When I found out (without warning) that I was at
Stage 5 Kidney Failure in Jan. 2013 (even though I
was feeling fine but tired) I went from a person
who loved doing a lot of things, to a person
living in a recliner. I had an online business
that I loved, had many hobbies such as making
jams, woodworking, Family History, serving
at church and just loving my life in general.
So going from doing a lot, to doing nothing
was quite a shock.
I have found (especially as I have gotten older)
if I ask the Lord what he wants me to learn
from this, instead of "why me," it helps me a lot
more to get though the trial faster and I
always learn a lot.
Going through a kidney transplant and having
to take 31 pills a day has been the hardest
thing I ever have had to do, but I would do
it again in a heartbeat because of all I have
learned from it and the people I have met
and even helped (they tell me).
My kidney doctor has asked me to be an
ambassador for kidney donation and go and
talk to groups of people because of the
passion I have for people to be educated
(thus lessening any fear they might have
for donating) and people who might be in
need of a kidney transplant.
For example most people have no idea
we need just one kidney to live a perfectly
normal life, or that there are over 124,000
Men, Women, and Children waiting on
a National Organ Donor List to see if they
will receive an organ.
I was so blessed to have 7 living donors
come forward and wanted to donate one
of their kidneys to me. I sent out an email
to family members and talked about it at
church, and 7 people (including a friend
of my daughters and a church friend of
mine) wanted to give a kidney to me.
What a truly humbling experience.
With a living donor, it speeds the process
up so much faster and the timing improves
along with it to help you get one sooner.
The average waiting time on the National
Donor List is 7-8 yrs and a lot of these
people die before ever getting an organ
because there are just not enough of them...
either by families donating them, deceased
persons leaving organs to be donated, or
because they don't have a living donor.
So, you might be asking what can I do to
help? There are a number of things you
can do to help. (See Below)
1) Help you and your family get educated
about organ donation.
2) Sign up at the DMV or put on the back
of your Drivers License that you wish to
donate your organs if you are in a fatal
car accident.
3) Make a donation of cash to the National
Kidney Foundation or the Univ. of Utah
Donate Life Foundation.
4) Look into donating a kidney to someone
on the Waiting List and saving a persons life!
There is no better feeling on the earth than
that of saving another persons life!
Have a great day! If you have your organs
you should already be having a great day,
and know what a blessing that is in your
life. Please do not take them for granted.
They keep you living the life you want.
For information about the Kidney Donation
Program in Utah (they are the fastest in my
opinion)
Go to this LINK:
If I can be of any help to anyone about this
subject, Please let me know. Leave your email
address in the comment section of this post.
I will get back to you asap.
Thanks
Very inspirational. So glad that you are feeling better. My step-brother has recently had a kidney transplant, and we are so thankful for donors.
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