Thanks for listening to this episode, a story about an incredible need coupled with an extraordinary act of kindness. Angi Roe and Nick Hemmer experienced something unique together that resulted in a life change for both of them. Joining us in the studio are Angi’s husband, Nathan, and Nick’s wife, Sue. You’ll hear from them in an upcoming bonus episode.
References from this episode:
Learn more about Polycystic Kidney Disease
Oceans from Hillsong United
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hlH6pMceoRs
Share your thoughts: podcast@sarahgood.com
Now That's Something Good Podcast by Sarah Good is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Show notes may contain affiliate links. This is at no extra cost to you but does help support telling more stories that bring more good. Now that is something good! Thank you for your kind support.
Thanks for listening to this episode, a story about an incredible need coupled with an extraordinary act of kindness. Angi Roe and Nick Hemmer experienced something unique together that resulted in a life change for both of them. Joining us in the studio are Angi’s husband, Nathan, and Nick’s wife, Sue. You’ll hear from them in an upcoming bonus episode.
References from this episode:
Learn more about Polycystic Kidney Disease
Oceans from Hillsong United
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hlH6pMceoRs
Share your thoughts: podcast@sarahgood.com
Now That's Something Good Podcast by Sarah Good is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Show notes may contain affiliate links. This is at no extra cost to you but does help support telling more stories that bring more good. Now that is something good! Thank you for your kind support.
Transcript
Sarah:
[2:04] Hey friends welcome back today in the studio I'm really excited to have not one guess but two guests I have Angi and Nick say hello.
I'm gonna give them a chance just to introduce their selves a little bit so Angi I must start with you just tell us a little bit who you are your family your day job all those kind of things what do we need to know about you starting off.
Angi:
[2:23] I'm Angi and I'm married to Nathan we've been married for 26 years I have three kids and an extra kid I have a 23 year old son a 20 year old son.
Sixteen year old daughter and a daughter-in-law so Jay and live got married last year Jeremy's 20 and Josie 16.
Sarah:
[2:45] I love it you got a full crew.
Angi:
[2:47] I do and I love that.
Sarah:
[2:49] But we're going to come back and talk about the older kid thing because I'm living this we're getting there and so I feel like I need some advice later NG Nick tell us about who you are.
Nick:
[2:58] Hi I'm Nick Hammer and my wife is Susan and we've been married almost 20 years and we have two children and Noah and Layton and
on ages and I'm always horrible
,
on those there in the teens ones in the car yeah 16 and 13 and,
yeah and I work within special education at elementary school.
Sarah:
[3:28] Awesome well Nick I feel like these guys start right off you were I think you're a singer do you say.
Nick:
[3:33] No a little bit sometimes not right now maybe later.
Sarah:
[3:36] A little bit are you going to sing for us something today not right now like a jingle do you are you one of those people that like singing just random like do you sing things just randomly like you'll be talking and things just come out or is it.
Nick:
[3:47] Now it's tends to be more things of interest that are like songs that I'm hung up on at the time yeah yeah.
Sarah:
[3:53] Yeah I love it well we'll have to come back around to that Nick and share this so I feel like we're going to learn,
so Angi I want to jump back to you so we've got a pretty important story that we're really going to share and so we're just going to kind of but before we get to all of that just tell us a little more about your here in the st. Louis area what is your day job did you say that.
Angi:
[4:14] I didn't I'm a respiratory therapist and I have been working at my job for 24 years his always,
groan perfectly with our family to working very little to working a little bit more than very little I don't usually work very a lot.
Sarah:
[4:31] Yeah okay.
Angi:
[4:32] But I work outside the home and when the kids were little I was home mostly.
Sarah:
[4:36] That's awesome so it's been flexible to be able to do both those things I love it where are you originally from.
Angi:
[4:42] Kira and st. Charles.
Sarah:
[4:43] Okay you grew up so then it's the classic right everybody dogs on st. Louis what high school where are you what high school did you go to.
Angi:
[4:49] St Charles West forever the best.
Sarah:
[4:52] See she had it down if you are listening outside of the st. Louis area there's a joke about being in St Louis as soon as you say you're from st. Louis everybody ask you what high school I don't know if that's true of other cities I don't know Nick are you from here okay well what high school did you go to.
Nick:
[5:03] Yes I am okay when I say I grew up in Fenton and I went to Northwest House Springs Missouri shout out to Jeff go.
Sarah:
[5:16] This is special to we have a studio audience which if you listen to now that's something good you know I love when we get to have other people in the room is just fun so we have Angi's husband Nathan and Nick's
wife, Sue, in here too so you might hear them a little bit in the background when we hold up the Applause or laugh or they're helping us go on here okay let's just get,
so Angi and Nick this is you guys are both going to share a story but Angi really kind of starts with you so can you just take us back where does this whole Health Journey everything start for you.
Angi:
[5:45] So when I was 29 I was diagnosed with a kidney disease it's supposed to be a genetic disease although no one else in my family has ever been diagnosed so I'm a special special case a mutant
um you might say and so
I was diagnosed and I just had a kidney infection and they checked it further and found the polycystic kidney disease,
so from that time it really didn't affect my life a lot until I was in my later 30s I just went to the doctor and got checked every year and things were kind of holding steady it,
I had to,
be with a high risk doctor when I had Josie I already have the two boys before I was diagnosed with kidney disease so it was a little bit of a discussion whether or not I would have a third child and we did and we're so glad we did,
and,
then when I was in my late thirties my kidney function started to fall and it was getting closer to the point where they realize that I was going to have to have a transplant earlier on a lot of people would ask me like well should we start getting tested,
but the insurance companies don't pay to get tested until you actually need a transplant so as time went on it got to the point in.
[7:06] April March and March of 2016 they decided it was time to start getting the transplant work up and we started down that road at that time and it was really nerve-wracking because I had a senior in high school and,
he was going to graduate and go to college and then all of a sudden it was like oh okay I have to deal with these health issues.
