Bobbi Jo Brenner (2)

Today, my husband and I had lunch at Willi and Bobbi Jo's house and stayed through another day of dialysis. Last time we were there, we knew that Bobbi Jo had just found out that she should be receiving a transplant in the next couple months-- and the donor is Willi's sister! What a blessing! (I was very excited for them that day, but I didn't want to share the news on this blog before they had a chance to announce it to family and friends personally).

Although this is great news, there is a lot that has to happen before then, and if there are any problems in any of the steps along the way, it may not even happen at all. After having 2 transplants that didn't last, it's a very emotional process for both of them. Knowing that it still may not happen-- and that even if it does happen, that it may fail within a few weeks or in a few years down the road, and put her right back on dialysis-- is a very nerve-wracking journey.

I learned a lot more about the process of dialysis today, and was able to be there from start to finish (from 1pm when we had lunch, and dialysis lasted from around 2pm to 6pm).

A large, almost-full container of hazardous waste sits in their living room.

Willi showed me the large needles that they have to stick into her arm for dialysis.

This is her left arm, where the dialysis takes place (or where the process begins). Two needles are inserted-- one will assist in pulling the blood out, and the other will put it back into her body. Dialysis both purifies her blood and removes excess fluid from her body. Around 4 pounds of waste has built up in her body since Friday, and it will be removed today.

She wears a special shirt that has zippers on the sleeve to make it easy to access the arm and insert the needles.

The dogs are very supportive, too. Always by her side :)

Each day that they need to do dialysis, they say a prayer together before they attempt to insert the needles. They wanted to hold hands during this process, but couldn't with the gloves on.

See the "cords" on the floor? Those are actually tubes connected to the water filter that is attached to the dialysis machine. One brings water from the basement to the machine, which is filtered for dialysis, and the other transports the waste-water back to the basement bathroom.

Some days, it's easy to insert the needles, but other days it's a struggle. Today, they were on a slight time-constraint, as Willi needed to be to a meeting at 6pm, so that adds to the stress of the situation-- they felt the need to get the job done quickly.

First, Bobbi Jo gives it a whirl to see if she can get it in.

It's tough, so she asks Willi for help.

However, that can hurt-- he is very sensitive to her, but when she does it herself, she can

pull back if it's painful. So, she tried again. But it's tough to do with only one hand.

Since that still didn't work, Willi tried again. But, as you can see, despite how

gentle he is with her, it can be a painful process.

Even though she looks at her arm when she does it to herself (obviously), she finds it easier

to close her eyes when Willi attempts to insert the needle.

What a frustrating day-- back and forth with no luck-- especially when they feel the need to get this part done quickly so dialysis can be completed in time for Willi to leave for his meeting.

They discuss the options. This needle, as you saw, was hollow and connects inside, but they have to get it in just the right spot. It's just not working very easily today. The other option is to insert a sharp needle directly into her arm. It's the last resort...

Bobbi Jo decided that they needed to use the sharp needle. The obvious pro to this is that it gets the job done in 5 seconds, versus the 15 minutes that were spent trying the other method. However, the cons are that makes her bleed at the insertion point, and also that every time she inserts a sharp, it increases her chance of rupturing that vessel in her arm.

Well, it worked...

Willi ties a tourniquet around her upper arm.

The second needle went in really quickly, the "right" way. Yes!

The tubes are filled with her blood, and those will hook up to the machine. We moved from the room where they prepare for the process to the place where dialysis happens (the living room).

Now she's hooked up and ready to go.

They have to check her blood pressure several times throughout the process. It slowly goes down, as waste is removed from her body. All of the excess fluid causes strain on her heart, and so it's important to limit liquid consumption and do dialysis regularly.

Since they've switched from dialysis 3 days a week at the hospital to 5 days a week at home, Bobbi Jo has much more energy, and reduces her risk of heart problems by 25 percent.

At the end, she has to take her temperature. They have to keep a record of so many things...

... and get all of the blood back into her body, if possible. She needs all of those red blood cells to stick around. The red blood cell counts are lower in dialysis patients.

After the needles are removed, she has to cover them with gauze and put pressure on it for 5 minutes to keep from bleeding from that area.

What a helpful, wonderful husband. He ended up having to be a few minutes late to his meeting. Bobbi Jo feels guilty sometimes, because the process interferes with his work schedule. But of course, Bobbi Jo is Willi's first priority, and it truly shows. (He changed to jet out the door for his meeting...)

Ah yes, there's that smile! :) Another testament to her strength, perseverance and joyful heart.

I had such a wonderful time chatting with Bobbi Jo and hearing more information about the process. Even though I feel like I have a better understanding of it today than I did last time, I still feel a little shaky about repeating the details-- so I hope everything that I said is stated correctly. If not, they will let me know and I'll update the information :)

Keep Bobbi Jo in your thoughts and prayers as she moves forward in the journey to another possible transplant. We'll keep you updated!

Bobbi Jo Brenner

Bobbi Jo is an amazing woman. Despite 2 failed Kidney transplants (one that lasted 4 years, and the other less than 2 weeks), she remains strong at heart. She's been doing dialysis for 15 years, and she needs to do it several times a week to survive. Until recently, she had to go into the hospital every other day to do this-- now, she is able to do it at home. This has been a huge blessing for their family. Here's an article about it: http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/22643/

Willi, her husband, is a good friend of my husband, and he was in our wedding party, and the Brenners are dear to us. They allowed us to come over and join them in the process.

This was a particularly tough night for Bobbi Jo to start, as the needles just didn't want to go in properly. But eventually, they got it. I love the poster behind them: POWERFUL.

