A New Kidney for Paul

Recovery

2009-09-10T11:24:00.001-06:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to post again. The last three weeks I've been taking it easy, recovering from the surgery. The new kidney is functioning great, and I feel better than I have in a few years.

This article ran in today's Deseret Morning News. I'm particularly happy to see Ryan getting the recognition he deserves.

http://www.deseretnews.com/user/comments/705329018/Actor-gives-gift-of-life-to-colleague.html

Victory!

2009-08-10T16:47:00.000-06:00

All systems go! Tomorrow at 6:30 am, Ryan and I go in for the transplant.

2009-08-06T17:23:00.001-06:00

Next Tuesday is the scheduled transplant, the most exciting day of my life so far. Things are looking good, but there is one small snag: My blood has developed an antibody, which my donor's doesn't have. There is a 70 percent chance this is no problem. Unfortunately, that means there's a 30 percent chance there is. EVeryone is quite confident that it's going to be okay, but if you could include us in your prayers, fasting, Reiki, whatever suits your beliefs, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Paul

Home Again

2009-07-16T05:51:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I returned home from my weeklong stay at the hospital for the nephrectomy, which they tell is by far the more trying of the two surgeries. Thanks Heavens for that, because this one was very difficult indeed.

Forunately, throughout this entire process, I have been blessed with an incredible family aand freinds, and also with some of the best doctors I've ever had (and I've had a LOT). In particular, my nephrologist, Dr. Joespehine Abraham, and the tranaplant suregon, Dr. Diane Alonzo, are terrific. Dr. Alonzo posses by far the most important qulaity for a surgeoun, by which I mean she reminds me of Hawkeye.

One of the things that got me through the hardest times in the hospital was the thought I am not unlucky to have this happen to me, I am phoneomenally lucky to be surviving it. But, most of all, what got me through was what's got me through is what has gotten me through everything: love. From family, friends, and my Father in Heaven.

Thanks to everyone for all of their thoughts, prayers, Reiki, positive energy, jokes, DVDS, "Indiana Jones" memorabilia . . . whatever you sent me at the hospital. I love you all.

Surgery on Monday

2009-07-03T19:18:00.002-06:00

The long wait for the surgey to take place is finally almost ovewr, Sort of. The surgery which will take place on Monday, July 6 at 5:30 am is a bilatteral nephrectomy (removal of both kidneys), not the transplant, which will take place on August 4. But it's a gigantic step, and I'm told will actually be the harder surgery. It's going to be a rough month between the two surgeries. Having no kidneys means having to severely limit my intake of liquids. I'll go from drinking probably two gallons of water per day to a mere 32 ounces.

I'm torn between being very excited for the surgery, and being apprehensive. I do not relish the thought of a week in the hospital. I'm very grateful to those who have promised to visit. Ultimately, I'm glad to be moving forward, and trying very hard to have faith and trust that this is all going to work out.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers, love and support since November.

Dates

2009-06-17T22:43:00.002-06:00

The nephrectomy (removal of kidneys) will take place on Friday, July 3, and the transplant will be on Tuesday, August 4.

The Meeting

2009-06-17T09:22:00.001-06:00

I have an appointment with the surgeon today at 3pm. I'm very much hoping that by the end of it I will know when the nephrectomy will take place.

At the moment . . .

2009-05-14T17:59:00.002-06:00

Things contin ue to go well with dialysis. I feel a lot better and have more energy most of the time. I can run and play in the park with my neices and nephews, which makes them and me happy.

We are still moving toward the surgeries, and things seem to be moving along pretty well (finally) with the insurance issues.

Update

2009-04-26T14:22:00.002-06:00

Now that my labs are back, it turns out that their aren't as many restrictions or suggestions on what I eat as I thought. As has been the silver lining on this all around, it turns out that most aspects of my health other than my kidney function are actually quite good.

Each day as I go to dialysis and see the other people who are clearly in much worse health and much more pain than I am, I realize how lucky I am. Most of these people have been doing dialysis for years, and I only have to do a couple of months. So, even though this is unpleasant, and I'm starting to experience more dizzyness and lightheadedness from the dialysis lately, I still feel very fortunate.

