End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Donation protected
Hi everyone, my name is Joey. This isn’t something I would consider starting, as I typically would consider myself to be the one to contribute. I mainly ask for encouragement and support through this interesting path I’m on.
I grew up with a close religious family. My father Lucky, always taught me to walk in his path, showing me the direction he felt I needed to go. I spent a lot of time with my dad. He taught me everything I know, I still remember him teaching me tie a fishing knot before I could tie my shoes.
As I grew older I was always very protective of my younger bother and sister. They were soon to become much more than my siblings. As my dad got older he was addicted to anything that could give him a dopamine high. Unfortunately that involved not only enjoying life, but substance abuse.
While I was 9 years old, shortly before my younger brothers birthday, my father never came home. I took a long walk with my grandpa who explained to me that I needed to fill those shoes.
My mother Meitra, moved us to the city “Salt Lake” when I was 10. She was included in several relationship, we moved quite frequently, however my mother took great lengths to keep us in the same district, so we always kept our friends.
Because we were away from family, in the city, we beached off as siblings creating our own life’s. Helping each other along the way, also hurting one another. Family is something that was far between.
As I grew older, I slowly developed a hobby for computer code. I ended up developing a application for iPhones called Gyro HD, that I ended up selling in the Cydia store “nerd talk”, jailbroken iPhones - still legal in case David reads this.. ;)
Striving down my coding patch I slowly devoted my code languages to become a full stacked developer. Life seemed great, I met Ashlie my wife, while I was 22. We sparked something so maniacal but also so toxic… As we grew our relationship, our careers, our friendships, we began drinking more and more. It seemed like anytime we had something to celebrate we would drink. That slowly turned into, if you didnt hade something to celebrate or a good day, we would drink it away. We lived our lives numb… Even though we were putting wreck-less behavior last, what we thought at the time, we were not. Taking care of your bills, your job, all your business obligations, but we forgot about our health.
Once the COVID quarantine hit, we were all stuck at home. That was a very bad situation for someone like me. I was able to work remote 24/7 as my wife, we began to drink throughout the day. I slowly lost my memory November 2019 though August 2020. In other sense… I woke up to liver failure. The emotions that I had, I no longer know how I felt. I talk to my mom, and she explains just how close to losing my life I was. After all the good I choose to do, I still chose bad. Alcohol… I look at life with a new perspective now… you have to. I can no longer go back to the life I lived. I’m absolutely ok with that… I’m witnessing it first hand, it’s not pretty. I feel very ashamed at what I did but I also think to myself, would I like who I was if I met the old me now.
I’m currently in the path to recovery. I have been going through the process of getting in the liver transplant list. Although I’m looking to be listed, we are shooting for a TIPs procedure once I’m approved. Getting listed first, is the path we have choose as the likely hood of the procedure working is not great… Therefor, if I “flounder” as my doctor described it, I will be on the list as an energy backup option for a simultaneous liver and kidney transplant.
I’ll keep you all posted as we fight this journey.
#borenstrong
X-∞²
I grew up with a close religious family. My father Lucky, always taught me to walk in his path, showing me the direction he felt I needed to go. I spent a lot of time with my dad. He taught me everything I know, I still remember him teaching me tie a fishing knot before I could tie my shoes.
As I grew older I was always very protective of my younger bother and sister. They were soon to become much more than my siblings. As my dad got older he was addicted to anything that could give him a dopamine high. Unfortunately that involved not only enjoying life, but substance abuse.
While I was 9 years old, shortly before my younger brothers birthday, my father never came home. I took a long walk with my grandpa who explained to me that I needed to fill those shoes.
My mother Meitra, moved us to the city “Salt Lake” when I was 10. She was included in several relationship, we moved quite frequently, however my mother took great lengths to keep us in the same district, so we always kept our friends.
Because we were away from family, in the city, we beached off as siblings creating our own life’s. Helping each other along the way, also hurting one another. Family is something that was far between.
As I grew older, I slowly developed a hobby for computer code. I ended up developing a application for iPhones called Gyro HD, that I ended up selling in the Cydia store “nerd talk”, jailbroken iPhones - still legal in case David reads this.. ;)
Striving down my coding patch I slowly devoted my code languages to become a full stacked developer. Life seemed great, I met Ashlie my wife, while I was 22. We sparked something so maniacal but also so toxic… As we grew our relationship, our careers, our friendships, we began drinking more and more. It seemed like anytime we had something to celebrate we would drink. That slowly turned into, if you didnt hade something to celebrate or a good day, we would drink it away. We lived our lives numb… Even though we were putting wreck-less behavior last, what we thought at the time, we were not. Taking care of your bills, your job, all your business obligations, but we forgot about our health.
Once the COVID quarantine hit, we were all stuck at home. That was a very bad situation for someone like me. I was able to work remote 24/7 as my wife, we began to drink throughout the day. I slowly lost my memory November 2019 though August 2020. In other sense… I woke up to liver failure. The emotions that I had, I no longer know how I felt. I talk to my mom, and she explains just how close to losing my life I was. After all the good I choose to do, I still chose bad. Alcohol… I look at life with a new perspective now… you have to. I can no longer go back to the life I lived. I’m absolutely ok with that… I’m witnessing it first hand, it’s not pretty. I feel very ashamed at what I did but I also think to myself, would I like who I was if I met the old me now.
I’m currently in the path to recovery. I have been going through the process of getting in the liver transplant list. Although I’m looking to be listed, we are shooting for a TIPs procedure once I’m approved. Getting listed first, is the path we have choose as the likely hood of the procedure working is not great… Therefor, if I “flounder” as my doctor described it, I will be on the list as an energy backup option for a simultaneous liver and kidney transplant.
I’ll keep you all posted as we fight this journey.
#borenstrong
X-∞²
Organizer
Joey Boren
Organizer
Salt Lake City, UT