Stephanie Revis

Chris Revis Needs A LIVING Kidney DONOR

Chris and I have been married since 2013. In our earlier years together, the worst part of his kidney disease was finding the correct dosage of medication to get his painful gout attacks under control. He still has an attack every now and then, but now he’s more affected by lack of energy and stamina. I’ll never forget the phone call in 2015 when his kidney function went down into the teens for the first time; for the next two years we were just watching the numbers and dreading the day when dialysis was no longer avoidable. That day came in September of 2017.

Chris has been a trooper through it all. Even on dialysis, he continued to work full time for the next two years until his body just couldn’t do it anymore. He feels guilty because so many of the decisions we make are based on his physical limitations. He tries not to show how it affects him emotionally, but it weighs on him heavily.

Chris was a High Risk Water Survival Instructor in the Navy; he has always loved swimming and water activities. Because of the dialysis catheter, he is no longer able to participate in anything involving water. He can get in the ocean, but still hesitates to fully immerse even in salt water. As a family, this breaks our hearts and severely affects the things we can do together. Chris selflessly insists that we go do things like tubing with our friends or going to the lake with friends, but we don’t want to be without him.

Through it all, we remain hopeful and sure that someday Chris will get that phone call and he will get his kidney. I’m looking forward to the day when he knows what a “normal” energy level feels like again and he isn’t held back because of dialysis. Together, we are so very grateful for the support and understanding of friends and family who have been on this journey with us.

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