Daughenbaugh recovering from transplant

A Havre woman who waited for more than a year for a double transplant, is recovering in Seattle.

Judy Daughenbaugh, a long-time Box Elder middle school teacher, received a transplanted kidney and pancreas Thursday, her daughter Kathy Palmer said Tuesday.

"She's doing really well, " Palmer added. "As of Saturday, she was no longer diabetic. She hasn't had insulin since Thursday."

Daughenbaugh has a webpage set up on caringbridge.org where her family and friends can leave her messages and read about her progress online.

Daughenbaugh found out she had diabetes on her 12th birthday. She had been treating it ever since, but needed a transplant for both her kidneys and pancreas when interviewed by the Havre Daily News in January 2010.

She had been on a waiting list at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle for the transplants for several months and turned to the community for help preparing for the expenses.

Palmer said the response from the community was wonderful. People had been holding fundraisers for weeks before the benefit, and Palmer said people from Havre, Box Elder and Big Sandy came in high numbers.

"It was kind of a nasty day, but it was a really good turnout," she said.

The process of finding organs for Daughenbaugh was a lengthy one due to having to find both a kidney and pancreas, which matched and were in good condition. She was on call to go to Seattle at the drop of a hat to be tested for a match if any were found, and went many times.

Palmer said her mother found out Thursday that the operation was a go.

"This happened to be that both of the organs were in good condition and were a perfect match," she said.

Daughenbaugh went into surgery at 5:30 p. m., and was in recovery by 1:30 a. m. Friday.

Palmer said her father, Tom Daughenbaugh, is at her mother's side, and Daughenbaugh's sister in Seattle, Tammy, also is spending time with her.

Two of Daughenbaugh's daughters, Tiffany Kimberling and Desara Kutzler, already have been out to visit, and Palmer said she and her other sister, Jan Harrison, also will be going out to visit their mother in the coming weeks.

Palmer said it is normal to expect at least two months stay in and then near the hospital, to watch progress of the recovery and make certain there is no rejection of the transplanted organs. But her mother is recovering so quickly that schedule could be moved up, she said.

"They might be letting her move to an apartment near the hospital in a few days," Palmer said.