soon.

After looking at my calendar I am feeling a little anxious.  The surgery is only 2 weeks from now!  It feels so soon, but yet so far.  I know I feel like I have time to get stuff done before then like laundry, some work stuff, grocery shopping, buying another pair of my awesome yoga pants, etc. but I know that these next 2 weeks will probably fly by so I should make a list and start checking things off.

Dave had his pre-op appointment yesterday and they told him not to get sick. Mine isn't until next Friday but Dave said they looked over my lab work while he was there and told him things look good!  That is exciting.

As for me feeling anxious I hope it goes away, and I know its just me being stupid (I get anxious over the littlest things for no good reason).  Maybe I'll pay for some Drop in yoga classes these next to weeks so I can relax a little.  Plus there was a possible scheduling conflict with a work thing while I was going to be out, so that stressed me out a lot yesterday, but my boss was awesome and resolved it for me, so one less thing to be stressed about.

So that is really it for now.

P.S. I am looking for a cool Kidney Tattoo idea, so if you have any suggestions send them my way.  :D

The Update You have all been waiting for!

Assuming the report on my EKG comes back normal, and one additional blood test (that will be done with my pre-op blood work) due to the fact my Mom has Lupus is okay, there should be a surgery in March!

I'm super excited, but also super anxious at the same time.  Looking over my work time saved up I'll only have 3 full paid days off (I accrue time at a slow rate), this combined with the fact I have never had surgery before makes me pretty nervous.  I know it will all work out, but I am still worried.  I am thinking of starting up one of those sites like kick started that help people for other situations to possibly try and raise money for when I am out so I can be confident in paying everything on time those few weeks.  But I also hate asking for money so I am not committed to that idea yet.

Well I just have to relax some more (going to see Jen the end of this month will probably help with that) and figure everything out.  But overall EXCITEMENT!

Too Much Research?

So I think I have developed an addiction to reading Kidney Blogs now (most of which I have linked off to the right).  I read at least 3 donor blogs in their entirety, 1 recipient blog, and 1 blog that deals with both sides of the story!  I am just fascinated reading how this decision has effected other peoples lives and what they went through.  I should probably stop though because reading them makes me anxious and excited at the same time.  They make me eager to get t his process really started.  I can't wait to finish the tests and find out if I can actually do this.  I think that even though I have read about the pain and how hard it is to get back to normal after giving up your kidney, reading everyone's story has really confirmed for me that this is what I want to do.

I have noticed a few things though between the donor and recipient blogs.  It seems there are more donor blogs then recipient ones.  I think this is because for donors this is an elective surgery and they are eager to get information.  When they don't find all of the information they want they start a blog so that the information they didn't find is now available for other potential donors.  This is different then recipients because normally for the recipient getting a transplant is their only option, because of this they accept it without doing as much research, prompting less blogging (at least this is the case for Dave and I, I don't think he has ever entered the words Kidney Transplant into google).  Or if they are researching there are a lot of websites that talk about the process for the recipient and it seems there are less for the donor which might also be why there is this unevenness in blogs.  I have also noticed the donors seem to feel worse of the surgery despite having the smaller incision.  After thinking about it this makes a lot of sense though assuming the donated kidney is accepted by the recipient with minimal complications.  The recipient is going from almost no kidney function to one full kidney functioning meaning they have more energy because their blood is being filtered easier then it was before the transplant.  For the donor they go from having 2 healthy kidneys to 1 kidney so they are going to be more tired.  Fun reading.

For the most part it seems the worst part of being the donor is wanting to go back to doing everything you are used to too soon.  I know that will probably be a problem for me, I like to be way too independent.  The fatigue is definitely probably the second worst because it seems you are tired all the time and for some people this may last 2 weeks and for others a lot longer so I don't know if there is a way to prepare because I don't know how it will effect me.

I also realized that if I give my kidney to Dave how will we ever do laundry?  Lifting a heavy laundry basket and carrying it down 2 flights of stairs is a definite no I'm assuming for both donor and recipient for awhile.  haha all the clothes move to the basement?