Sarah:
[7:28] Yeah so Angi take us back for a second because when you're 29 and you have two young kids like I said and you're getting this diagnosis in the first place like what were you what was your head space like,
back then was it scary was it just hey this is a thing how how are you really feeling and thinking all of that through back then.
Angi:
[7:45] It was a scary time and to get the diagnosis was nerve-racking but honestly I tend to spaz out more about little details that are meaningless than major health issue so.
Grandpa was diagnosed later with cancer and I went into like appointment mode like,
okay what are we gonna do what do we need to do to make sure he's taken care of and that's the way I kind of been with everything with my kids if something major happens I'm just thinking and getting things done but then,
if they wear the wrong color shirt and we Clash at church then I'm going to be like really nervous about.
Nick:
[8:25] Well I love that because that's the big deal.
Sarah:
[8:29] I love that please if you're go to our church and your Angi we get to go to church with them and so it's fun if you see them in their don't point out if the shirts don't all.
Angi:
[8:37] Yeah it'll stress me out I won't be able to focus at all.
Nick:
[8:39] That was God.
Sarah:
[8:41] I love that Angi I don't know anything about being freaking out about small details so you're all by yourself.
People relate to that so walk okay so you found this out you still have little kids you're walking this you said it wasn't impacting much of your everyday life for you having to get checks or go to the doctor.
Angi:
[8:58] Went to the doctor once every six months,
and but once that initial kidney infection was treated and I was passed that then it didn't really affect my life on the day-to-day,
I continue to work and just live life with little kids and go about my business until later and when I was in my later 30s I started to feel tired that was my biggest,
side effect was that I was really tired and even then when it got to the point where I was on the transplant list I didn't realize how low functioning I had become,
has it happened so gradually so everybody knew that I took a nap in the afternoon and that was just what I did,
but then as it got closer to the time of transplant it was at the point where I was going to work coming home taking a nap maybe.
Going to one of the kids games or something and evening and then back to bed and at the very end right to where the transplant I was sleeping.
You know maybe 16 hours a day and like barely doing anything else but because it came on so slowly I didn't recognize what a huge impact it was having until.
After the transplant and then I felt so much better it was like wow this is a huge difference.
Sarah:
[10:13] Bet I bet how much how long were you on the transplant list.
Angi:
[10:17] So they told me in March that I needed a transplant my insurance would cover a workup for five people and so family and friends agree to be tested.
Sarah:
[10:29] Okay and that means just okay so just make give us something because some of us do I don't know a lot of these details so work up that's meeting you're trying to find somebody who can match to be a kidney.
Angi:
[10:38] Yes so the initial testing is primarily blood work and then they'll do like an EKG and a chest x-ray and further testing closer to transplant time but that starts off with blood work a lot of blood work,
so I had five people who had agreed to do that and so on May 5th 2016 we,
a group of us trapped down to downtown Barnes I also used to be very opposed to driving across the river I like to know my surroundings,
and that was in st. Charles County so I didn't make a lot of trips across the river and so going downtown was like a big deal to me so we did that on May 5th and it was
Nathan and I and Nick and a couple of my nurse friends who were kind of overseeing things to make sure that we ask the right questions and that I,
I didn't freak out about any of the testing my sister went I think that was it.
[11:39] I should back up because before we,
that day so my sister two of my sisters agreed to be tested one of them was knocked out of that.
Early on because of some medication that she took I have another sister who is a single mom in Wisconsin and so I was like no we're not going down that road that you have other things to deal with and so.
We were talking about who was going to get tested and stuff Nathan was going to get tested and then one night Nick messaged me I had posted on Facebook because of course where do you start with I need an organ but social media.
Sarah:
[12:18] Right right hey as one.
Nick:
[12:20] Donor as one should be.
Angi:
[12:22] So I had posted it on social media and Nick and I had been friends and we were in small groups together for years prior to this and then.
When he messaged me and he said I just saw your post on Facebook I really didn't know that you have this going on but I kind of am feeling like maybe I should get tested and I laughed and laughed.
Is Nick Cannon.
Nick:
[12:46] Get blood work without passing now okay yeah that's it.
Sarah:
[12:50] We need to jump to you for a minute because this you guys listening are going to figure out the connection here this is why Angi and Nick are here and they're going to keep sharing the story but Nick.
So Angi just reassuring that in that time tell us what's going on in your world and then tell us about seeing the Facebook posts and all.
Nick:
[13:06] So I hit the time I was just going a mile a minute with work working full-time and I would be called out every in any given moment in my body I was always exhausted it seemed like,
yeah different career prior to,
being inspired and then and and I did notice that post that she had and I was like Cassius is crazy but
I just I felt something that said hey you need to do this but on that flip side I knew I had an issue with going into any medical facility,
white coat phobia and I start to blackout get a cold sweat.
Sarah:
[13:40] Yeah fair enough yeah.
Nick:
[13:41] So
I did agree to get this testing done and when we I went in for the testing around that she was referring to where everybody was sitting down they were all sitting there listening and I started just listening to it and I started getting queasy so I had
Levi didn't even listen to any of the stuff I went out and sat in the waiting room like the waiting area and just waited until it was over and then I was I was,
it's like you know I'll get knocked out probably you know because I wasn't the most healthiest specimen they probably had walk through their door you know so.
Yeah I ended up going through that and doing that testing and then it just progressed through there as far as the testing and I keep they had
more and more rounds of testing and like you said the blood work and they make the most they make you go through the
most intensive testing that I've ever experienced they test for everything they test they do imaging make sure,
I'm not going to have problems down the road they they just there so many things that you have to go through to make sure,
you're not you know you're not only you're going to be healthy but it you know the kidneys going to be beneficial for the recipient.
Sarah:
[14:57] Yeah so I don't know anything really about the world of transplants then just little things you read you know watching Grey's Anatomy or something you know all the things you learn on the medical TV dramas and I'm sure it's a very realistic and true tell I mean.
What do you need to have what's just the basic because you have two kidneys and you can then I'm guess you can live with one.
Kidney so both of your kidneys Angi were come back to that we're you needing both kidneys.
