services that don't require any interior cleaning. We are not doing any Complete Details, vacuuming, or wiping down on the inside. We are sanitizing the highly touched areas on the drivers side and wearing mask and gloves in the vehicles. During this quarantine we have been having people order some car wash kits that we have at the shop. We have a line of products we use and love that we have for our customers to buy, take home, have some fun and make memories. Father's Day is coming up, so that would a great present! You can get a hold of us at Shine Shop Supplies on Facebook and Instagram or call us (815)872-4301.

Thank all so much for all the love, support, and prayers! They are greatly appreciated! Keep them coming! 

I hope you all are staying safe as things start shifting. Be cautious and careful. Make someones day by showing extra kindness! The world could use some of that right now. 

Love y'all n praying for you!

"For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me." 

Psalms 31:3

 -Kelsey and Jamie

'

Welcome Home!!!

Us kids having supper outside

She's home!!

Mom getting the phone call that she was accepted and put on the transplant list (2015)

Matthew and Mom (2015)

Kailey and Mom (2015)

Mom and Dad praying before Mom went into surgery (2015)

Going down for the intestinal transplant (2015)

Mom and I saying goodbye before going in for the transplant (2015)

ICU after the transplant! (2015)

Us kids seeing Mom for the first time after her transplant (2015)

Kailey and Dad hugging Mom. I'm down there too behind Kailey.

(day after transplant) Us kids had to leave so we didn't give her anything sickness wise. (2015)

Matthew hugging Mom goodbye. (2015)

Kidney Transplant Journey

Good Evening to you all! Hope you all have a great day! I know we've had a great and eventful day! 

I know I've updated some of you but I thought I'd put some more info and pictures on here. Before we start I would like to say thank you so so so much for all of the prayers, love and support. Mom and my Grandma really do appreciate it, and so does the family!

Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandmas sister-in-law started their journey to  Madison, Wisconsin at 6:20 am on June 2nd. 

(Mom and Dad, tired but ready to go!)

(Mom is ready to go!)

(Grandma and Mom)

(Mom and Grandma leaving)

They got into Madison around 11:00 am on Tuesday and got tested for Covid-19. (Yes, they both tested negative:) Mom and Grandma both had appointments around 1:30 pm with the doctors and then both went to the hotel to get rested up for the big day! 

June 3rd, 2020

Grandma was the first to go in. She was at the hospital at 6:30 am and they got her registered and hooked up to everything and she went back to the surgery room at 8:30 am and then they started at 9:30 am and was finished at 12:20 pm. The doctor said that it went smoothly and the kidney looked beautiful! We were so happy that we were half way finished and we just needed to pray that Mom's surgery went smoothly and that this kidney would function and work with her body.

Mom went into the hospital around 8:00 am to get set up and ready to go in for the transplant. She went in at 1:30 pm to the surgery room and then went in for the transplant around 2:10 pm and came out of surgery at 4:30 pm. She is in a lot of pain right now, but her kidneys are functioning good so far! We are still unsure if she will have do to a couple rounds of dialysis. 

Please continue to keep them both in prayer and pray that Mom's body won't reject the kidney. 

I cannot say it enough that I'm so grateful for all of the text and prayers we have received yesterday and today. My Mom has effected a lot of lives and I'm so thankful that you all have gotten to know my Mom throughout the years and have gotten to see her go through this journey. 

I will keep you posted if anything changes! 

Stay safe! Love and Prayers!

-Kelsey

Mom's last day of dialysis

Mom was ready for her transplant! Her mask says cool beans! haha

                                                  Dad showing us that things were going good! 

Mom's 45th / Kidney Transplant

Hello again- It's Kelsey! I hope you all are doing well!  I think the summer weather is slowly coming back to us! We are so excited! Well, shall we jump on in this? 

I believe we left off where Mom was going to go to Cleveland. Mom and Dad went up there on April 25th to be admitted on the 26th. Dad came home and stayed with us kids and did some things around the shop while Mom was in the hospital. Mom had the stoma reversal on April 29th- and that went very smooth, which we are grateful for. Mom got released from the hospital on May 4th. Dad and us kids decided we would surprise her and have us kids come with to pick her up. She was surprised we were so happy to be together as a family again. Recovery has gone great, She is still tender in some spots, but she's doing good. 

When she got home we started dialysis again in Peoria, but instead of Dad going he asked if I would be interested in going to help Mom, I said "YES!"  I loved doing dialysis with Mom! I have learned so so so much. We've had days when the machine doesn't send off any alarms, but then there ways days when it wouldn't stop alarming us! So on the days there was no alarms I would tell Dad- " Well, who is the best helper now?? I had no alarms today!". We can just keep the days that we did have alarms, a secret. 

