...378...890...1323...

On this Saturday August 22, three days before my kidney transplant,at the Mayo Clinic Arizona in Phoenix, I am sitting through my final dialysis treatment. These nearly two and a half years amount to 890 days since I was diagnosed with end stage kidney disease and began dialysis in Sutter Roseville Medical Center. From March 15, 2007 to today, I have received 378 dialysis treatments, 359 of them at the Davita Orangevale Dialysis Center, 8 of them in Sutter Roseville, and 11 of them in hospitals and clinics in Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Juneau and Phoenix. My 378 dialysis treatments amount to a grand total of 1,323 hours on the dialysizer. And those of you who know me, know my penchant for numbers !!!!!!!!! Ninety five percent of my dialysis treatments have been with the team of medical professionals and technicians at the Orangevale Clinic. I am here because my nephrologists, Drs. Bhat, Thornton, Spin, and company, are affiliated here and they are such solid members of my wider medical team that I wanted to retain them during the course of my renal ordeal. The Davita Team of co-workers has prominently posted a motto that reads, "WE ARE A GROUP OF DEDICATED TEAMMATES COMMITTED TO CREATING A CLIMATE OF COMPASSION, CARING AND EXCELLENT SERVICE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND EACH OTHER." Given they work 12 hour days with three distinct daily shifts of as many as 20 patients, 6 days a week and our patient personalities can at times be difficult or unpredictable, they do a fantastic job. To all of them I say thank you for seeing me through these almost two and a half years. A grateful shout out to the nurses, Jackie, Debbie, Dan, Sherrie, Joyce, Angie, and to nutritionist, Nancy, social workers, Hazel and Amber, receptionists, Casandra, Donna, the bio med staff, Marcus, Russ, James, and to the technicians, Bev, Amy, Lisa, Clare, Wendy, James, John, Jun, Alyssa, Jonathan, Josh,Tiana, Paige, and all the rest of the Davita Orangevale staff, who have made this a productive and tolerable experience, especially when I have been less than patient at times. I am full of gratitude for all of the men and women here and elsewhere who devote their efforts to us who need this indispensable lifeline. Let me also acknowledge and express appreciation for the Fresenius Corp. and their Holiday Dialysis International, on the internet that arranged dialysis treatments for me and simplified my worldly travels, especially Francesca and Rachel. I also thank my fellow dialysis patients, many of whom I have come to know and appreciate for their own stories and friendship. For me, please God the dialysis experience is all but over. But for my fellow patients and the 77,000 dialysis patients needing transplants with only 11,000 donors annually, I say stay strong and focused that many of you will also be blessed with a kidney transplant. Know I will be praying for you and advocating for greater kidney donations from all prospective donors, that you too may successfully see the completion of your dialysis and transplant journeys. God Bless YOU and Keep YOU, God make the Divine Face Shine upon YOU and be Gracious to YOU, God Grant YOU Peace.........Reverend Father Troy David Powers

SPREAD the Word...READ Father Troy's TRANSPLANT JOURNAL here while I convalesce in Phoenix the next few months at, troydavidpowers.blogspot.com THANK YOU 30-60-100 fold.