Transplant Update

It's been two weeks since I was called and told I had a live kidney donor.
I called Vanderbilt this morning . It's my case coordinator's day off. So
we chased around and they started trying to find out what they could.
The girl was actually very nice. My labs were compatible with the donor (and they called it a "her" so I won'tbe growing a beard or anything). The donor, however, has not completed all her testing. We have also chased my mammogram around the world but they finally decided I'm okay. Said if I didn't hear from them, call back in a week or so. Big sigh!

I'm trying to be very, very patient. (Excuse me a moment while I scream.)

Results

My dr. gave me a shot of antibiotics and Rx for a ZPak. Said I had sinus infection, fluid behind my ear drums, swollen lymph glands. She was excited about the transplant. Said let her know when it was set and she'd be praying for me. I love my doctor! She is so cool.

Prayers Needed!

I need your prayers. I'm trying to get a sore throat and sinus thing. I have a dr.'s appointment in the morning!

Well, it was an exciting day at dialysis. I received the kit yesterday and took it into the center today. I had not told anyone there that I had gotten a call. I asked the receptionist if she could take care of this (the box) for me and she asked what it was. I said I'm suppose to send blood samples to Vanderbilt, and she says we send samples to them every month. I said, no, this is for my transplant, and she says, but we send them samples every month for that. I said Nooo, Angie, I got a kidney. This is so I can get my kidney. It finally dawned on her what I was saying and she screamed! Then she was screaming to the whole center that I had gotten a kidney. Then she told everybody who came into the center. She was so excited! I'm a pretty laid back person, but I told her I was shaking after her display of excitement! It was so funny. Then she called everybody that wasn't working today. Everybody was very nice and wished me luck, etc. I kind of hated to go in and say, "Hey, I gotta kidney!" when there are so many who have been there longer than me, and some that aren't candidates for a transplant. But they were all very gracious.

I Couldn't Resist Posting These

More Than You Probably Want To Know.....but I find them fasinating!

Click for close-up detail

Testing Before Transplant

http://www.aakp.org/aakp-library/Transplant-Compatibility/index.cfm

Not Yet . . . .

I realized after a comment that I didn't give a time frame. They are going to mail the kit to me to have my blood taken and then Fed-Exed to Vanderbilt for the test. If all goes well, we're looking at about a two week time period. They are also checking a previous mammogram to compare a more recent one to it. They didn't say why, so I'm not going there unless they tell me to. We've played a lot of phone tag yesterday and today but I think we finally got some stuff settled.

~Later

Guess What?!!!!!!!!

I got a call this morning that was totally unexpected. I don't care how much you know it might happen, can happen, will someday happen, it's still surreal when it happens. No, I didn't win a sweepstake or the lottery. But, I got a call from the Vanderbilt transplant office. They said I may have a kidney!!! Let me explain.

This person was tested to see if they could be a donor for someone waiting on the transplant list. They were not a match. So the person told them they would still give their kidney and to put them in the computer. That's when they found that I was a match. And a live donor at that! I had thought I was destined for a cadaver donor if at all. I left it in God's hands. I did not know how or for what to pray for, so I left it in His hands, whether a live or cadaver donor, or stay on dialysis. I've just tried to take it all a day at a time. And then this morning, I got the surprise phone call! There is one more test before it's a sure thing. That's where they will mix some of my blood with the donor's blood.

If you have anti-human antibodies in your blood, they may react with the tissue type of a kidney donor, which means that you would not be able to receive a kidney from that donor. The antibodies in your blood would attack and damage the kidney immediately after transplantation. This is called "hyperacute rejection" which usually results in loss of the transplanted kidney. For more information check out this website: http://www.transplantexperience.com/kidney_body_faqs.php?f=o#5

This is possibly the start of a whole new journey. It, too, will have to be taken a day at a time. I'm excited, nervous, scared, anxious, ALL OF THE ABOVE! I don't know how I'll feel if it all falls through, but I know it will be okay either way. It will still be in God's hands.

Hubby's in the Hospital

William had not felt well for several days. It's not unusual for him to have bouts of discomfort from osteo-arthritis and other maladies. But, he commented Friday night that he didn't know why his leg kept hurting. Well, that rang a bell and I asked if he thought he could have a blood clot. It had crossed his mind and we decided to get him to the emergency room. It wasn't long until he was sure that's what it was and tests confirmed it. Two blood clots in his right leg and one in his lung. William has had blood clots before, always after surgery. This time is independent of surgery. And there's nothing to do but wait. Frustrating.