Interview and
Application
In order to donate a kidney, you have to start by completing
a phone interview with your donor coordinator. My donor coordinators name is
Kristi, she is really great, which makes the whole process much easier. She
started off by asking me a bunch of questions about my health history, and after a few minutes we were done and scheduling the blood work.
Blood Tests
After I was accepted, I had to go and have my blood drawn at
the same time as my dad. We went into the transplant clinic and each sat down
in their weird chairs they use to take your blood. I thought it would just be
one vile, but no, it was 8. Then they took my dad’s blood, and I
believe they took 12 from him. I asked the lady what they do with our blood to
find out if we are match, and she did not have a clear answer. Basically, they
test my blood to make sure I don’t have anything wrong with me. Then they see
if I am a blood match with my dad, which I knew we would be because we have the
same blood type. The last thing they do is mix our blood together to see if it
mixes or fights. Weird huh?
Two weeks later, we heard from our donor coordinator. Good
news! We are a match and our blood likes to play together not fight! Next step, a weeks worth of tests up at Baylor.
Testing Week
Day 1
I started my tests on Monday, April 9, the day after a very
long Easter holiday. The first day you meet with a ton of doctors about the
transplant process. My first appointment was at 9:00 a.m. with my donor
coordinator for Donor Orientation. Hayden was able to come with me on this day
because I wanted him to get as much information as possible. We dropped Judah
off at 8:15 a.m. and went by Chik-fil-a to get some breakfast. Yum! Only one
problem, I was not supposed to eat after midnight on Sunday because it would
throw off my glucose test. I remembered this one bite into my chicken minis!
Great, I am not even to my first appointment I have already screwed up.
Awesome.
I called Kristi, she said it was no big deal and that one
bite would not throw off the results by much. She said if it came back high
that I could just do it again. Ok, crisis averted.
Donor Orientation
Donor Orientation basically means they put me in a room and
turned on a video that explained the entire testing process. I thought…boring.
Aren’t I about to hear all of this today?
I swear I am worst than the sixth graders I teach. You would think I
would want to soak up as much information as possible, but for some reason I
really didn’t want to hear it twice, but I sat through it and it was helpful.
It explained the different tests, risks, benefits for the receiver, and
recovery.
Next up, Kristi and my dad came in and I signed a bunch of
paperwork. Also BORING. At this point I was started to experience the emotion
“Hangry”. Remember, I told you about it when Hillary had her surgery. We don’t
do well without food, and I was ready to eat but it wasn’t time yet.
My next appointment was meeting with my donor advocate,
Jennifer.
Donor Advocate
Anyone who wants to donate has a donor advocate. They are
social workers who work at the hospital with different patients. Jennifer asked
me a bunch of questions. Here are some of them:
Do you have someone to take care of you post surgery? Yes.
Do you have enough money to cover the time off work? I hope
so.
Is anyone paying you to donate a kidney? No…wait what? Seriously
I got asked this 3 times by 3 different doctors that day.
Do you do drugs? No. Do you drink? No. Do you smoke? No. I
was thinking “I might if you don’t stop asking me all these random questions!”.
Just kidding, she was nice and we finished pretty quickly. Basically a donor
advocate’s job is to be the liaison between the doctor’s and the person
donating. You can call her anytime you need to talk or if you have questions.
Blood Work
Next appointment, the glucose test! Finally, I can eat! Please hurry and stick me
because I am going to freak out if I don’t eat soon! Unfortunately, Mondays are
busy at the transplant clinic because that is the day patients who have
received a kidney or liver come in to meet with doctors and have their blood
work done. We waited an hour! I was so frustrated!
I am not going to lie, I was pretty nervous through this
entire process. My dad has always called me a “nervous nelly”. I can’t help it.
It is just the way I am. I cannot pinpoint the exact reason why I was nervous,
but I guess my donor coordinator picked up on it. She pulled me into one of the
rooms before my blood work and basically told me that she noticed I was nervous
and wanted me to know that I could back out at anytime. That I do not have to
do this and that my dad has other options and that if I feel like this isn’t
what I want to do to tell her. I said no, I am fine. OK so I kind of lied, but
I think it is normal to be nervous. Do I want to give my dad a kidney? Yes,
absolutely. Without a doubt. I am I scared? Yes, absolutely.
