1 year kidney transplant anniversary at Mayo!

Ben and I are at Mayo this week for my 1 year kidney transplant anniversary! It has been an amazing year and hard to sum up in one blog post. The biopsy is over, and all of the other major testing this week, Ben, our families and friends have been super supportive throughout.

Everything looks great so far. I have one more of my biweekly infusion tomorrow, and hopefully that will be my last. The eculizmab study has been very successful and traveling from Alaska to Mayo every other week this year has been worth it!

Ben also did a charity photo auction and sold out all of his prints so we could present Gift of Life Transplant house with a check for $800.00 today and they were so grateful. The check in is Trevor (my donor) and my honor. Of course the transplant would not be a success with out Trevor. So I have posted a few pics from this past year.

Trevor and I about 2 months after the kidney transplant - dubbed "the big hairy man kidney".

Trevor and I the day after surgery trying to get up and walk around.

In this past year I have accomplished so much with my transplant. I have been on too many incredible Alaskan trips to name them all. My Fairbanks friends have been my home away from home. In addition to backpacking, packrafting and cabin ski trips, I have just completed my first 50 K skate ski race. Thanks to Trevor, whose generosity is amazing. Since the transplant he has moved to Washington DC to do foreign disaster aid and has been to Sri Lanka, Darfur and Haiti (he is still there).

Part of Mayo Clinic from the largest building, 19th floor of the Gonda.

The doctors and care have been unmatched here, especially Dr. Gloor, Dr. Stegall, Cindy and the rest of the kidney transplant staff we worked with.