Angi:
[15:26] So because my kidney function was dropping it was around 19% whenever we started the process and then twelve percent kidney function whenever we have the surgery and so that was combined and then with,
when they do a transplant they leave your old kidneys in and they just put a new one kind of in the front of your stomach,
rather your old kit your native kidneys are in the back.
Sarah:
[15:50] Okay and so just what I mean so you're trying out this testing and it is interesting because you really do need to make sure it's compatible on all of the levels how long did that testing process.
Nick:
[16:02] It was a while wasn't it.
Angi:
[16:03] It will start we started in May and then my part of the testing I was officially listed on the transplant list in July and then Nick continue to do testing and he called me,
end of July to say that he was approved and that we would be getting a date I was in the airport and by myself flying to meet my family somewhere and he called and told me and I was like in the line
crying and I say to strangers my friends going to give me a kidney.
And they look at me like I'm crazy but of course I just was like I couldn't believe it.
Sarah:
[16:39] Yeah okay so neck back us up so you're doing this testing which is a big deal obviously because of the medical things anyway but what,
are you thinking and feeling during this time because it's one thing to go you know what I'll just go figure this out and then they're like hey you keep getting through the testing and it's like hey this is going to.
Nick:
[16:58] So that's that's an interesting question because so really what I've never experienced signs or callings or anything,
I grew up in a Catholic church and then you know I kind of straight away from that as you know as I was getting older and then,
anyway I started getting these things I felt like that fell almost like it was a calling like signs I and then people think I'm crazy that's,
did a psych evaluation on me they wanted to check and seriously they had to bring the head.
Angi:
[17:29] They do that on.
Sarah:
[17:32] Lexi did you hear they do it on everybody Nixon wasn't just you.
Nick:
[17:34] Yeah so they ended up doing all these tests but we're as I go with that.
Oh yeah there's so much information than trying to process all of it anyway there's so I had this little Kiki I ride a motorcycle in my
my little keychain said Donate Life it was from the license bureau so the one of the days that she she told me
that you got on a transplant list with I believe it was on a Thursday I went to St Charles Harley-Davidson I had my motorcycle park there and a guy,
comes up to me and said hey would you like to go in a benefit ride for my son Tristan he just got done having the kidney you just got done having the kidney transplant and he were doing a benefit ride.
[18:20] I was like whoa that's kind of weird you know,
and my friend was with him I said you know what's really weird he's like what's that I said I just got to prove to be a donor that it wasn't that that day
after the testing and that Summit just a signs pointed one thing to another so when she told me that day that she had
that she was getting approved for or
yeah for proof for the list it was just like one thing after another I was driving down the highway had the billboard that ended up saying consider organ donation you know or you know for the state of Missouri and
next day it was what I got my license renewed and they said you want to be a license their organ donor we were in Piedmont Missouri driving some back roads with my wife's family and there's an old church there and it said consider or
organ donation give your heart to Jesus you know it was just one thing after another yeah and,
I just felt like everything was pointing me into their things popping up on Facebook all the time just their thing I mean just all this everything led me to continue on and,
I felt as long as the the testing,
was positive and continue to give good results and my body was able to do it there is no reason why I couldn't.
Sarah:
[19:38] That's amazing I love that and you could chalk those little things up to being coincidences or I mean we believe that's God,
orchestrating things showing things kind of Paving the way going hey this is the right thing and this is what you need to do and that's amazing I love I love to hear that Angi walk us through that time for you just well
everybody's getting tested how are you feeling I'm sure you were having a lot of thoughts and emotions I mean one you're not feeling as well anymore so it's just the
physical sides how are you feeling emotionally mentally spiritually walking through that time.
Angi:
[20:12] It was kind of crazy because I found out that I needed to have the transplant on a Thursday and then my uncle,
died on that Sunday of it he was in an accident and so that like took a lot of my focus and it was really it was,
a family member that I was close to and then his family his wife and kids decided that they were going to do his memorials they wanted to have donated to part of to help pay for the expenses of the transplant,
and so that was really overwhelming and while I totally don't feel like God took my uncle.
Sarah:
[20:51] For this right.
Angi:
[20:51] For this it just was a piece of the puzzle that we didn't know how much things were going to cost and how we were going to pay for it and that,
was a huge impact and then like moving forward from that I really.
Had a piece initially the first day that I find that found out that I needed the transplant I kind of freaked out a bit.
I wasn't I wasn't super emotional and I have some depression in my past but I didn't like go into a depression where I
I was hiding or you know I would whenever I had plans with friends or family I would take a nap that day and I would go out and go about my business and
and Sue and I happen to be on a girls trip.
Um before we started the workout process in May but after I knew that I needed the transplant and you know she was like wow I didn't realize how much this was affecting your life and until we were together for a few days at a time,
also something that Nick didn't mention when he was talking about the process in his mind was that Sue.
[22:01] I found out that she was going to be losing her job at the end of August and they didn't tell me that Nick,
when he was going through the workup didn't know that his company was going to pay for him to be off and so they just had faith and proceeded with everything without telling me because I would not have wanted them to put their finances at risk,
um and they didn't tell me they just had faith that it was going to work out and we all continued on and ended up that Sue got another job that was great a great fit for her at that time and.
At the end after the transplant Nick ended up not going back to work and it worked out great because that was a job that wasn't a great fit for their family anymore,
um initially winner I said to sue like.
Next talking about getting worked up for this how do you feel about that are you okay with it and she said if this is something that God can use to get him out of this job then,
I'm all in favor if God can use him then I'm on board and you know to have the support of friends that,
much was really unbelievable and from that point and moving on and you know Nathan.
Our family had just kind of changed to the point where I was sleeping a lot and Nathan was taking care of a lot.
Sarah:
[23:20] Hmm hmm.
Angi:
[23:22] And he's always been a great dad and during that time he was a great dad and he just continued to take care of what he needed to take care of and.
Sarah:
[23:30] Yeah.
Angi:
[23:32] A lot of people outside of our house didn't realize how much things had changed.
