At some point in your life you have probably been concerned for your heart, maybe a little flutter, a skipped beat, or random pain in the vicinity of your chest, or worse.  You’ve valued your lungs when experiencing shortness of breath, and of course you’ve had a close relationship to your stomach since birth; but because they aren’t directly felt, the most under-appreciated organs, considering their mighty function, are the kidneys.

Urologists see all manner of kidney disease; they know just how valuable healthy kidneys are.  My sister once heard a urologist make an important point with the group he addressed.  He said that when he got up in the morning and went into the bathroom to relieve himself, he always thanked the good Lord for that wonderful clear stream arcing into the toilet.  Because of the complex anatomy and physiology of the kidneys and numerous possible risk factors for kidney disease, that doctor knew just how fortunate he was to have normal kidney function.

Without our awareness, our kidneys filter our entire blood supply 20 to 25 times every day.  That’s around 200 quarts of blood, 198 quarts of which return to our blood supply with two quarts of urine excreted containing toxins, excess water, ammonia, and other compounds not needed by the body.  The kidneys know a great deal about us in much the same way that garbage collectors say that they can learn details about a family by the garbage they collect.

Our kidneys find out what we eat and drink, the medicines we take, the substances like nicotine we consume because these organs filter through our entire blood supply 20 to 25 times a day.  They constantly assess our status and maintain normal body water levels, produce hormones and vitamin D, regulate blood pressure, and direct red blood cell production among other important functions.  Our very lives depend upon these unsung hero organs.

March is National Kidney Month, a designation promoted by the National Kidney Foundation to educate the public on kidney health and prevention as well as disease and treatment.  As diabetes and high blood pressure increase in our population, so does kidney disease since those two conditions are the primary causes of chronic kidney disease.  Often though, kidneys are also damaged by infections, a condition that brings me to Brian’s story.

Brian Ross is a good friend at work.  At ten years of age he suffered a serious strep infection which resulted in glomerulonephritis, a condition causing partial loss of kidney function. Doctors have monitored for his kidney output levels since his childhood, and now at 40-something he’s experiencing decreases in kidney function that cannot be sustained for long.  After several years on a kidney transplant donor waiting list, Brian is now facing lifelong dialysis unless a kidney transplant donor is found.

Brian’s wife Donna hoped to be that donor.  She and Brian met in high school and have been married almost 25 years.  They raised two sons, one a firefighter and one in college. Their 12 year old daughter, who loves to be outdoors with her dad, is still at home.  Donna and Brian could not be a more perfect match as marriage goes; she was thinking another kind of match could save his life.

Her blood type qualified her to give, so she went through the screening to become Brian’s donor.  One day at work she received the call about her lab tests and donor status; unfortunately, she did not meet all the qualifications to become Brian’s donor.  Devastated, she told me the news.  “I had so hoped to be the one to help him,” she cried.  Now she’s on a mission to let people know about Brian’s need and to get the word out about chronic kidney disease and living donor transplantation.

Most often relatives are the ones able to donate a kidney, but many times, the kindness of strangers saves the lives of those in need of a kidney.  Donna understands that wonderful people perform acts of unusual compassion since her mother received an anonymous bone marrow donation from someone unrelated to their family.  All of us who know him hope for Brian to have extended years with a donor kidney.  He’s counting on walking his daughter down the aisle one of these days.

Twenty-six million Americans have chronic kidney disease and 1 in 3 adults is at risk for the disease.  Take a moment today to appreciate your hard-working kidneys.  They are priceless.  And remember those like Brian who can only hope to be so blessed.

Facts for this column are from the National Kidney Foundation http://www.kidney.org.