Health
Organ transplant gives husband, wife unique bond
By Noah ChandlerOften spouses ask one another, “How much do you love me?” Sounds like a ridiculous question, but when local businessman Robert Luckhard, owner of The Doghouse, was posed this question he answered undeniably, “with everything I have.”
Robert and his wife, Lori, share a unique bond. While many husbands and wives can boast of an unwavering love and commitment, Robert took his to unusual level. He donated a kidney to help his wife fight a rare, life-threatening disease.
Lori was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease when she was 21 years old.
PKD is a genetic disease that is passed along from the father’s side of the family. The 3 types of PKD are Autosomal Dominant PKD, which is the most commonly inherited type, Autosomal Recessive PKD, a more rare inherited type, and Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease, which commonly occurs in the later stages of life and does not stem from Polycystic Kidney disease.
Lori’s grandfather and father both passed away from the disease before they reached their 45th birthdays, but she was fortunate to get her transplant when she was 39. Lori is not the only person in her family that has the disease. Her sister has also been diagnosed, but her brother was not.
But thanks to her husband, Lori is hopeful she will live much longer.
Robert and Lori met when they were out to dinner with their friends. Robert approached Lori, and since then they have been in love.
“I knew she was the one,” said Robert. “And there was absolutely no doubt in my mind when she needed the transplant that I would donate it.”
Lori went in to be screened to see if she qualified for a kidney donation. When the doctors green lighted Lori, Robert immediately stepped up and volunteered to be tested.
“God jumped through hoops to get us together, given the circumstances,” said Lori.
Call it fate, destiny or divine intervention. Robert was a match — not a perfect match, but close enough. After receiving the wonderful news, Lori and Robert waited nearly a year before the transplant took place in May 2005.
“The doctors I was seeing kept telling me to wait, despite having my kidneys functioning at 14 percent.” said Lori. “The support group I joined online was a big help through that time.”
One of the major problems with being diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease is that purchasing life insurance is virtually impossible. Also, many healthcare plans will not cover the cost of the surgery or the medications post-surgery. Fortunately for Lori, Robert’s healthcare coverage picked up the entire $100,000 surgical bill and the over $500 a month in medication.
The problem doesn’t go away after the transplant. Those suffering from PKD are required to take medication for the rest of their lives.
“People need to check on mail order pharmacy,” said Lori. “You can get a 90-day supply for a little cheaper and they deliver to your house. Most companies offer up the program. You just have to ask about it.”
When asked if they encourage individuals to donate, without hesitation they said yes. Despite being cliche, donating your organs is the greatest gift that you can give.
Anyone interested in being an organ donor can log on to www.organdonor.gov. Or the next time you renew your drivers license just mark, “yes, make me a donor,” on your application.
- Health
-
-
Health dept. preparing for flu season
By Karen Williamson
KARENW@CULLMANTIMES.COM
While mandatory reporting for flu cases is not required at the moment, the Cullman County Health Department is gearing up to offer vaccines to lessen a potential outbreak.
-
Detecting and preventing skin cancer
Of all types of cancer, skin cancer is the most common, and more than one million cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. That is more than prostate, breast, lung, colon, uterine, ovarian and pancreatic cancer combined. People can be proactive in protecting themselves and their families from skin cancer.
-
New advanced CT scanner helping Woodland patients
Woodland Medical Center announced that they have added a state-of-the-art multi-slice Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to their facility. The new Brilliance CT scanner from Philips Medical Systems features advanced technology that produces split-second high quality images, permitting doctors to see more anatomical detail in a fraction of the time needed for other tests. With this new CT scanner, Woodland Medical Center’s doctors will be able to more effectively detect and treat a range of life threatening illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lung disease.
-
Spring allergies are nothing to sneeze at
Spring is in the air and pollen along with it. If the first warm days also mean the first runny nose and the first blooming buds mean the first red eyes, you may be one of the 36 million Americans who suffer with allergies.
-
Organ transplant gives husband, wife unique bond
Often spouses ask one another, “How much do you love me?” Sounds like a ridiculous question, but when local businessman Robert Luckhard, owner of The Doghouse, was posed this question he answered undeniably, “with everything I have.”
-
Recognize obesity in your children
Pediatricians and parents are concerned about the rising rates of obesity among children and are now recognizing the need for action. Over the past three decades, the number of children who are overweight or obese has doubled from 15 percent in the 1970s to nearly 30 percent today. Nationally, there are 25 million children and adolescents who are categorized as overweight or obese.
-
The gift of life — and it stays close to home
Thanks to a partnership between LifeSouth and Cullman Regional Medical Center, it is easier than ever for individuals to make blood donations. The LifeSouth bloodmobile travels throughout our community to schools, businesses and churches for blood drive events. There is also a donation station located in the professional office building No. 2 at CRMC that is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-
Is it a cold, or is it the flu?
It’s normal to mistake the flu for another ailment such as a cold or just “feeling under the weather,” but it’s important to know the difference — because if it’s the flu, the sooner you can get help from your doctor, the better.
-
Smoking– It’s time to quit
You’ve heard this before – it’s time to quit smoking. It’s a nasty habit that increases the risk for a variety of conditions including several types of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, lung and gum disease and ulcers. It causes stained teeth, bad breath and wrinkled skin. Your secondhand smoke can be damaging to family and friends. Although it only costs a few bucks for a pack, it can add up to hundreds of dollars during spent during a year.
-
Eating Well, Aging Well
With each passing year, as people get older, they should be aware of their bodies' changing needs. Many people don't realize that healthy aging demands closer attention to diet. Here are a few tips from Janet Benefield, RD, dietician at Cullman Regional Medical Center.
- More Health Headlines
-
Health dept. preparing for flu season
