Kidney Transplant...A Roller Coaster Ride

      

  After going back to Utah in Oct. 2014, I thought

things would move fast. We had donors ready to go, and

the hospital was ready as well. What I did not know was

that each donor took about two months to complete all the

necessary tests ensuring the best match for me. The waiting

game and roller coaster ride was about to begin. I waited

for someone to call me from the hospital and tell me

what was happening. It took two weeks to receive a call,
however, I was ready to move forward immediately..

            
          I felt extremely humbled by family and friends that

had signed up months before to donate a kidney on my

behalf. I had five donors to be tested, and I felt blessed.

            The first donor was my daughter. I had always felt

she would be the match or play a very important part in all

of this. It took a few months of testing to find out she was

about a 51% match...the hospital felt we could get a closer

match.

   
            Although this appeared be a setback, we found out

about the “Paired Exchange Program”. A wonderful

opportunity where more people can be helped by receiving

a kidney. Anyone (family member, friend) can donate a

kidney on behalf of the person who needs a transplant. The

person who needs a transplant can then receive one from a

“Good Samaritan Donor” (a person who voluntarily donates

a kidney) all dependant upon sharing a good match.

           My daughter decided to start the Paired-Exchange

Program process. She had gone through just about all of the

tests needed when we found out that there was a Good Samaritan

Donor that was a perfect match for me. We were very excited

to find this out! But in order to receive the kidney, one of my

donors needed to donate their kidney to someone else. So, my

daughter stepped forward.

    
          It was the week before Thanksgiving when my daughter

had one of the last tests needed (a CT scan) showing a mass.

That was quite a shock to all of us! I just wanted my daughter

to be okay. We were all concerned about the possibility of

cancer. Her chances of being a donor had stopped. As she went

for additional tests to find out what should be done, it took a

number of weeks before we found out it was most likely not

cancer. We were extremely thankful!

         While we waited, the hospital started testing the second

donor, my brother. He did the required testing and found

out that he was a good match. We were all thinking I might

receive a kidney by the end of 2013. To my surprise we

found out the hospital had reserved the operating room

for Dec. 31^st New Year's Eve. We were extremely happy

until we heard the news that my brother had high blood

pressure and needed a month of monitoring. After the

monitoring, it was decided that it would not be in his best

interest to proceed as a donor. Thankfully, my brother could

now take care of a previously unidentified health issue.
Another blessing in disguise. Again we were extremely
grateful.

          Then donor #3, a dear family friend began the donor
testing. But, before she got too far, a miracle happened, the
doctors agreed to not only remove the kidney from my daughter,
but the benign mass as well. The Paired-Exchange program

looked to be the hope for which we were looking.

         Again, the rollercoaster of highs and lows continued.

Patience was needed, that has been a life lesson I have

learned through this process.