About the Kidney transplant, She will be having it on June 3rd. Only a few days left! Mom and Dad will be leaving on June 2nd to Madison, Wisconsin. Who is Mom's donor? It's her very own Mother! This is a very neat process that they have been able to share together. They are both a little nervous, but they both remind each other that God is with them and He will not leave them nor forsake them. 

We are not sure exactly how long the transplant will take or how long recovery will be but I will do another update about that next week hopefully. 

Another thing happened this past week, my Mom's 45th birthday! So skip back a week ago, Dad and us kids talked and decided that we wanted to do a drive by parade for Mom, but we wanted something a little different to make it extra special, so Dad made the suggestion that we have people that come to donate their kidney bean(s)! We got busy getting the invites, staying up late after Mom went to bed, getting contacts off Mom's phone without her knowing ( boy, was that a job! ), and keeping it a secret. That was a hard one for Kailey, she always wants to tell you about a surprise or a secret! haha. People brought gifts, cards, signs and balloons also. The police even showed up and blocked traffic! (We gave them a heads up because we had so many people coming :) We didn't spoil the surprise and everything went as planned! She has NO idea and loved every moment of it and was so so so happy to see all the love and support. 

So now, I'm introducing my wonderful Mother to you all so she can say some things. Mama, take it away-

Thank you, Kels.  My heart is overwhelmed with the love and support I was shown this past week. I realize that some were not able to come and some were not invited by accident, and we are sorry about that. I am thankful that all that was done for my birthday, to make it extra special. 

I have been feeling extra worn out with doing the dialysis. I only have one more day (Monday) of dialysis left. I'm ready for this next chapter to be started. God is my author and He's writing my story. Thank you for all of your prayers for this coming week. I really do appreciate it. 

Don't forget to show and spread kindness! Please keep remembering to social distancing for people like me. I hope that I don't sound prideful when I say that, but I truly want us all to be careful and stay healthy. 

Love and Prayers

- Jamie

It's me again, Kelsey. 

Another thing I wanted to say was Happy Mother's Day! I know it's passed, but I wanted to say that I'm so very thankful for my beautiful Mother. I love my Mom with my whole heart and I'm so thankful she's mine! I truly do appreciate my Mom. She means the world to me and I love her! Also, Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's out there! I hope you all had a great day!  

Okay, now that I'm tearing up I am gonna close this update up. I will keep you all posted on the transplant and recovery. We appreciate all of the prayers and we pray that each of you are doing good as well.  

I am going to leave you with a Bible verse that I read this past week, 

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."

 - Proverbs 29:25

Keep being safe! Love n Prayers!! 

- Kelsey 

                                                                        

          Dad took this picture and then showed

                                               it to Mom and that's when she saw us kids 

                                                               in the background.

                                                          Our home almost 5 years ago. 

                                                      A lot of memories were made here!

 

                                                                    

                                                                        Cleveland, OH

                                                                      

Mother's Day Weekend 2020

Mom's Birthday! Thank you to ALL who came!

Another Transplant. Another Miracle.

Hey! This is Kelsey filling in for my Mom. I'm going to be helping her out more often, but, she is not helping me with it today. So let's go ahead and get started! It's been a crazy couple of weeks!

On April 6th, Dad and Mom started training on home dialysis four days per week down in Peoria. They were there all day learning about dialysis. Their choice of words on how they felt was that their brains were "mush". I think they are smarter than they think! The training went on for 3 weeks, but, as they were going on week 3, the doctor in Cleveland called with some exciting news. He said that Mom needs the kidney transplant ASAP and then continued to tell her that she needed to be there (Cleveland) on the 26th to start the process. They will do the closing of the stoma and then let it heal for 3 or more weeks and then she will go to Wisconsin for the kidney transplant. We are so excited!

As of Sunday, Mom was admitted to Cleveland Clinic in preparation for surgery on Wednesday, April 29th. This surgery and admission to the hospital was especially hard for Mom because, no one could go with her with the COVID-19 going around but, we all know the one God who NEVER leaves us alone! He's been Faithful everyday, and He will be Faithful ALL the way!

