Being sick has been quite annoying.  It seems every other week, I'm down with a fever and unable to do anything.  Yesterday, I was in bed all day with a fever that barely broke last night.  Today, I came back to work only to be sent home again.

With me, I've taken all kinds of paperwork with me.  Notes from our retreat, board meeting, lab orders, reimbursements...It's going to be a long Friday.


So now that I'm sick, I'm unable to do my blood tests and my 24-hour urine collection...again.  I want to be fit, and healthy so when the committee reviews the results, there will be no doubt that I am fit for donation.  Nothing hurts me more than putting our lives (mine and my aunt's) in other peoples' hands, and just.... waiting.  I appreciate that they are taking my well-being so seriously, but I feel that my aunt's health should have more priority at the moment.  She will eventually die if she doesn't get this kidney, and I will continue living with a "what-if" that will forever haunt me.

It wasn't until recent years that I've learned how much my family means to me.  Up until recently, there was nothing I would just give my life up for.  Now, I know, I'd suffer a thousand deaths before my family feels pain...well some family members (we can't like them all that much can we?)

If I could wish on a shooting star, find a 4-leaf clover, throw a coin into a wishing well...all I'd ask for on this Earth Day/Good Friday...is by the end of the summer, to be able to donate and save my aunt.

Now listening to: GLEE - Get it Right

Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes

((Now Playing - Lupe Fiasco the entire Lasers album))

Yesterday I received my packet with instructions for my upcoming appointment for my donor workup schedule.  This 20-page packet prefaces with a generic letter with your basic info and contacts.

So my schedule looks like this:

Day 1 @ home - 8am: Start 24hr urine collection. (Instructions must be followed to a T otherwise, if the testing is inaccurate, we're in trouble.)

Day 2 - 10am: Lab + EKG, Chest X-ray & Blood Pressure screen. (No food/drink from midnight the day before...sad face)
                    1pm: Transplant psychiatrist (To make sure I'm mentally competent to make this decision, and to make sure I'm just not a crazy person in general....may as well turn myself in now, save the time haha)

Day 3  - 10am: Transplant nephrology. (Kidney doctor checks me over and we go through the procedure...as if Google hasn't educated me enough to where I could probably do it myself...just kidding, relax)
                    12:30pm: CTU (CAT Scan) (They're going to put dye into my blood and take pictures inside to see how healthy my kidneys are, and pick which one they're going to operate on)

Hopefully all the tests and consultations come back normal, and hopefully I won't have to repeat any of said tests or consultations.  It would probably take a few weeks/months before they set a surgery date.

Surgery is called laparoscopic nephrectomy (the surgical removal of part of the kidney).  Risks are the same as any other surgery, and I'm very aware of what can happen.  Statistically speaking, I think I have better than "pretty good" chances of living through this...as long as I stay away from USC :-P

 Of course, there's a quiet jingle of emotions right now, but I still feel calm and collected.  I have a few weeks to mentally prepare myself for all the testing, poking and prodding.  I'm confident that I've taken care of myself and there's nothing wrong with me.  So for now, I will continue to watch what I eat/drink and walk around the park every day...wish me luck!!

3 weeks to clean up!

So I've scheduled my 3-day @ UCLA.  March 30th you'll find me at home peeing in a jug for 24 hours :-/ Then the next two days will be intense testing.  Hopefully if everything is done properly the first go-round, I could be scheduled for surgery in June/July!!

Now, I have to make sure my body is cleaned out of any toxins, get my exercise up and diet on!  I have three weeks to get healthier so the tests look better!   I'm going to do everything I can to do this right.  I'm so anxious to get a surgery date in the books already!

No fear has set in...yet.  But I'm sure it will come.

Some things are just meant to be...

Short back-story:
My favorite aunt, has kidney failure and has been on dialysis for about 3 years now.  Her sisters have tested to donate her a kidney, but 2/3 were not a good match, and the 3rd one backed out 2 months before scheduled surgery.    Since she was diagnosed, I've harbored thoughts of donating, but she kept having donors so I didn't think she needed me.  Finally, after this last upset...my aunt was completely devastated.  My family on my dad's side are devout Catholics...and when I heard she was losing her faith in God, I was stunned, and I knew I had to do something. 

I went in for the blood test 2 weeks ago and just got the results yesterday!!!  I'm a 5 out of 6 antigen match...which was better than all her sisters and her daughter!  We have the same blood type, and the cross-match showed that her blood did not reject my own.  The transplant coordinator actually said "wow" 

I am so elated...beyond words.  My aunt is one of the most beautiful, strong and supportive women I've ever known.  Her daughter and I are 9 months apart, we're like sisters...my cousin is my best friend.  I have never felt so right about anything in my life.  When I heard how hurt, and down she was I knew exactly what needed to be done.   Deep down, I knew I was going to be a near perfect match, and I knew it was going to be me.  Not only is this the right thing, this is the good thing to do.  My aunt and my cousin are deeper than family to me.

So...next steps...I have to go through another 3 days of testing. 
Day 1: 24 hour home urine collection  ewww... and if I don't do exactly 24 hours, they'll KNOW, and I'll have to do it all over again 
Day 2: More blood tests, EKG, cat-scan and chest x-ray
Day 3: Consultation w/the nephrologist (kidney doctor/surgeon), a psycho-social evaluation and support structure evaluation.

After all these tests, hopefully without repeats, I meet with the surgeon and we pick which kidney and set a date.  This whole process can take up to 6 months, I'm hoping I do everything right the first time and I won't have to do anything twice (esp the urine collection).

I've spoken with my parents, sisters, cousins, friends and co-workers...everyone is so supportive.  The more I talk about it, the more I feel comfortable with my decision and I know I'm doing the good thing.