Best wishes to my kidney donor, Ryan Poole, who open "Treasure Island" at Hale Centre Theatre this week. I'm excited to see the show.

The Latest

2009-04-24T08:02:00.002-06:00

There has been good and bad this week. The bad is the this ludicrously uncomfortable catheter implant, which is costing me a lot of sleep. The good is that I'm adjusting to dilaysis, and it's consistently making me feel better. I'm far more energetic, and experiencing considerably less nausea and pain. Some of you know that there is little I enjoy more than going for walks. It makes me feel alive and in control and good in a way I can't really explain. For the past year and a half my ability to do this has declined steadily, to the point where since November I've barely done any walkign at all, and, when I have, it's been a chore, not a pleasure. This wekk I've gotten back that ability and enjoyment of going for walks, and that's been fantastic.

What I'm Doing

2009-04-21T10:27:00.003-06:00

A lot of people keep asking me what I'm doing to keep busy and stay sane during all of this. First of all, "stay sane" is perhaps the wrong term.

I'm doing a lot of writing. Over the last month I wrote a feature-length screenplay, "Dungeons & Daydreams", based on a short film I made in 2006. I'm very happy with the the way it turned out, and I think it's one of my better efforts. I'm also working with Eric Jensen on a potential script for next season at the Off-Broadway Theatre. If it continues to go well, the reulting play will be very much in the vein of "MorMAN" (which some of you saw).

Other than that, a lot of my time is spent playing with and taking care of my neice and nephew Carson and Kaylee, who are my favorite thing in the world. They're having a little bit of trouble adjusting to the fact that they have to be careful of the "owie" on my shoulder when playing with me, and keeping asking about when I go to "the big hostipal". Carson (4 years old) occasionally gives me advice based on his experience with the time he went to the hospital as a two year old for swallowing his Grandma's medicine.

And, of course, I'm watching a lot of movies. I'm very much in a "Star Trek" phase right now, reliving all of the old movies and TV episodes before the new film opens.

Diet

2009-04-21T10:18:00.003-06:00

Another new developement is that I've been given a list of foods I should avoid, and ones that are good for me to eat, under the kidney failure/dialysis program.

Since dialysis removes a lot of protein from the body, I'm suuposed to eat as much protein as possible. Animal protein is recommended, because it stays with the body better than vegetable protein (additionally, nuts, beans and some other sources of vegetable protein are high in phospherous and/or sodium, two things I'm supposed to really avoid).

I also am supposed to avoid potassium, which means bananas, and, worst of all, potatoes. I am a potato freak. I could happily eat nothing but potatoes for a year and never miss the taste of anything else. Happily, this is all just temporary until the transplant and recovery.

Oh, and for those who have been telling me for months that I can never drink soda again, they tell me that, for now, I should avoid Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, which I haredly ever drank anyway, but that other soda is fine in moderation . Most importantly, the said that Root Beer, the elixir of life, is fine (again, these restrictions will be even less after the transplant).

If anybody has any good recipes or anything that are high in protein and low in phospherous, sodium and potassium, I'd love to hear them.

Dialysis

2009-04-19T16:21:00.003-06:00

Just to keep people up to date on what's going on:

Just as we were ready to move forward with the transplant, it was determined that, in order for Medicare to cover me for both the nephrectomy and the transplant, I have to do three months of dialysis first. This was not what the doctors preferred, but it's just the way it has to be.

Dialysis has, so far, been a mixed bag. On the first session, I immediately felt an improvement. I was more energetic and less nauseated than I've been in quite a while. However, it did cause a sever headache that last for about 7 hours. When that cleared up, however, I felt better than I have in a year and a half for the next day or so. I was able to do a lot of things without getting tired or sick that I haven't been.

The second session was headache free, and seemed to be going great until about half an hour to the end. Dialysis involves cleaning blood and removing fluid. They are still figuring out exactly how much excess fluid there is to remove every time. Too much fluid was removed, and the result was a very nasty spell of nausea, vomiting, cramps, dizziness, and missing the best part of "Spider-Man 2" on TV. Once some of the fluid was put back and my blood pressure was stabilized, I felt quite a bit better, but it was very unpleasant there for a while.

