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an invitation to be glad with me

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shelley:
I have been around this lovely place for about a year, reading, learning and ~yes envying~ those of you who are donors.

Now, at last, I get to be one.

I will get the high privilege of donating my left kidney to my friend Heather on August 8 at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA.  Heather lives in Anchorage and I live in northern Indiana and we've never met in person, but became friends online at a mutual interest forum.  She is a truly wonderful person whose suffering has refined her into a compassionate, kind and encouraging friend to many.  From the beginning, it seemed like the right thing to do:  she has Polycystic Kidney Disease and needs a kidney; I have two and only need one.  I'm a very emotional person, but this wasn't an emotional choice, more of a practical one.

Then came the year of trying to convince the hospital that I am healthy.  I'm 60 and while I exercise daily and eat healthy, I have about 30 extra pounds that I've been unsuccessful at losing.  At one point they said my bp was too high at 142/74, so my dr. prescribed dyazide and it went down to 108/65.  Heather had to spend 6 months getting immunized for the hepatitis I had 40 years ago.  All the other tests came out normal, so I guess I'm a chubby healthy person and soon to be a bona fide kidney donor!

I knew that here, I would find people who would rejoice with me, and really understand how excited and thrilled I am.  I've read many of your posts that say you're uncomfortable with all the exclamations of "You're amazing" and "You're a hero" or an angel or something.  Now I'm experiencing that too.  I'm just trying to look at it from their point of view, but really, it's no big deal compared to what Heather has to endure every day.

Thanks for letting me hang around here for so long wishin' and hopin'.  Any words of wisdom/advice would be welcomed.

Fr Pat:
Dear Shelly,
      Congratulations! Best wishes and prayers for the coming surgery.
      I think you hit it right on the head when you observed that what we donors put up with as far as risks, pains, discomforts, inconveniences, etc. are "no big deal" when compared with what many people with kidney failure have to deal with every day. That's not to minimize or ignore our risks, pains, etc. but they certainly look different when we take the broader view and include the real situations of the intended recipients.
     I hope you'll keep us informed.
          best wishes,
              Fr. Pat

Oldnslow:
Congratulations Shelly and Good Luck :)

I'm 59, donated 2.5 years ago and seem to be doing OK.   Sounds like you will as well.  Oh, yeah, I've found at 59 its not as easy staying at the 21  year old weight any more either.  Ha.  But when I was at the Dr two weeks ago, by blood pressure was 110/70 and yes they told me I should lose some weight.  Working on it.

Oldnslow

APV:
Congratulations Shelley!  You are right, no one other than people here can understand the joy one feels upon getting the green light to become a donor.  I will be donating a kidney to my husband in just 9 days!  No one seems to understand why I am SO excited about it, but I know that people here understand.  Good luck to you and your friend.

Angelica

tom carr:
Shelly,

Congratulations and good luck. I was 61 when I donated last October. While I did not know the recipient beforehand, I sure do now. And it's a great feeling, one that I'm sure you also will experience. I recovered in a "normal" period of time....even at my advanced age! So you should too... LOL.

Again, good luck!

Tom

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