Sarah:
[23:36] Right so Angi how were your talk about the kids so I mean.
This has been a little bit of time now we're going to talk about that number in a minute but what was your kids would have all been still high school Josie would probably been she still didn't elementary school or middle school.
Angi:
[23:50] She was in elementary school I think let's see she's a junior now so she was in sixth grade.
And so Josie was in Middle School Jeremy and Jay were both in high school and really that's where I put my focus so.
They definitely knew or experienced my fatigue and they knew that I wasn't doing as much as I had before but what I what energy I had I kind of put into them,
so you know Jay would come home,
at night with his friends at 10 o'clock and I maybe would have napped while they were gone and then I would get up and make snacks or,
you know Jeremy had games and while both the boys played baseball Josie played softball and I didn't miss their events unless there was like I was just totally wiped out and couldn't do it but that's what I did was work,
and went to the kids events.
Sarah:
[24:45] Okay okay.
Angi:
[24:47] And still had some girls night switch.
Sarah:
[24:50] I'm sure you needed the yeah to just kind of get you get you through so you get the phone call in the airport when what what month was when was that.
Okay and it's how how fast was it I mean how much did they move at that point so you.
Angi:
[25:04] So they said ok Nick's the match he's going to donate but it still took a little bit of time I think did you have to meet with like a dietitian or something he met with some other people.
Nick:
[25:17] Yeah I had to meet with a couple other people and then we had to,
I had to pick a so one of the things that a lot of people don't understand is so when this whole process gets started she's assigned a coordinator and I'm assigned a coordinator at any given time
or I feel like I want to stop the process they'll sell tell her something hey this process is stopped even if I made everything fine you know like all the testing came out positive and I just wanted to stop they would tell make something up,
you know say hey didn't pass this test so we have to stop and move on look for somebody else but I was assigned the.
I'm sorry,
I was assigned this the coordinator and then they can they help out dramatically on on everything as far as guiding you and letting you know what what you need and don't need,
EXO.
Sarah:
[26:15] So what did your prep look like on your end leading up to the.
Nick:
[26:22] The biggest thing I had to do was
and I did this befores and that's what's kind of odd when she posted that on Facebook every I remember her posting made this post I just looked at a prior to getting here is April 22nd she said something along the lines oh I help
hope somebody gets approved for this and I said don't worry it's already taken care of I have it and it's a screen I usually took screenshots and saved everything.
So it was a really really neat to see that on the way here but as far as prep that I was I started drinking like I was drinking sodas all the time I had Coca-Cola I just drink,
cash it's like a two liter lid day then I started for some reason I just started drinking Waters all the time and I just had this feeling in my body that I.
[27:09] I knew I was going to be approved I don't know how or why it was it was weird it's hard to explain,
really is when Pete I tell people that they look at me like I'm crazy if somebody would have told me the same story I would have said you know look down like you're nuts and just kind of shook my head and said yeah that's awesome great you know.
Yeah so really that's the biggest thing I did that and just trying to walk and exercise and kind of keep up with myself and,
and test just continue to come out you know in favor even like the genetic testing that's what was really weird like that
genetic tests they do everything as like it was stating earlier and and the DNA markers were just you know spot on and it's just crazy
everything just lined out perfectly really.
Sarah:
[27:58] So Angi if I mean I don't want to sit on this part for too long but if one of the people you brought in for the workup would not have been a match would you have gone on like the national transplant list and.
Angi:
[28:10] On the transplant list at the same time that they're doing that because time is passing and you're moving up the list as,
time goes on but if none of the first five would have passed and been a good donor than they could have tested another five and it's really heartbreaking because some people don't have anybody that steps up,
to be a donor option and I was so fortunate because I had five to be tested and I would have had another five after that,
and,
it really blows my mind and as time was going on people were kind of like you seem so calm about this and I would say like I don't maybe I'm didn't in denial but I think I just have faith that God's going to work this all out and.
Boy did he he really showed off.
Sarah:
[28:54] Yeah I love that Angi so take us to I mean it's coming down it's transplant day how does all that what is your prep like what are they doing for you in those days leading up to the actual.
Angi:
[29:05] So I just did like a normal work up that you would do before surgery I got an EKG got a chest x-ray got the last-minute blood work done before I have any procedure I always get my hair into French braids big so that it's out of the way and so I.
I got my hair braided and I went to bed that night before and Mike and Tina Pirkle came over and prayed with me and we went to bed and you know I told my kids like you know.
I think that this is going to go well I have faith that it's going to go well but if it doesn't obviously you'll be sad but.
I'll be great because I'll be off to Glory.
Sarah:
[29:47] Yeah absolutely.
Angi:
[29:48] So I told you I didn't want them to worry but but I told them that I would be ready to go at that time you know whatever God had for me I was accepting of that.
So then we got up the next morning Nathan I picked Nick up on our way to the hospital and we were going downtown.
And.
Sarah:
[30:13] So you guys wrote in the car together on the way I love this NYX showing us pictures along the way we're going to have to put will post these for everybody to see I love it well.
Angi:
[30:20] And the song Oceans was on on our way and I was listening to the words to that and really feeling like.
God was definitely taking me deeper than I would have thought at but that I was,
I was at peace about it I wasn't really nervous and then we got off at the exit and we were running a little bit late,
and Nathan wanted to stop at the stop light for a while and take some pictures and Nick and I were starting to get a little bit like let's go we gotta get there on time we don't want to miss our surgeries lat.
Nick:
[30:52] Yeah and then we'd hoped.
Sarah:
[30:54] And this is kind of a big deal.
Angi:
[30:57] What maybe we can take pictures or another time.
And so we got there and went into surgery,
and it was you know everything went well I was in my room first and they were like you know Nick's going in they're going to do they're going to do the incision they'll get,
kidney out and then they'll take you back and get you ready and so.
Sarah:
[31:25] How long was the whole from Nick from you going into you coming out and how long was the.
Angi:
[31:32] Yeah Nick... Nathan and Sue probably have a better idea that part but I think it was like maybe five hours from the time he started till he tell I was back out.
