Vets First Podcast

Our first guest is Alysha Scott and she is the care giver for a Veteran named Jan Scott. Alysha and Jan are from Kokomo, Indiana and have come to Iowa City to be a part of the collaborate kidney transplant program between the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Healthcare System. Jan served 4 years in Louisiana during the Vietnam War and was a firefighter for the city of Kokomo for 20 years. Experiencing renal failure, Jan was on dialysis 3 times a week for 4 years and on the transplant list for 2 years before receiving his kidney. Alysha discusses what it is like to have a significant other with end stage kidney disease and their experiences as a post-operation kidney transplant patient continuing to receive care through the Iowa City VA Healthcare System.
Our second guest is Rob Siwek, a high school baseball coach from Mansfield, Ohio. Rob is a post-operation kidney and pancreas transplant patient who received his kidney, pancreas, and continuing care through the Iowa City VA Healthcare System. He served in the Army from 1987 to 1989 in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and was diagnosed with diabetes during his service. He discusses his many first-hand experiences involving kidney disease, dialysis, his surgery, and how grateful he is for organ donation.

Show Notes

The kidneys are organs in the body that filter the blood, removing wastes and extra water are essential for life.  They also maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals to keep the body functioning normally.  Chronic kidney disease is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged and cannot filter blood as well as they should, causing a multitude of health problems.  In this and the following two episodes, we hear from Veterans and their care givers about their experiences with chronic kidney disease and how they or their loved ones came to get kidney transplants through the VA. In episode 7, we will also hear from a nephrologist at the VA healthcare system.

Our first guest is Alysha Scott, care giver for a Veteran, Jan Scott.  Alysha and Jan are from Kokomo, Indiana and have come to Iowa City to be a part of the collaborative kidney transplant program between the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Healthcare System. Jan served 4 years in Louisiana during the Vietnam War and was a firefighter for the city of Kokomo for 20 years.  Experiencing renal failure, Jan was on dialysis 3 times a week for 4 years and on the transplant list for 2 years before receiving his kidney. Alysha discusses what it is like to have a significant other with end stage kidney disease and their experiences as a post-operation kidney transplant patient continuing to receive care through the Iowa City VA Healthcare System.

Our second guest is Rob Siwek, a high school baseball coach from Mansfield, Ohio. Rob is a post-operation kidney and pancreas transplant patient who received his kidney, pancreas, and continuing care through the Iowa City VA Healthcare System. He served in the Army from 1987 to 1989 in Fort Jackson, South Carolina and was diagnosed with diabetes during his service. His long battle with type 1 diabetes led to kidney disease and eventually the need for a kidney and pancreas transplant.   He discusses his many first-hand experiences involving kidney disease, dialysis, his surgery, and how grateful he is for organ donation. 

What is Vets First Podcast?

The Vets First podcast is a research-based podcast that focuses on the VA healthcare system and its patients. Instead of being just another research podcast, the Vets First podcast was created with a primary focus on the Veterans and their stories. The hosts, Levi Sowers PhD, and Brandon Rea work to bridge the gap between the state-of-the-art research being performed at Veterans Affairs and the Veterans themselves in an easy-to-understand manner. Importantly, Levi and Brandon want to assist researchers around the country to better understand the needs of Veterans. In this podcast you will hear interviews from Veterans with specific conditions and then hear from VA funded researchers who are studying those very topics as well as other highlighted services the VA provides.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse or officially sanction any entities that may be discussed in this podcast, nor any media, products or services they may provide.