Aldo’s Army
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
https://gofund.me/5f4f9e90 Aldo has been on dialysis for 21 years! That is truly difficult and a testament to his self-discipline and will to live. Aldo has worked full time while raising a family. Doctors have told him he is failing, Our church has united to help him find a kidney and to raise funds to support him and his family. Life . . . helping one another, loving one another ..read more
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Trust in the Lord
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
Often when I worry, worry, worry as I am prone to do, my mother would say to me, “trust in the Lord.” Growing up in a religious family , I’ve heard that a million times. It sure is hard to do when times are tough.  It’s lovely and almost easy to do when things are going smoothly, the day is beautiful, and life is good.  It brings to mind the story of Thomas, the apostle who did not believe it when the other apostles told them, “We have seen the Lord!” Thomas had witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross and refused to believe them, saying, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands an ..read more
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26 Years Post Transplant
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
My sister Janice wasn’t even forty-years old when she suffered renal failure. She knew it was coming . . . the end of life as she knew it. That’s what happens when you have a genetic disease in the family – you know what you’re in for . . . As she became sicker, she added her name to the transplant waiting list. Her kidney function had declined to dangerous levels. Back then – in 1995, there weren’t as many people’s names on the waiting list compared to today. There were not quite 37,000 names on the list compared to over 110,000 today.   Hope was wearing thin. The doctors scheduled Janic ..read more
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Living Organ Donation Reimbursement Program
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
by Suzanne Ruff, AAKP Board of Directors Member Within families who battle kidney disease as my family does, there is a time for sorrow and a time for joy, a time for weeping and a time for dancing. For many of my family members with complete renal failure, organ donation is their only hope. Some because they had been on dialysis for many years, others because they did not want to be on dialysis. Pre-emptive transplantation (receiving a kidney transplant before dialysis) is recommended more and more. Finding a living donor is strongly encouraged, but it is not easy thing to ask of someone ..read more
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A Valentine for Organ Donors and My Baby Sisters
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
I have two baby sisters. They’re both taller than me.  Plus we are not babies . . . far from it.  We are in our “golden years” now.  No matter, they’re always my baby sisters. I’m blessed they’re here. Both of my sisters are transplant recipients. Life!  The precious of all gifts.  My youngest sister, Janice, the baby of the family has had a really, really, really tough time in the past year.  Lots of suffering, pain, mountains to climb. Hospitals, rehab, doctors, outrageous ambulance bills, and insurance nightmares. (“‘If you like your doctor, you can keep your d ..read more
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Did you step on your mama’s heart?
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
Did you step on your mama’s heart? I was a young mother.  I didn’t know much.  But, I knew the minute I held each of my children I was in love for life.  When my youngest child was about a year old, a birdlike old woman, stooped and hunched over with a twisted wood cane approached us at church.  With a dour look on her face, she pointed her ugly stick at my angelic looking baby girl and said in an unfriendly voice, “When they are little like her, they step on your toes; when they are older, they step on your hearts.” I remember I didn’t say anything, just sort of nodded and ..read more
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Thank you, Dr. Perrone
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
Dr. Perrone is a nephrologist who specializes in PKD.  His words about my book, The Reluctant Donor, mean so much to me.  It means I honored those who went before me . . .the brave men and women who taught me courage. Here is what Dr. Perrone wrote: ‘The Reluctant Donor should be required reading for anybody who works with kidney disease patients, at any level.  I provided this wonderful book with brand new nephrology physicians in training.  They were profoundly moved.  In the present era, we take dialysis and transplantation for granted, i.e., as routine medical ..read more
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Advice for Living Kidney Donors
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
I wrote the article on Page 8 of the AAKP magazine – Great advice for living kidney donors. http://cosmic-studio.us/aakp/magazine-id-44 ..read more
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Membership in An Exclusive Club
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
It’s a club you don’t join. It just happens, and suddenly, you’re a member. The name of the club is: Daughters without Mothers Club and I am a member. Ever since I became a member, I play a silly game in my head. I wonder if my mother’s spirit has seeped into me. Then, boom! The wonder turns into absolute certainty. She’s within me! On this Mother’s Day, I wondered if it happens to other members of the club. Do other Daughters Without Mothers do something out of character urged on by their mother’s spirit???  So I though I’d ask! I’ll give you an example: My mom used to get exasperated th ..read more
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John Wayne and a Dominican nun
Suzanne F. Ruff | PKD Advocate, Living Donor, and Author of The Reluctant Donor
by Suzanne F. Ruff
1y ago
I like to think John Wayne removed his big white cowboy hat, tipped it at her, and said in his dreamy voice, “Please to meet you, ma’am!” She would have fluttered her eyelashes at him the way she did each time she kissed the TV screen as he puckered up to kiss the leading lady (Maureen O’Hara) in his movies. Mom, my sisters and I collapsed in giggles. Up in heaven, Duke (John Wayne’s nickname) may have been confused meeting Sister Mike, not knowing the difference between a Dominican nun, and thought she was an angel. She was our angel. Sister Mike’s official name was Sister Michael Mary Dwyer ..read more
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