Sarah:
[31:42] Okay okay.
Nick:
[31:43] Because one minute you're here the next minute you know everything's black and then you're awake again and that's the only thing you know and then you're like oh wow I have a little stitch on my side and then you know and.
Sarah:
[31:57] Yeah Nick Howell okay so all the medical things I mean it's one thing to get blood work drawn it's a whole nother thing to have to go under and have surgery how are you were you doing okay on that day how are you feeling.
Nick:
[32:08] Well he's like we showed you the pitch we're coming up at the escalator and that was the only time when Nathan and said stop for a selfie where your staff always that all look and
and
did he turns back and I he's snapping a picture and then I was like oh this is what I'm really doing this you know kind of setting in that was the only time I ever really thought oh my gosh what am I doing but it.
Sarah:
[32:33] How'd I get here is probably too late to back out.
Nick:
[32:35] Yeah but you know it here's when I'm asked about it why did you do it or why would you why would anybody do something like that you know it's kind of for me personally it's like watching a seeing a kid get ready to run in front of the car
if I don't run out there and make an attempt to stop you no stop it's just it for me it was a no-brainer I had to make an attempt to try helping out and if I didn't,
I would have and I think I live with regret it no and if something would have happened to her so,
I'm going in there that wasn't that big a deal I just I wasn't scared on the surgery part of it because,
like I said when I met the I met the went to the benefit for that boy I was referring to earlier Tristan I went to his benefit and I talked to him a while and I said hey buddy he was like 12 or 13 at the time
I said hey Tristan said what was
what's it like to go through surgery because I haven't had it since I was you know kid that you know toddler and he said you guys you just go in there and they put the IV in then you wake up and it's done,
I was like I can do that you know so I went ahead and and and took that and,
and all the sudden you know things that I experienced and and I just ran with it and I knew it was definitely something that I had to go through with.
Sarah:
[33:56] Yeah so when you woke up what was recovery like for you on your end being the donor.
Nick:
[34:02] It really it wasn't here's what would the worst part was they were going to come up and they're wanting to give me shots,
and I'm like I don't want a shot because they said I had to do something to keep my legs from there like either you have to get out of this bed and start walking or we're going to give you an injection I'm like well can't you give it through the IV no we have to give it to you in the leg,
retire sometime like I don't want to feel a needle you know so I know it.
Sarah:
[34:30] That's how much you just gave a kidney but kinky not no shots.
Nick:
[34:32] I know so well that's that's another sort of the the blood work was at story in itself I had three people over me so it's.
Sarah:
[34:42] Well dick I feel like going to tell the story now because I am a little intrigued by this whole I guess great do you pass out.
Nick:
[34:46] The Bloods.
Okay so bad this is prior to this is during testing so just so I go into the lady named Pam.
And Pam is just phenomenal phlebotomist down there bar seriously is she really,
and so they had to do 16 vials of blood.
Sarah:
[35:08] Sixteen.
Nick:
[35:09] Yeah 16 so I'm sitting in there and I hear him clinking into the rack and I'm counting those mentally in my head and I get through like the first four and I'm starting to get sinking in the chair lower and lower,
so
I start getting this cold sweat over man like oh my gosh what's going on and then everything starts to gray out and there and I hear this one girl say we're starting to lose we're starting to lose it.
Angi:
[35:36] Hear that down the hall.
Nick:
[35:37] Yeah and then the other one the other girls going yeah he's gone honey he's gone and then.
There's other I go I hear somebody said get a get a cloth get a cloth and then,
they bring some orange juice over and they're like should we keep on going so just keep on going into in die,
and I don't know if I'm I guess I made it or something I don't know if I had to do them over what but you were so embarrassing so I felt bad I next time I went down there and get blood I gave the lady a Starbucks card because I know it was so yeah.
Angi:
[36:09] Did that day you pull out your wallet and your like oh what do I have.
Nick:
[36:11] That's right I had one that's right.
Angi:
[36:12] Okay let me hear take this gift card I'm so.
Nick:
[36:13] That's right that's right.
Because it was like it was so embarrassing that holds that you know I mean seriously when you're sitting there trying to do it and you're like and they're like and then she's like honey you gonna give me your cell phone give somebody a kidney and you can't even do blood work I'm.
Yeah yeah I know I know so yeah it's so that was experience in itself the blood work but.
Sarah:
[36:38] I'm sure you're not the only person that's ever passed out or had a hard time in a blood blood draw so.
Nick:
[36:42] Yeah and then after that it really back to like the after the surgery I got up,
that was incentive that injection was going to be an enough inside it for me to get out of bed and I did that I had a thing called the pain pump that they put on the side of me and it worked phenomenal it great.
Sarah:
[37:01] Wow.
Nick:
[37:03] Tonight in the lady the nursing know how to change the paint pump capsules or whatever they go on the cartridges,
and oh my gosh that's and then they pulled pulled that thing off and I had a reaction to the the tape.
The adhesive in the tape and it that that was probably the that hurt bad when they pulled that off but other than that.
I don't regret anything I think the best part and I usually tear up every time I think about it is coming down and seeing her walking down the hall and saying you get it up for the first time and saying how you didn't have pain and you could,
you felt like you had energy you're like wide awake and so excited and to see that was just I mean it was priceless it took any you know it made everything worthwhile.
Sarah:
[37:54] I love that Nick that's that's cool so Angi you go in they get you under you wake up pick up from there with Nick the story how are you feeling when you wake up and come to and.
Angi:
[38:06] Um so I woke up and I felt good going for months prior to my transplant I was having this terrible foot pain and I,
didn't think it was related but then as soon as I got out of bed for the first time the foot pain was gone and so I thought it was like plantar fasciitis or whatever but
it turned out that it was just taxon built up that the kidney wasn't taken care of
supposed to and so the foot pain was gone as soon as I got up from the surgery and they initially had said that I was going to stay in for 5 days and I was
like no I'm an idiot home Sunday night because my son needs to go back to college and it'll just be better if I'm home and so I think
it got out on Saturday I got out on Sunday but recovering from that really wasn't terrible you know there was,
some pain but it wasn't awful and the fact that I just felt so much better made it.