First Post!!!

I have decided to try and become a Living Kidney Donor (LKD)!  This is a exciting, nervous, anxious, different, life saving thing I have decided to do and so I can sort out all my thoughts, trials, and experiences I decided to start this blog.  Blogging is something I have tried before and had no patience with but I am hopping for my own purposes that I keep this up.  Maybe one day it will help other people with their decision of becoming a Living Kidney Donor.

The Beginning

So the beginning of my decision to become a LKD started last April, about 8 months ago.  My boyfriend, Dave, was experiencing weird leg cramps (which I told him he should get checked and he never did) that led to dizzy spells.  After having one of these dizzy spells in front of his mother, she forced him to get it checked out at the ER.  I was at work at the time and he and I had talked about his symptoms before thinking it may be something he was lacking in his diet or something minor like that, so when he said he was going to the ER I was not immediately concerned.  I told him to let me know when they figured it out or if he needed me.  He spent most of his day waiting, I had plans that night, without him, so I continued on with them, he still waiting when I left to go out.  

Around 11pm, when I was driving home, he called me to say they were admitting him.  I didn't want to talk while driving and he said he would call me back in an hour.  An hour comes and goes, nothing.  I eventually call the number he called me from, they say he is with the doctor and to call back in 15-20min.  mean while I am waiting nervously at my house,  not knowing whats going on.  After 30min. I call back he is still unavailable and they said they would let him know I called.  Eventually he calls me back and lets me know they are moving him to the ICU, and that basically his kidneys were failing.  I quickly grabbed some of his stuff and ran over to the hospital.

When I arrived at the hospital and found Dave he was in the same ICU room my mom was in a few months before (creepy right, but she came out just fine, so good feeling there).  I found out that he was diagnosed with end stage renal disease caused by a genetic disorder he has, Tubular Sclerosis.  According to the doctors they were amazed he was up and walking around when he came in based on his creatinine numbers.  They were going to monitor him and hopefully start him on Dialysis as soon as possible.  Which they did the next day.  

Transplant Listing

After he was out of the hospital he set up an appointment to get on Johns Hopkins list for a transplant.  By the time the appointment was scheduled it was the end of June/beginning of July and I had thought about giving him my kidney (meaning I had the idea in my head) but his dad was going to get tested and I figured I would see how that went first.  I am only 25 years old and my mom, and others are concerned about long term risks and the possibility of me getting pregnant in the future, which is mainly why I waited and didn't get tested right away.

Disappointment and 2nd listing

The Initial test was great!  They were a match!  But as the testing progressed (and time went by) his dad was ruled out as a donor, disappointing us all.  This probably happened 2 months ago?  Dave's mom, a dialysis nurse who has had a transplant herself, suggested that we get Dave on a second list.  So an appointment was made at the University of Maryland Medical center.  This appointment was less then a month ago.  Dave seemed to like that center better.  While there they stress how one can be on the list for a deceased kidney for a long time and how a living kidney is so much better.  Something we all already knew but hearing it again made me seriously consider donating especially since Dave's dad was no longer a match (even though UMMC is re-looking over his data, maybe they will accept him?).  

Taking the first step

A week after that appointment I sent in my paperwork and received a call the next day to set up a time to get my blood typed and tissue tested to see if Dave and I match.  This was the first step on my road to possibly being a kidney donor.  I did the blood test and found out less then a week ago that we are the same blood type, have one matching antigen, and our blood "Mixed well".  This meaning I can continue on with the testing.  The results came back fast and while I am excited I am also anxious as I find time to do the 24hour urine collection that is next.  Giving my kidney up is a big thing and a risk that I hope I am willing to take.

Okay, that is it for now.  I plan to post more about the pros and cons of living kidney donation to the donor, my story as it continues, my worries, joys, and more as it all unfolds.   There is more I could write now but this is already way too long for anyone to be interested in reading.  

<3