I trust that you all are staying in your homes, and I encourage you to continue to do so! If you do go out, keep your distance, respect other people. You may not know their story. I know we may think we are strong and healthy or "how it won't ever get to us". Are we really all that proud? Do you really want to risk someones life just for your pleasure? I ask, PLEASE stay home. What is there to do you ask? Take a walk with your family, go on a bike ride, workout, clean your house, organize, tell your kids stories of your childhood, read a book, call up an old friend, re-learn some things, write a letter to someone, ect. Live in the moment. We will look back in a few months and think, "Wow, where did time go?! I could've gotten a lot more stuff done!" 

I encourage you all to pray, pray for our World, our Country, our President, our Leaders, Our Governors, our Mayors, our family's, our next generation, and lastly but most importantly yourself! We need God during these trying times. I know the God that I serve is able to keep us and protect us but, we must learn to TRUST Him. 

So I leave you with one of my favorite Bible verses. 

"Be still and know that I am God:" -Psalms 46:10

Be safe! Love and prayers! 

-Kelsey 

 Easter Sunday 2020

We took a walk down Main St. as a family

Taking a ride!

Some pie and a good time for Mom and Dad's Proposal Anniversary

Long Time Coming!

Hello again to all of my Family and Friends!! It has been a while since I've last posted. I hope everyone is doing well and is staying healthy. Well, let's jump right into this! 

Since I've last posted there has been a lot happening. I have gone into kidney failure and have had to start dialysis. I started dialysis in September of 2019. I have to go 3 days a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The dialysis center I go to is in Spring Valley.  I do hemodialysis so I have a port in my neck into my chest. I feel rough afterwards a lot of the time, so I rest most of the day.  I look forward to my "off" days since I feel better and have more energy! I am needing a kidney transplant now, and Cleveland said I was able to do it closer to home. I looked into doing it at Peoria, but was told by the surgeon that I was considered a high risk patient, so they gave me two options they felt were best to try. I went with University of Madison Wisconsin hospital.  Shane and I really liked the facility and the Coordinator, Team, and Transplant Doctors. I am looking to have my stoma taking down and my intestines reconnected at Cleveland, but with the coronavirus going around, it's postponed for right now.  The transplant stuff is all on hold until I have the surgery done.  

The kids are staying busy now days!

Kelsey has finished school and is working at the shop full time for Shane. She works at the front counter and then also cleans the interior of vehicles. Kelsey also just got her braces taken off in March.She has anxiously been waiting for them to come off. In 2019 she was able to buy the Camry from us. She does a good job at taking care of it! Kelsey also got the chance to go to Colorado with a group from church for a youth conference this past year.  It was her first time to fly.  Let me include that this girl is afraid of heights, but God helped her and she was able to enjoy it! She's ready to go back again this summer.

Kailey is in 10th grade and is a busy young lady! She has been babysitting all day Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and then on Thursday she works with a close friend of ours from church. They make homemade wooden signs.  They also do custom signs to however you would like it to say. You can visit their page on Facebook, it's called Once Upon A Craft. She also got her drivers licence on her birthday last October.  She enjoys driving here, there, and everywhere.  Whenever there is an errand to be done she is quick to offer.  She is becoming quite to cook in the kitchen. She really enjoys it, and so do we!

Matthew is in his first year of high school. He has been focusing on his school, and is doing a great job! He loves going to the shop and helping Shane out anytime he can. He has been working there at times during closing hours and on the weekend. Also, he has started to play the drums at church since last year and he loves it! He has been "playing" the drums since he was probably 7 or 8 years old. He is doing a great job! Matthew will getting his permit in June. Yikes! When did that all happen!  Gulp!  He got in braces off  last year and his smile looks great! 

The shop has been busy the past few months! In December they did a price change and it is going smoothly so far! We have 6 employees. We have been so blessed and God has been so good! If you would like to set up an appointment or have any questions about what they do you can message them on Facebook, email, or call them! 
Email: shineshopofprinceton@gmail.com
Phone Number: 815-872-4301

God has blessed me and my family! I am so very very thankful!  May the peace of God cover your homes today, and each day!!!  Thankful for the hope we have in Him! Love you all!

Thank you for all the love and prayers! 

- Jamie

Valentine's Banquet 2020

Kelsey's Senior Picture

Kailey 

June 2019

Matthew playing his drum set at home

Kelsey in Colorado

Kailey and Matthew

Fall Fest 2019

Christmas Day 2019

The kids

The kids in August of 2019

Supper at the shop 

March 2020

Fall of 2019

Mother's Day 2019

Easter 2019

Christmas Day 2019

January 2020

Kailey working on some projects for 

Once Upon A Craft

Behind the scenes at the 

Shine Shop!

Matthew and Shane 

Christmas Day 2019