Easy to deal with and just that I couldn't believe how smoothly things went in the scheme of needing a transplant.
Things went so smoothly it was just unbelievable.
Sarah:
[39:12] I love it so Angi what day was that and what anniversary are you getting ready to celebrate.
Angi:
[39:17] That was October 13th 2016 and we're coming up on our 5 year anniversary.
Sarah:
[39:23] That is amazing that's definitely something good for the for the time.
Angi:
[39:26] Absolutely.
Sarah:
[39:27] So in the cool thing is you guys listening to this podcast episode if you're listening to it on the day it comes out it is actually the 5-year,
anniversary which is crazy on the timing Angi actually came up to me at church we all get to go to the same church together Angi was like hey I've got to tell you it's coming up on the five-year anniversary and I can we could we share that story I was like,
a hundred percent that would be amazing and how cool that it's coming up on the five year anniversary so walk us through the last five years you're you seem like you're doing great and.
Angi:
[39:56] I'm doing great two years let's see,
two years after the surgery I went in and had my native kidneys removed because as time goes on they continue to grow
and so they started causing some problems shortness of breath and such because everything was just getting too crowded in my abdomen I'm a short girl in there wasn't a lot of space for enormous kidneys and everything else
and so I got those removed and since then I just felt better and better it's-- Nathan that I'm Aging in reverse and that.
He's aging faster than me.
[40:30] He disagrees but,
I feel really good and in that five years two of my kids have graduated and J got married and we just have had some fantastic family memories
it's really fun to have older kids and I love it I love every time that we're all 6 around the table together
and every moment that I get to spend with my family I don't take it for granted I like I would if,
this hadn't all happened and God showed himself to me in huge ways I didn't feel really nervous going into the transplant,
because I just felt the Peace of the Lord and I can't imagine going through it without that but you know every step of the way,
God showed himself just in unbelievable ways that you couldn't even imagine,
um you know when Nick was talking about all the signs one of the first things you told me was I I read your post on Facebook and I started thinking about it and I was then later I was eating dinner and Susan had made some soup and I looked down and there was a kidney bean.
Nick:
[41:38] Yeah yeah.
Angi:
[41:40] And things just started off in the smallest ways.
But God just proved himself to be so real and I've been a Christian for most of my life since I was 5 years old but going through something like this and,
being surrounded by the my community from church and friends and family that I have always been there for me but like this is really being there
one of the things that I wanted to kind of touch on was that I'm kind of a caregiver I work in healthcare and in my family that's kind of my role like I just,
want to take care of people and I just told my daughter yesterday like feeding is love like I want to cook for you and your friends and that makes me happy and so that's kind of who I am is I just,
I am a caregiver like,
track of everybody's schedule and stuff but then during this time I needed to receive care and that was that part was really probably the hardest thing for me was like sitting back and,
receiving care instead of trying to take care of it even after I first came out of anesthesia I kept wanting to.
[42:47] Literally when I first came out of anesthesia I was telling a couple of my friends I wanted to get them some snacks.
And for some reason I was swearing and saying words that I don't usually say and I was saying I just want to I just want to get you guys a snack and I and,
they're like it's your fine just rest you just need a rest and I was like I need to get you a snack how this is.
And so people brought us meals they set up a meal train which was amazing and that's another detail that just proved that God was there because one of the
my son's birthday 70 brought one of his favorite meals for dinner and they didn't know,
and it just worked out great that he was taken care of in that
way and and just receiving that care and so I just would like to encourage everybody that sometimes when you're going through things giving care.
Receiving the care is hard because.
Everybody says what can I do for you what can I do for you but really it's a gift to other people to let them do that because because you need it and there's times that we need rest and,
and other people can feel good about blessing you and so no matter how hard it is be honest and just let people know what you need.
Sarah:
[44:03] Angi that's so good because I think
so many people will resonate with that they are happy to jump in and help other people but when it comes to them they either don't want to share what's going on or,
and I had a dear friend years ago we had a situation in our house flooded we needed some help and I'm a not so much a caretaker as I just get it done do all the things I've got it we're fine I don't want to be a burden to anybody else is what it feels like,
and they just looked at me and said hey by you not letting other people help you were robbing them of a blessing and what God might want to do in their life and that has stuck with me ever since because I was like you know what
people God needs to use everybody and it's allowing them to be a part and sometimes it's really just you know,
Pride on my part of like man things can go on without me and let somebody else take care of you and that's how God wants to use them and it's a blessing to you and it's a blessing to them and it but it's it's hard,
to do Nick talked to us in 5 years how are you how are you feeling how are you doing.
Nick:
[45:00] I'm feeling really good so one of the things that's kind of interesting is when.
When the whole this the transplants going on and a lot of people don't realize I just I'm kind of looking through pictures help refresh my mind it's kind of athe thing with me but,
looking at the pictures of the number of people that are in each operating room and looking at a picture and there were 14 people,
that we're in a no are and then cuz I guess they have to multiple you know like an extra doctor something and extra anesthesiologist all this.
Sarah:
[45:31] Okay yeah.
Nick:
[45:33] But looking at some of these things and to see where what happens after the surgery is is interesting so,
when she gets there kidney my new kidney enter and it starts working.
Your body has now I have a single kidney and well you have a single kidney I guess now right yeah so.
Sarah:
[45:56] A pair between the boat.
Nick:
[45:57] Yeah so what ends up happening is your kidney starts enlarging itself to make up for,
the lack of having an you know one missing and it does it does the extra work of filtering and things so it's really interesting to see that so it took about it took exactly almost three months on the dot for me to start feeling better,
poor as Angi felt right a lot better right off the get-go because it started filtering working for her mine.
Had a lack thereof I guess you'd say of the ability to filter blood so it's like hey what's going on here I felt lethargic I was tired I was like oh my what's going on you know so
it did it took about three months and then also I started feeling better and rebounded and and I don't have any,
any issues are feelings from that now I mean I couldn't tell,
you know now except for a little small incision on this my side that are you know scar but yeah nothing nothing man.
