Day to Day Life and Dialysis

The blog of a 26 year-old dialysis and liver patient in Memphis, Tennessee giving a day to day (or week to week... or whenever she feels like telling you) recount of the ups and downs of life at the moment.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

I RECEIVED A TRANSPLANT!!!!!!!!!

I got the call a few days after my birthday and had the surgery on Friday, March 9! I called my mom and she hung up on me. Then I called one of my sisters and she hung on my too. So I ended up calling my granny in Loiusiana and she calmed down enough so that I could pack an overnight bag and make it to the car. My mom called back a few minutes later and told me that she was on her way to the hospital but she didn't know which one. After I gave her the information she told me that she would sign in for me but that I had to hurry up because she wasn't getting stuck! That whole day is kind of a blur after that! But it was the best birthday present in the world. I am pretty much out of commision for the next month and a half, but it is more than worth it. My transplant team said that there haven't been any complications so far and that the kidney is functioning perfectly.

I can't help but wonder about the person that died in order for me to receive the transplant. I wonder what his/her life was like, what made them want to be an organ donor and how they made their wishes known to their families? My doctor's told me that this is a normal reaction and that it would pass... but I don't want it to. I really want to know what life was like for that person. Where was his/her life going, who was he/she... all of that. I have to write a letter to the family because I would love to meet them and thank them in person... I don't know if that is one of my better ideas, but it is something I feel I must do.

I knew that I would have a lot to deal with both before and after the transplantation, both mentally and physically. But some days things are a lot harder than I expect them to be. It's hard having people do most things for you when you are used to being independent. I am stubborn, so I still try to do a lot of things on my own. I am in the second week of recovery and I feel great. I feel like I could be Forrest Gumo and just start running for no reason at all... but then reality kicks in. My body is nowhere near strong enough to undergo half of the things that I want to do right now. Two days after surgery my family and friends could tell that I was becoming restless, that I was ready to move. I guess when you have been stagnate and attached to a machine for two years of your life, you want to feel the freedom that comes with breaking those bonds. There are so many things that I want to do, but I still have to put a few things on hold, by choice. I applied to graduate school this year, under the assumption that I would still be a dialysis patient. So now I think that I am going to stay here for the next eight months so that my transplant team can monitor my progress. I want to be close by just in case something happens. (My mom is teaching me to be a hypochondriac... I think it's working!) There is so much more to tell... but it's late and my body is aching... so I'll have to do this in installments! Until next time...

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