Kidneys Are Playing Games

Our top concern for the past 15 months has been mom's liver. We've watched it take everything from her...but the other day it became all-too-apparent that her kidneys are in danger as well. Less than a week ago, we began talking about dialysis. The story has changed some every day; Doctors keep pushing off dialysis. It is a balancing act with this decision, as we are needing to trust doctors more than ever to be watching Mom closely, not make the decision on dialysis until they know it is necessary, and not to wait too late if Mom ends up needing it.
What I have said about the kidneys "playing games:" It certainly feels that way. Once the hospital found Mom a bed in the ICU and put her on medications to help with kidney function, they began to do better. There are two factors we are told to consider when evaluating kidney function: output and color of urine. Mom has overall been producing a normal amount of urine, and it has come out yellow, so we have been feeling good about things.
 We know better than to get too optimistic. I spent the night in the ICU with Mom last night. While I slept away, at about 4:30 AM her nurse noticed that Mom's urine was very bloody, and there wasn't much of it. Right about the time I woke up, a urologist was in to see mom, and her nurse was changing Mom's catheter. With the new catheter, mom's bladder emptied--a good sign in and of itself, but all of its contents were as bloody as the contents of her catheter bag had been earlier this morning.

Her urologist says that this is not necessarily a problem with the kidneys; It could be irritation from the catheter combined with a low platelet count, but we cannot definitively rule out kidney function (especially given events of the last week). This is scary for us. As a rule, nobody wants to focus on the worst case scenario, but Mom is very literally in a life-or-death situation, and by assuming the worst, we are able to keep her alive.
Liver failure has been our family's worst nightmare; To add even the potential for kidney failure on top of it is worse. This is part of why we know we need a donor SOON. If doctors opt to do dialysis, it is both a short-term solution and a reason to put more pressure on the transplant team. If she needs dialysis for these uncooperative kidneys, she will need to be on it until she gets a new liver. If she is on it for more than a few weeks, we will need to look at the possibility for a double transplant.
 IT IS HARD ENOUGH TO FIND A LIVER DONOR, WE CANNOT RISK NEEDING TO FIND A LIVER AND A KIDNEY DONOR.
 We are desperate. We've been desperate, but with kidney issues popping up, it's another pressure on us to find the one who will save my mom and our family. We don't have to know you well or have some long conversation about it (although both are welcome), we just need someone who wants to save a life. Please, help us.
 The Yale transplant line is 866-925-3897. If you even might be interested, please call them. Ask about Susan Myers. We need you.