Finally I started dialysis with my Baxter Pac-Xtra. Here is a picture of my first dialysis machine. The little machine on the right is my Flexiflo feeding pump.

I had a feeding tube again. I don't know why, but after that big long surgery, I didn't want to eat much anymore. My Mommy learned how to put the tube down my nose. It upset both of us, but if it had to be done, I would rather have my Mommy do it. I know she loves me. She usually was faster than the nurses anyway. Even though most kids with kidney failure don't have much of an appitite, I sure did love tortilla chips! Most especially when I steal the bag from Grandpa! Hee hee.

I had to have a lot of weird tests to see if dialysis was working and if my bones were growing. I also had to have a VCUG and urodynamics. I also had to start growth hormone because I had stopped growing. Lucky for me, my Mommy and Daddy could put it into my peritoneal dialysis fluid and I didn't have to have a shot of that every day!

When I was one year old, my Mommy and Daddy began to wonder about what would happen when I needed a transplant, so they started to talk to different medical centers. They took me to UCLA Medical Center to see what they thought. They were really impressed by how healthy I looked, but my Mommy and Daddy didn't really know what to do.

Just before I turned two, I had another surgery in Seattle for bi-lateral hydroceles. It wasn't too bad. I was jumping up and down in my crib when they wheeled me out of recovery! I didn't have to stay very long for that one. My doctor was going to augment my bladder, but my Mommy and Daddy changed their minds at the last minute. It just didn't seem right at the time. Boy, could they see the future or what! They started me on a medicine called Ditropan that was suppose to help my bladder. Who knew it would make such a difference!

Here's Dr. Bryan!

Here you can see that I love to play with computers, just like my Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa and Uncle Steven. I can even work it all by myself now! I have a lot of fun games.

Sometimes, when I was little, I even got my Grandma to play with me.

My Mommy and Daddy were glad when I got my new cycler (that's what they call the dialysis machine), the Baxter HomeChoice. We could take it with us when we went to Seattle. It doesn't take up so much of my bedroom either! Mommy and Daddy thought it was easier to set up too. I don't care too much. The older one had more "no-no's" to play with. Isn't it a lot smaller?

When I was four, my surgeon thought I should have the bladder augmentation surgery because my kidney doctors thought I would need a transplant in the next couple years. My Mommy thinks that he is one of the best doctors. He always called me his angel. Hee hee, I had him fooled! He was surprised at how energetic I am. He said that most "kidney kids" are lethargic, but I never stop moving! Here's Dr. Mark Burns!! My Seattle surgeon.

Here you can see my peritoneal dialysis catheter hanging out of my tummy. I always have a big bandage thingy where it goes into me, so I won't get it all dirty. You can also see that I like soda! I always beg my Grandma for her Coke. She's a real push over!!! Hee hee!

In August of 1996, I went to Seattle with my Mommy and Daddy to have my bladder augmentation surgery. That is where they enlarge my bladder by adding a piece of my intestine to it. When we got there they did a test on my bladder to see if it had improved any. The doctor asked my Mommy if she had been praying becuase my bladder didn't need to be augmented after all! My bladder had gotten better! I still had to have surgery though. They had to reimplant my ureter into my bladder again and put in a g-tube.

Since my doctor had to cut into my peritoneal cavity (where all your organs are), they had to put me on hemo dialysis while I healed, so they put in a Quintin catheter to use. It was not fun. I had to go three days a week and sit in a chair for three hours! At least I got to watch TV while I was there.

Here I am with both my hemo-dialysis catheter (near my neck) and my peritoneal dialysis catheter (in my tummy). You can just see my feeding button next to the bandage for my peritoneal dialysis catheter.

We stayed in Seattle until the end of August and then they took out the hemo dialysis catheter and I got to go home! I don't need that tube in my nose anymore now that I have a g-tube. It's a Bard button and it goes right into my stomach through my tummy.

At home I LOVE to go to McDonalds for lunch. When I lived in Great Falls, my Mommy and Grandma use to go there every Friday.

My Mommy was shocked when she saw this picture of me. She didn't even think it looked like me! This was in the spring of 1997. Aren't I cute?

In May of 1997 I got a wish from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. My Mommy and Daddy and I got to go to Disneyland!!! I really loved it. I even went on some rides that my Daddy was scared to go on! I'm very brave. I really love Mickey Mouse!

Look at this great place we got to stay at! It's the Anaheim Sheraton. We had a really nice room and they even had a swimming pool!

Here is me and my Daddy by the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

I got tired sometimes.

We took a break during the day and played in the pool. I love swimming pools!!

I really liked Mickey's Toon Town. This is where we went first. I got to go on my very first roller coaster!

YEAR ONE	DIALYSIS YEARS	TRANSPLANT	TRANSPLANT PICTURES	POST TRANSPLANT
BILLINGS	1st GRADE	2nd GRADE	3rd GRADE	4th GRADE
CAMP SUNSHINE	2000 US TRANSPLANT GAMES	2002 SPECIAL OLYMPICS	2002 US TRANSPLANT GAMES

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