Originally, when the committee met on April 26 they decided my urine test was an “undercatch” because it did not have 24 hours of urine, but instead of having me do it again they had me do the Glofil test which came back normal. When they met on May 11, one of the doctors on the committee looked at my urine catch again and noticed that my protein was 220, which is close to the cutoff of 250. He thought that was strange since it was an undercatch. So Kristi called me and said I needed to do the urine catch yet AGAIN. She explained to me that high protein levels can be the first sign of kidney damage. It means that my kidneys are not catching the protein and filtering it out, but that they are spilling it into my urine. I was very upset when she said I had to do it again. I felt angry at her and upset that I still did not have an answer for my dad.
Mother’s day was that Sunday the 13th, and as you know Hillary had to go to the hospital. So since I was already there, I got my bucket and did the test on Tuesday, May 15. This test is so annoying because if you leave you have to take the bucket with you and keep it on ice….gross. I turned in the results Wednesday morning, and had my blood taken.
Thursday afternoon about 1:00 p.m. Kristi called me and said that my protein level was 363, far greater than the cutoff of 250. I was shocked and speechless. I just sat there and started crying. She told me that the committee surprises her sometimes but she was 90% sure they would deny me based on my protein levels. Then she said that my kidneys may never fail, but with high protein levels like mine I need to be in the care of nephrologists pretty much for the rest of my life. I am so devastated with the news. Not for myself but for my dad. I am sure at that moment the only one who knew exactly how I felt was my sister and she was in the hospital.
I can’t explain the feelings I am experiencing right now. I was of course very scared to do the surgery and almost backed out because of the fear, but I spoke with my brother and he made things very clear for me. He said I have a great opportunity to trust God like I have never trusted Him before, and that if I back out and keep my kidney then I am trying to control things that are not in my control. This was on Wednesday before I found out I was not able to donate. On Thursday, before I found out I couldn’t do the surgery, I was feeling very much at peace with the decisions to go through with the surgery and then it all just changed. I know God is in control but I am very scared for my dad. He will stay on the transplant list for now, and will stay on it until he gets one from the list or from another person who is willing to be a living donor.
So now I am going to make a plea for all the people out there who are waiting for organs. Please become a donor. It is so easy, all you do is check a box when you get your license or you can sign up online. There are thousands of people waiting and dying. We can change that. You don’t need your earthly body when you die, why not save someone’s life? Someone’s dad, mother, or even child? Or if you want, you can become a living donor. You know exactly what to expect, I have chronicled it here for you. Please think about it, pray about it, and make your decision. If you would like information, I am sure I could get it for you. If you would like to help my dad, you have to have type O blood. I can give you any information you need from Kristi.
Thank you so much for following my story, and my dad’s and Hillarys. It is the end for Hillary and I, but I hope it isn’t the end for him. I believe God has a plan and I am praying it is to keep him around 20 more years. Thanks so much for reading.
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