Another Big Step Forward in Mom’s PKD Journey
Mom’s surgery to remove both of her native kidneys is officially scheduled for September 24, 2026.
For those who have been following along, Mom has polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and her kidneys have reached the point where removing them is now part of the path toward transplant.
Having an actual surgery date on the calendar makes everything that has felt like planning and waiting suddenly feel very real.
The September 24 surgery will be about Mom first. Both of her kidneys will be removed, then she’ll recover and move toward the next step: kidney transplant.
There is a clear plan in place now, which brings a sense of direction to a process that has had a lot of unknowns. There are still surgeries, dialysis and recovery ahead, but the path forward is much more defined.
One reason we’ve chosen to share our family’s journey publicly is because living kidney donation can make an enormous difference for people facing kidney failure. For some patients, having a living donor can shorten or even avoid time on dialysis and allow for a planned transplant rather than a long wait.
You don’t have to know someone personally who needs a kidney to consider becoming a living donor. Donors can be evaluated for someone they know, and in some programs they can also explore non-directed donation.
For Mom, the next date circled on our calendar is:
September 24, 2026.
One surgery. One recovery. And one big step closer to transplant.
We’ll keep sharing our family’s journey as it continues — the good days, the difficult ones, and hopefully some information along the way that helps other families facing PKD or kidney disease.