I will continue to receive dialysis treatments 3 times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) until July, when I will have my kidneys removed. Then, it's back to the 3 dialysis treatments a week for about 4 weeks, then the transplant will take place.

The way I've felt during the up times in the past few days actually has me much more enthusiastic and confident than I was before that real recovery is going to happen. People have told me, "you don't realize how bad you felt until you start feeling better." That's not quite it: I definitely have realized how bad I felt (and still feel much of the time), but I'd forgotten how much better BETTER feels. I can't wait until after the recovery when I can start feeling that on a regular basis again, without the grueling dialysis process preceding it.

Thanks again, and love to you all, for your support.

Salt Lake Tribune article

2009-04-09T17:30:00.003-06:00

Click HERE to read the Salt Lake City Tribune article about Paul-a-Palooza!

A Night To Remember.

2009-04-06T16:24:00.003-06:00

Patrick here.

For those of you who made it out to PAUl-A-PALOOZA, thank you so much for you incredible outpouring of support and love. Paul and I both consider it to be of the best evenings of our lives. For those of you who didn't make it - no worries. We still felt your love and support as well.

It was an inceidble evening. The entusiasm of the performers was eletctrying, and the diverese cross section of friends from every period of our lives who showed up was truly overwhelming. When all was said and done, at the end of the night, we had raised a little over $2500, far exceeding anyexpectations by any of us who put the event together. I don't think i have ever felt better than I did that night, and more important than the money was the knowledge that so many people care and love Paul so much. For myself and others either involved in the show or in attendance that evening, who desperately wanted to be the donor but could not, this was our time to make a difference, to show that we cared, and to be a part of something that we will never forget as long as we live. I love you all.

Thanks,
Patrick

p.s. don't get the idea that this means we aren't still accepting donations.

It's official!

2009-03-31T18:02:00.002-06:00

Paul has a kidney donor at last. We are overjoyed and I cannot put into words how grateful I am to the individual who is doing this. It means more than I can ever repay or even put into words.

Please come and celebrate with us at PAUL-A-PALOOZA!

Paul-A-Palooza

2009-03-29T10:34:00.001-06:00

A night of fun you can feel good about!

2009-03-14T12:12:00.003-06:00

PAUL-A-PALOOZA
Music, Laughter and Major Surgery.

Date:
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Time:
8:00pm - 12:00 am

Location:
The Woodshed
Street:
60 E 800 S
City/Town:
Salt Lake City, UT

Description
An evening of live music and comedy, with all proceeds going to benefit the Paul Gibbs Kidney Transplant Fund. Paul needs a transplant A.S.A.P., and the medical costs are going to be huge. This is a chance to help out a worthy cause AND enjoy a great night of entertainment.

Hosted by Patrick Gibbs.

Acts include:
Laughing Stock - Utah's Longest Running and Most Popular Improv comedy Troupe
Award Winning Improv Comic and Poetry Slam Artist Jesse Parent
Stand-Up Comic Ricky Kimball

And the music of:
Gearbox
Rev. Mayhem
Jen & Danny Tarasevich
Ginger Bess
and The Heathen Highlanders

Cover charge only $7.00!
*Must be 21 or older to attend.

Thanks

2009-03-02T18:23:00.002-07:00

Thank you to all who participated in the fast on Sunday, March 1.

I'm told by my transplant coordinator that there is currently a long enough list of people waiting to be tested for me that they can't handle anymore submissions at the moment.

Thanks to everyone who ahs volunteered. I will keep you all up to date on the progress.

Request.

2009-02-25T08:33:00.002-07:00

We are having trouble finding a donor match. We are having plenty of people coming forward offering to best tested, and a fair number that have been tested, but no luck in finding a match so far. Frankly, I am very scared.

This Saturday night and Sunday we will be praying and fasting for a donor match. Please join in this, if you are so inclined. I recognize that many of the wonderful people who are following this cause are not LDS, or even religious, and I love and respect all of you and your various beliefs. Please participate in anyway you see fit - just keeping Paul in your thoughts is fine. All of the positive energy we can get will help.