Sarah:
[46:58] That's amazing Angi what would you tell somebody listening who's just you talked a lot about the peace and
I can hear it in your voice and of course that was a really scary situation hard situation what would you tell someone right now who's listening and maybe going through something similar just a hard situation or relationship anything about just,
having peace and faith in the middle of that because we can say that but it's hard to live that out can you just talk about that or say something to them listening.
Angi:
[47:27] Um
I would say that whenever you're going through a struggle look back in your past at the times that God has been faithful and because the devil is a liar and he will try to make you feel doubt,
worry and fear and whenever I start to feel those things now I can look back on this time of my life that God was so,
clothes and after my surgery I even went through you know probably three or six months later I went through a period where I felt like oh man what's going on like I don't feel so close to God.
It was just different he didn't move of course he was right there but things were just different I didn't have to rely on him so heavily
and it was just a different season of time for me but when I anytime that something happens now I can look back and see like God was so faithful he,
ever was away from us at all every detail was within his is within his plan and he had it all so.
Worked out for our good before it all began and there were ways that even though I think that Nick is a hero and that he did so much for our family.
But then there are ways that they were blessed from what he did that God.
Nick:
[48:45] Yeah life like life-changing for me.
Angi:
[48:48] Job changed and that changed his their whole family Dynamic for a while and I just feel like God had it all worked out,
good and that's how it is with every situation for every person it might not,
it may not go as smoothly as you like and there's times now that things don't go smoothly as I like but I can look at this,
story and be reminded that God is always faithful.
Sarah:
[49:12] I love I love that Angi. Nick you said some things have changed what have you kind of learned about the faithfulness or the goodness of God now through this experience that maybe you didn't know beforehand.
Nick:
[49:23] You that's a perfect question so it completely changed my whole thought I,
a lot of people tend to tend to get into their work environment and sit there and think you know I need to make more money if I had more money this and that this and that more money work work harder and I was working super hard at the time so making decent money,
but I didn't get to see my family at all,
and I didn't really enjoy anything that I'd get to do when I was off I didn't get to go on vacation I was like Mondays coming around again so and it's it was just a mile a minute all the time so.
[50:02] My work that I was currently girl that I was at prior to,
where we're at now it was I was in the petroleum industry and they,
they really thought it was going to be a quick turnaround like it would be a week or two and I would be back and,
and I told him I said hey I need a little bit longer recovery you know it's sore because I had a procedure done that,
one of the doctors that are specialized in he actually was the developer innovator whatever of that surgery so Barnes is I can't say enough good things about Barnes but,
yeah it was the whole whole thing was just.
A blessing in itself so I really learned that money isn't the goal you know the whole thing in life,
that trying to be happy in a work environment is more rewarding to me I guess so,
the time I ended up going back into education and first I started doing some volunteer work at the elementary then I started doing substitute teaching,
and then I went ahead and and then got on with in the sped department and.
[51:24] It was a lot just I've got come home at the end of the day and I didn't feel the stress or tension it was really rewarding and I think that helps change your fine family Dynamics because if you come home all the time upset I'm sure.
[51:39] You didn't like that did you.
Sarah:
[51:47] Sue saying that it freed her up with the changes that allowed her to be able to do some more things she wanted to do in her career and life too.
Nick:
[51:53] So I think it put me one of the things I really let go of was trying to control things in my life and now I sit there and think you know what.
It's it's in God's hands so seriously and as much as I try to plan stuff because anytime I tried playing it and doing it my way it honestly never worked out there you know and it frustrated me.
Sarah:
[52:13] Mmm yeah yeah.
Nick:
[52:18] So it's now that's kind of I know it's made frustrate you sometimes because it doesn't look like I have Direction in my life at times but.
I'm just on the ship and letting the sales you know.
Sarah:
[52:31] That's a cool place to be Nick and what a great lesson to learn because it's a false sense of control anyway.
We don't really have the control we just think that we do and so to be in a spot where you can just really go open-handed and go hey every day is a gift and.
What can we do today to glorify God and
I love people I love that Angi so you did talk about I want to touch on one other thing kind of hear that it's a genetic condition that you have and so you guys have since found out that did you have all of the kids tested talk,
about that a little bit.
Angi:
[53:02] So
can 2019 Josie was having some pain and we ended up having to go to the ER a couple of times and initially they thought it was some kind of virus and upon further testing we found out that she also has polycystic kidney disease
and at that time it was a struggle and it's still a struggle to watch my daughter go through that I would.
Go through all of it again myself to protect her from it but also I when I said we,
you know we kind of talked about having a third child we weren't sure she is the greatest gift and she completed our family and she is anybody that knows Josie knows that she's just a force to be reckoned with.
And she takes this into stride in a way that makes me so proud We don't know what her future will look like and she's that she was diagnosed at 14 whereas I wasn't diagnosed until I was almost 30,
and she's having a lot of complications with it that I never had even as my kidney function was failing her kidney functions fine but she has pain often and that's something that we are dealing with but,
she just takes it in stride and I hope my hope for her is that this helps her to lean on the Lord.
[54:27] And that my hope is that there will be some new inventions or Innovations there's testing for new portable kidneys or different things that might come out that hopefully before she would need a transplant.
There will be something else available for her and I pray that this doesn't affect her life in a terrible way but I pray that she can remember what we went through and and know God's faithfulness all the time.
Sarah:
[54:55] Yeah thank you for sharing that Angi and if you guys are listening I'm just going to make a pleat pray for Josie,
their family for her health and that God would just continue to work and move there but Josie is you would never know I mean you just wouldn't know ever looking at her that anything is wrong and we're just going to keep trusting that God is going to use that story and her life too,
if someone is interested in knowing more about being a donor because part of the reason I think there's probably going to be someone listening to the story at some point in time I go you know what I would love to help,
I could do something can do you guys have information and we can link all this in the show notes you don't have the exact websites but that you either one of you just give some more information about that or what they could do to register or.
