Steve Irwin's transplant done !

[bamabmw]

For the new folks......Steve Irwin is a 21 year member of the BMW club. Always very active in the club for all these years until his kidney failure. He has been on a transplant list for quite a long time.

Steve was finally called last week and told that the organs for him were ready !
So last thursday he got a new kidney and pancreas and the operation went very well. Lisa Irwin called me that night before I left for BBB and let me know it was done and went well.
Steve called me while I was at BBB on Sat. morning and said he just wanted to let us know that he was doing pretty good. Most of you who were there know all this since I was able to pass the info along, and mentioned it again for everyone's benefit at the Sunday meeting. We were all so glad to hear from him.
I just talked to him again a few minutes ago to check in. He was up for a short walk this morning (Monday), and has been moved to a regular room at UAB (Spain Center), and he was getting his first food since last week. Granted it's only Broth and Jello but he was excited to get it and said he was taking it slowly.
His news was that his new kidney is up to functioning 100% and the pancreas is working overtime. All is well so farand he's feeling good but a little tired from his walk.
He is at the UAB - Spain center in room S752.
205-975-1503
I'm sure he would love to hear from some folks. It gets tiring just watching TV and reading all day in a hospital.
He said that it's possible he might be discharged by Thursday. Whenever that happens he will then be put in a town house nearby so he can be monitored and tested every day for a couple of more weeks.
Let's hope Steve recovers soon, and fully, and get back to riding and getting to come hang out with us again very soon.
Connie

[jdubeemer]

Wow that is wonderful news. I talked to him at the Chicken rally and he was not too confident that he would be able to get a kidney as he thought he was way down the list. However, when a donor with his trissue type comes available it obviously can happen. Praise the LORD

[RonR1200ST]

That's great news about Steve's transplant!! Steve and Lisa will be in our prayers for a speedy and full recovery! Ron and Susan

[bamabmw]

Update on Steve

I've been talking to Steve every coupla days. He is doing amazing.
He was released from the hospital itself on Friday and moved to a Townhouse a couple of streets over. He will be there for a while as he has to walk over and get some tests done every morning between 6 and 8 AM to monitor how things are going. This has been wonderful that he is doing so well.
He's a bit sore he says, but hey he was cut from chest all the way down !
He's walking for exercise, and getting to eat foods that he hasn't been allowed for years. His first favorite was a baked potato and it was so good he got another the next day. He says he's looking forward to Tomatoes too.

I told him to think of some treat he's been craving and I will stop and pick it up today and bring it to him. I'm going to take him a couple of puzzles to work and fill time. He says you can only watch so much TV. The townhouse has a kitchenette, so he can fix some foods and he can go out as long as it's not far from the hospital.
Once he get released though he can go home !
His kidney is functioning 100% and the pancreas too because there have been no adverse effects from some of the foods he's been experimenting getting to eat. All is really looking great.
Steve says he just can't wait to get healed up enough to ride again and get to start coming to meetings again. He's barely been able to make the Chicken rally for the last two years.
He already looks great ! And he says he is feeling great.

His Mom gets to come and stay some and LIsa can go at night after work.

His cell number is 256-504-5434.

[Vance]

Thanks for the update! It is great to hear he is doing well!