Blood work done, next appointment. A nasty sandwich from the
hospital cafeteria. My dad said it was delicious and it “hit the spot.” He
always says that, but let me tell you it was DISGUSTING. Maybe it was the
Snickers bar he ate afterward that “hit the spot.” Can you tell I am jealous of
the Snickers bar? I am trying to lose the baby weight, don’t judge me. After the blood work they give you
instructions on how to do a 24 hour urine catch (yes, I had to do this) and a
stool sample kit (and yes, I had to do this too). It grosses me out, so I am not
going to mention it again.
Nephrologist
This appointment was by far the appointment that provided
the most information and was the most helpful. The nephrologist I met with was
Dr. Steinbach, and he is also on the committee that will review my case to see
if I can donate. The only thing I know about hospital hierarchy is what I
learned from Grey’s Anatomy, but I am pretty sure he is the big man on campus.
He asked Hayden and my dad to leave the room so I could
answer all his questions honestly. They were pretty much the same as the donor
advocates questions. I then got the whole spiel about not having to donate if I
don’t want to. I got a little frustrated and asked this doctor why people keep
saying that to me. He told me that all the doctors I see today don’t care about
my dad’s health. Whoa, harsh. He said they are here for the donors. They are
here to make sure we are the best possible candidates and that we are fully
informed, so we can make the best decision. Dr. Steinbach told me he does not
want to take one person off of dialysis just to put someone else on it, so he has
to make sure I am healthy physically but also that I am mentally prepared for
what I am about to do.
Something funny did happen in there though. He asked me if I
do any street drugs? I laughed and said, "No, but do you have people that say
yes?". He said, "You would be surprised." That one time he had an older man about 60
say, “I don’t know about street drugs, but I do smoke a lot of marijuana”! Ha!
I needed that, it was hysterical! Finally, he examined me. Which means he
listened to me breathe and then felt around my stomach. Good to go. The only
thing that he paused about was my desire to have more children because that
would effect which kidney they take. I believe he said when you are pregnant
your uterus tilts and cuts off the function of the left kidney anyway, so that
would be the one they would take if I were approved.
Kidney Surgeon
I met with the actual kidney surgeon after this. He was
Italian and explained the entire process. He explained I would have 3 small
incisions and one larger incision (about the length of four fingers). The 3 small
ones are for cameras and tools, and the fourth one would be where they take out
my kidney. Gross, but good to know. As I understand it, it will be like a
c-section scar. Below my waistline either vertically or horizontally. Recovery
is 6 weeks. No lifting. Hold up, no lifting? I have an 8 month old son. This is
really my only reservation in this entire process. Scars. Fine. Drink a lot of
water. Fine. No Advil or Ibuprofen. Fine. But no lifting? This will be my
biggest challenge. I love holding Judah. I love bathing him, swinging him,
rocking him, and well he is a momma’s boy so I hold him all the time.
But I remembered what Hillary said, “This is all short term.
Keep it in perspective. Six weeks is not that long."
Radiology and Meeting with yet another Social Worker
I got a chest X-ray after that appointment. The lady was
Asian and did not speak English very well, but we managed by hand signals.
Haha! My last appointment was with another social worker. She asked me all the
same questions, and to be honest I did not like her at all and I am sure some
of it was because I was really tired and was sick of being asked the same
questions over and over again. I kind of felt like she was trying to get me to
admit I didn’t want to do the surgery, but I am sure she was just doing her
job. I am glad I do not have to see her again.
After this I thought I was done, but I forgot I had to get a
TB test. They stick something under my skin and it forms this gross red bubble.
If it stays for longer than few hours I have to come back. Thankfully it went
away! I am TB free!
That was Day 1! Can you believe it? It was a long day, but I
finished it with sushi with Hayden and Judah!
I will post day 2 tomorrow!
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