Angi:
[55:35] There's a phone number that is like the case coordinators for,
kidney transplants at Barnes Hospital and we can link that and then it just starts with some blood work and,
you know you could be a donor to somebody that you don't know or it may be that somebody that you know might have a need because over time I've come into contact with lots of people that,
that do need a kidney or you know and definitely consider being an organ donor on your driver's,
your family about that because your family ultimately gets to make that decision if there was some sort of accident or something.
Sarah:
[56:11] Yes that's good Nick can you talk about I mean you you getting to be the donor can you give some encouragement to anybody listening and maybe considering it or wanting to consider.
Nick:
[56:19] Definitely I would agree with Angi on that one of the first things I would say is seeing different stores of people I would encourage people to make sure you are a donor on your driver's license
you have that checked off because,
the lower the number of lines that you can save as far as just I'm just along the site looking right now the things the tissues it you know I tissue skin graft you know everything there's so many different parts of a body that can be utilized.
But,
you can't I went to I think it was bar the bar inside and they have a living donor you can fill out and that will link you up with a coordinator and they'll contact you and reach out and.
[57:07] And one of the things I always really say on that is,
don't become discouraged because the testing process is lengthy it's very lengthy and.
And if they find they have team that they,
present your case to so if when I went through I they gave to did all the blood work panels Imaging
and whatnot and they provide put that in front of a panel of what's a 20-something doctors and then they,
present my case and show them all the different.
I'm test my blood work they show all the doctors all of the grass and if any one of those doctors Physicians are Radiologists whatever they are come up with a reason to
you know say hey this isn't going to work you know or we may have a problem with this then they'll knock you out of the running,
so and that's one of their jobs is to they would rather do that than have you go through the procedure and then have something happen then you know fingers come back to them so
it is a lengthy process but I can tell you from experience for me it's one of the most rewarding things I've done.
You know it internally it.
Just makes you just changes you as a person it really does so yeah I would definitely encourage everybody to definitely put the least that's a start your the driver's license.
Sarah:
[58:37] No that's great we'll link that and we'll look for I'm sure there may be some national databases for people who are not local will list all that in the show notes so click on that is there anything the time goes so fast is there anything that we've not talked about that you guys want to share or.
In with I've got one last question before you go but anything else.
Angi:
[58:56] I just was thinking as he was talking about we were in a small group together
many years ago at a different church and that's how we met and I love Facebook memories because things just pop up but there was a memory that popped up where he said like I love my small group people and I would do anything for them and that was like
minor 10 or 12 years ago and then whenever I read that after our surgery I was like wow he didn't he really didn't know what anything was going to mean did he.
And then we just got a new couple to our home team now from Two Rivers and we were,
joking about oh what are you going to share but we're going to share these things about ourselves so that you know everybody and so Christian was like share your name your family make up your history as a Christian how long you been at two rivers and then
you know share that and then somebody jokes like oh and your Social Security number on your blood type and then the new people she says what are we looking for an organ donor something that I was,
you don't you don't know how true that can be.
Nick:
[59:54] Yeah.
And it is really sad because you do some start seeing real quick but you know on the Facebook and you know social media is the thing thing and you see people that need it and Angi hit the spot I mean when we went into that,
over what did they even call that what that we went into to see the.
Angi:
[1:00:14] Like the education day.
Nick:
[1:00:15] Yeah there's it like education overview of the procedure that I was supposed to listen to that so when I sat outside.
Yes so we're really supposed to listen that but it's sad to see,
the families like Angi said that come in that do not have that support and you know some of these people aren't going to make it,
and and to know and see the people that she had around her it was a blessing in itself and aunt just if anybody knows Angi.
That was another thing that helped me out as knowing what how caring she is and that she had a great family and for me that was a no-brainer if I could help do anything to prolong her life and in her family's so yeah it was.
It's been a blessing I think for both of us and I don't think she realized how much it was going to impact my life or long term I guess you know so.
Sarah:
[1:01:07] Well thank you guys so much for sharing the story the last question you guys are already shared so many good things but the last question we asked everybody is just tell us something good it can be anything there's no qualifier it could be another story could be a dad joke it could be a product then matter I don't want to like
anything but share one last good thing with our listeners so we can all celebrate in a little good together.
Angi:
[1:01:27] For me something good is just the everyday life you know spending more time with my husband today we're looking forward to homecoming with my daughter,
everything that my boys do I think is so funny my daughter-in-law is just is a joy for our family and just being around too,
to sit back and and see it all happen is something good for me I love it I just love being with my family and when I get to spend a night with my girlfriends or you know
whatever it is I just I really do enjoy life in a different way.
Sarah:
[1:02:03] I love that Angi I feel like since you like to take care of people and you said so many food things you're like a favorite what's your go-to when you have a crowd full of teens at your house what's your go-to snacks or food recipe I feel like there's.
Angi:
[1:02:14] Tonight we're going to have some s'mores and some cheese dip and chips this week I made a gooey butter cake for a funeral potato soup is an easy quick fix.
Sarah:
[1:02:26] Yeah I love it people who doesn't love food I mean I enjoy having people who like to cook food because food is not my love language I mean I like to receive Food as a love language but I have not the one that likes to cook it at four people so I like that we need to be.
Angi:
[1:02:40] It makes me very happy when my kitchens full and there's people around the table I love that is one of my favorite things.
Sarah:
[1:02:47] Love it Nick tell us something good.
Nick:
[1:02:48] Um I'm glad we're living in America did you know that that England doesn't have a penny Bank yeah but they have a Liverpool.
Sarah:
[1:03:03] You had me really go.
Nick:
[1:03:05] No I yeah the thing I would I guess I and with with me as I like working with kids every day I think it just be kind.
Love is love one another as much as you can and and do what's right and I think things will work out the way they should say so.
Sarah:
[1:03:27] It's good well thank you guys so much for being here.
Angi:
[1:03:29] Thank you.
Nick:
[1:03:29] Thank you.