They spend 5 nights a week doing this at home. Bobbi Jo sits right there on the couch, hooked up to the machine (named Gertrude). "Hope" is her favorite word (notice the wall hanging with the word in the background).

Her husband is always alongside her in the process, both physically and emotionally. He works 45-50 hours each week, and is also actively involved with the process of doing dialysis. She couldn't do home dialysis without his assistance.

Phone calls... and more phone calls :) It was a lively evening for the Brenners.

Bobbi Jo gets really cold during the process, and needs a blanket or two.

I appreciated how much she smiled throughout the process. It's so encouraging.

They have to keep checking levels all throughout the process.

Willi has to make changes accordingly, and record the information.

A typical night at the Brenners... together in the living room, with Gertrude humming in the background. The Olympics were the choice of entertainment tonight.

The photos on the right wall were taken by Bobbi Jo. We talked a lot about cameras and photography functions :)

I will continue to update you on the progress in Bobbi Jo's story and life. More news to come.

Deb Johnsen

Deb Johnsen is most definitely one of the sweetest women I know. The Johnsens were our "neighbors" (when you live in the country, anyone within a half-mile radius is your neighbor) from when I was 3 years old through sometime around middle school when they moved into a new home in Thompson. Her oldest son, Aaron, was babysat by my mother when he was in Kindergarten, and remained a good friend of mine throughout High School and beyond.

Her husband, Art, passed away after a long battle with cancer of the esophagus. Just 16 days before he passed, their family came in to the studio for a family portrait. It ended up being the last one that they had together:

I'll let Deb tell her story through the bio, but I'll just include a quick explanation of the significance of these photos:

This is where Art would sit, while he was at home for long days battling cancer. It was visible that one side of the sofa was used far more often than the other, as there is a slight depression in the cushion. Mickey, the dog, was trained by Art-- when Art would sit down to rest, he'd call Mickey over, and he'd jump up, turn around, and sit just like that. (Mickey is on Deb's left-- on her right is a stuffed toy that she bought that looks a lot like Mickey. This sat by Art's bed in the hospital room).

I love the saying on the plaque beside her. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain". She got this in Rochester, MN while Art was going through treatment. One of her friends, whose husband was also ill, bought the same one for her home.

The bedroom can be a difficult place after the passing of a loved one. Deb stacks the decorative pillows on Art's side when she goes to bed. Mickey wasn't allowed in their bed before, but after Art's passing, she's enjoyed his company at night. She lays out a towel for him when she goes to bed. He knows he's supposed to stay on it, but he usually sneaks over to cuddle up in the night.

They each had their own closet. Once in a while, Deb will go in there to look at his things. Sometimes, she likes to take one of his shirts out and wear it for a while.

You can see his name - "Art" - on this shirt.

Each morning, Art and Deb would have a cup of coffee and do a daily devotional together.

When they went back and forth to Mayo clinic, there were mounds of paperwork. She had a huge binder of daily schedules, bills, informational packets and more.

She remembers an unending number of pill bottles being stacked up on the counter during that time. There were so many to take every day. A few of them still remain in the cupboard...

Words of encouragement fill their home.

Deb's mother went through some of the same struggles as she is facing now. Deb's father passed away when she was 4 years old. This is a photo taken just before his passing-- the family had recently purchased that new car. This situation is mirrored in Deb's life, as she got a new vehicle also not long before Art passed away.

Art and Deb on their wedding day.

Art with his mother, Esther. She will be turning 100 in just a few weeks! Most of her memory is gone, and when Art passed, the doctors suggested that she not be told the news. She doesn't understand very much (or even recognize her own family usually) and they thought it might create an emotional frustration for her. When I was young, my mother used to visit Esther quite a bit, and I have many memories of her home from back then. I hope to go to her birthday party this month and to post some photos of her from that celebration.

The rings.

Now that Art is gone, and Jordan (the youngest of her children) is going to graduate in May, Deb decided it was time to make some adjustments. She will be moving to a townhome in Grand Forks soon, and I'll follow her with my camera through the process of packing with the help of her friends (who have been a HUGE support to her) and also in the process of adjusting to a new home and a very different life. I'm so encouraged by her strength, endurance, and faith.

Beginnings of the project

Hello all, and thank you for following my project!

I decided to start a blog, so that those who are involved can see the progression of the project. I also hope that others will learn from and be encouraged by the strength of these wonderful women who are allowing me to share their stories!

If you don't know about this project, I'll give you a quick overview. The project name is Women: Struggles and Strength. My goal is to share the stories of some wonderful women in the Greater Grand Forks area. Most of these women have faced some form of hardship or daily struggle, and yet they continue to be brave, persevering, and positive examples for others. They are being kind enough to let me follow them into their lives and document some of these areas. I'm taking photos of their situations, which of course I love-- but one of the best parts is having the opportunity to chat with them and learn about their lives. I know most of these women personally on some level, but it's such a rare opportunity to just have a one-on-one conversation about real topics that we normally avoid in small talk or large group settings. Getting to know each of them better is such a blessing.

In this project, I'll explain each photo (if there is something significant that they shared with me, which is usually the case), but I'm very excited to add one of the biggest pieces of this project to each woman's story-- their mini-autobiography. Each of them will have the opportunity to share their experiences in their own words, and I believe that this is SO powerful. I am anxious to read them all and to share them with you. For now, I'll post photos as they are taken and processed, and I'll explain what I've been up to... and in the end, everything will be put together in either a book or exhibit form (I'm still deciding), but also on here or another webpage as the "finished product".

Thanks for following or being involved... if you have any questions or ideas for me, shoot me an email at young.jennifer.h@gmail.com. I hope that you will be inspired and encouraged!