This Driver A Winner Off The Track, Too


"We were originally set to have the operations done at the end of May," Del said. "We check into the hotel the day before surgeries, and at that time the doctor noted that Marlene had a goiter in her throat. He wanted to do a biopsy and thought there was a possibility that she might have thyroid cancer, so it was necessary to postpone the kidney transplant. Well, to make a long story short, the doctors removed the goiter and it was found to contain no cancer whatsoever."

"It was definitely nerve-racking," Del added. "You sort of have to prepare yourself mentally for this type of thing, and you get all prepared, and then to have it postponed was a little tough."

The new date for the kidney transplant was schedule for June 30. Del says he was nervous at times, but tried to stay busy to avoid thinking about the surgeries.

"I knew at a certain point that the whole deal was in God's hands," Del said. "If I said that I wasn't scared I'd be lying. I was scared-to a point. I also knew that Marlene needed my help and as a loving brother I could no less."

Del's surgery lasted four and a half hours, and much of the procedure was done laproscopically. At first, the doctors made four small incisions-two on either side of Del's navel, before cutting a five-inch incision below his navel, which he calls his "scar of love."

"It's really amazing what they can do," Del said. "The doctors basically maneuvered all of my insides around to take out my left kidney. Then they put it on Marlene's right side, very close to the skin."

Miraculously, Del was in the hospital only two days before he was allowed to go home. He stopped all pain medications five days after his surgery and five weeks to the day after his operation he returned to driving horses.

"Marlene stayed in the hospital longer than I did," Del noted. "What was really amazing to me is how my kidney kicked right in and started working for her. It took over all of her functions that were lacking before almost immediately."

Although she will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of her life, Del says Marlene is very close to returning to work.

"I am just so thankful that I was able to be there for her," Del said. "There are so many people-just in Illinois

The copyright of the article This Driver A Winner Off The Track, Too in Standardbred Horses is owned by Kimberly Rinker. Permission to republish This Driver A Winner Off The Track, Too in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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