Thanks,
Patrick

Thank You

2009-02-23T07:28:00.003-07:00

I would like to offer my most profound, humble and sincere thanks to all who have contributed. I have been trying for days to find the right words to adequately express my gratitude and emotions, and have finally accepted that I have no such words. I'm pretty good with words, but the love and kindness you have shown me touches more deeply than I can express.

Many people have payed me the huge compliment of commenting on my strength through all of this. I don't know if I deserve that or not. I am holding up the best I can, but I don't always feel that strong. The truth is, I can't beat this. The good news is, God can, and He is going to let me help. And He hasblessed me with incredible, caring and selfless friends like you. If people like you care enough to help, I must be worth saving.

Thank you, and I love you all.

Update

2009-02-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Several people have stepped forward and offered to be considered as donors. IHC has a limit of testing 3 donors at a time, so right now they are looking at who, among my potential donors, are the 3 strongest candidates for testing.

Thanks to all of you, for everything.

Thank you.

2009-02-18T13:01:00.002-07:00

For those of you who don't know who I am, I am Paul's identical twin brother. I would like to humbly thank everyone who has responded to this blog so far, whether it has been a donation, an offer to be tested as a donor, or just a sincere promise to keep Paul in your thoughts and prayers.

As Paul's twin, I was of course the first person tested as a possible donor, and of course i came back as a perfect match in every way and would have been the ideal donor, but becuase of an abnormailty found in early test, which is probably the result of the 17 major surgeries I have had, I was told I could not donate. I anticipated this, but I was not prepared for how devastating the news was. I can't describe what it's like to be told "hey - you have a purpose in life, one that would mean more to you than anything else you could ever do, and you would be the literally the best possible person to do it - but you can't."

Paul is more than my twin brother. He is more than my best friend. He is quite simply half of who I am. So if I get pushy about this cause, please know that it comes both out of the very best intentions and love for my for brother and out of pure selfishness for the fact that I can't live without him. I think it says a lot for what a good person Paul is that so many friends have stepped forward to offer their support and even their organs. I offer my undying thanks and love to all of you.

Remember - every little bit helps. These medication are shockingly expensive - they cost more per month than a two bedroom/two bath apartment. The tiniest donation can add up to a lot of of help. Thank you again, and I will keep everyone posted on how things are going.

Sincerely,
Patrick

Donors

2009-02-14T12:35:00.003-07:00

So far, I have had two people tested as potential donors. Both have been good matches, but for various reasons they were unable to donate.

I have been placed on the donor list, but there are, in many cases, waits of up to a year and a half for a donor. Other people are being tested as well.

Anyone who is interested in being tested and has type O blood (positive or negative doesn't matter) can call the IHC Transplant Center at 801-507-3380 and ask to speak to Kristy Baker, my transplant coordinator.

Thank you.

Paul's Story

2009-02-09T18:13:00.005-07:00

My name is Paul Gibbs. I'm a 34-year old film student. I also work at the Clark Planetarium, and spend much of my time helping to raise a 4-year old nephew and 2-year old niece, with whom I live.

I have had impaired kidney function my whole life. Before the age of 5, I had 9 surgeries for a condition known as Bilaterral Ureteral Reflux. The condition resurfaced in 1996, but was treated medically, rather than surgically.

In November of 2008, I was informed by my doctor that my kidney function was dangerously bad, and that I may need a kidney transplant and/or dialysis. I was shocked and, frankly, terrified. Further tests told me it was worse than believed. Dialysis and a transplant were virtually guaranteed. My kidney function is at 11%, and my creatinine level (which should be 1) is 6.

Fortunately, after a difficult process, I was granted Medicare coverage for the surgery, which makes it possible for the surgery to take place. More than a dozen people came forward and were willing to be potential kidney donors. Two of them, my twin brother and a close friend, were tested. While my brother was unable to donate because of an abnormality in his kidney, my friend has been identified as a good match.

While Medicare will provide good coverage, there will still be considerable expenses, especially the medications I will be on for the rest of my life.

I'm holding up pretty well, and looking forward to when this over and I'm recovered, so I can go back to working, making films and, most importantly, have the energy to keep up with my niece and nephew who are really the most important things in my life.