Kidney Giveaway!

I'm back. I am the most failed blogger of all time!! I think the last time I posted was March. I also switched blog sites, so all of my old posts say they were from Oct. 2013. Lies. It's all lies.

Quick update on life: I am in school still, still working my butt off! I get to apply to the nursing program after this semester. Dan is a stay at home dad at the moment, and he LOVING it. Haha, actually he's dealing with it ;) Landon and Kyla turned 4 in August and had a super sweet bounce house party. But I guess the big news was the kidney news. I got a simple blood test to just see if I was a match to donate to my sister in law....and shocker....I WAS.

So these days, I am giving away organs. Watch the bone marrow people call me after this kidney donation. Haha. I never really thought getting my blood drawn would turn into giving away a kidney! When I first found out I was a match I wasn't 100% surprised. Dan and I both had a feeling it would happen that way. It took me a lot of research, a lot of prayer, and a lot of help from my Uncle Cliff who is a nephrologist! (How convenient for me :) After all that I agreed to move onto Phase II, which is all sorts of tests. I had a CT, many blood draws, got a shot of radioactive something or other and peed in a toilet hat for a day haha, an EKG, chest Xray, BP monitor for 24 hours. I had to meet with a caseworker, social worker, nephrologist, urologist, lawyer, psychologist, etc. It was long and draining. Finally after a few weeks I got the call saying I was medically, physically, and mentally (how I passed that.........hahah) CLEARED to donate. Cleared with bad news though, my right kidney seemed to look smaller than my left. They want to leave you with the larger kidney, so if they took my right they couldn't do laparoscopic surgery because of the anatomy of the human body. It would HAVE to be open surgery. Which means more painful, longer recovery, etc. That would mean surgery would have to be next summer, and I would have to take time off school. Finally, after one more test where I got to watch my urine drain from my kidneys to my bladder, it was determined my kidneys are almost equal size! I was so relieved. After a few months of all this I am 100% all in on this. They ask you like 100 times if you want to back out. I would be sad at this point if something happened where I couldn't donate. So as of now Amanda and I will go into surgery on Monday, Dec 16th.

I have to have about 20 more vials of blood drawn 2 weeks before surgery for a final "tissue typing" to make sure I can still be her match and donate. If that's all clear I have my pre-op visit on the 13th. I am actually looking forward to the 16th but I am praying I will be able to function on Christmas. This is the only time I am able to do the surgery around my school schedule since I am really packing classes in now. There have been a few moments I feel a little crazy, haha, mom of 4 year old twins, a legal caregiver to my husband, in school trying to be a nurse, and hey, why not just hand off an organ!

The thing is, it's so much more to me than just "giving away an organ" even though that's how I phrase it. People have called me a hero, and an angel and stuff. But trust me, if you were in my situation you'd make the same choice! I saw firsthand my sister in law's health just deteriorate. We didn't know why. I saw my sister in law in dialysis within a day of going to the ER. I listened to my mother in law sob on the phone after she found out her daughter was in total kidney failure literally overnight. I have seen Amanda's skin color change just from one day of her blood finally being cleaner. I have heard her complain about her pain, I have seen her scars. I have sat with her during dialysis and seen the gigantic needles that go in her arm 3 times a week. I have seen the place she sits 3 days a week while she relies on a machine to keep her alive. She is my husbands little sister, his only sibling. I 100% want to give her a kidney so she can resume normal life. This was a girl who would work 2-3 jobs at a time never complaining and now she's too sick to be allowed to lift over 10 pounds! If she gets my kidney, and it works, she can go back to NORMAL life. She has to take anti rejection meds forever, but what a small price to pay for a whole NEW life! If all I have to do is have surgery and give an organ I have two of, count me in. I pray a lot that I can give this kidney, I also pray that surgery is successful for both her and I. I pray that the kidney will work once it is in her body.

Sorry for such a long post! One last thing, because people ask a lot. Here's what I will go through. Early day at the hospital on the 16th. Go into surgery as soon as we are able to. Mine takes less than 2 hours I BELIEVE....maybe a little more?? I wake up eventually (I am a PACU's worst nightmare haha, I either cry a lot, hate or LOOOOVE everyone and I also am a puker.) I move up to my room later (which I have heard a rumor I get to stay in VIP at the clinic which is apparently super great), and then I stay there for about 3 days. I have a catheter for the first 24 hours to measure my urine. Joy joy! For the first 7 days I am not allowed to be alone at. all. Scary a little? lol. I am not allowed to drive for 2 weeks (that rules out last minute Xmas shopping, because ya'll know I'm nuts and would try to if I could), and I'm not allowed to lift over 10 lbs for 4-6 weeks.. Sorry twinnies!!! I have spoken to many donors at this point and the verdict is: you feel like garbage for 2 weeks-ish. Yay for that falling on Christmas ;)

We already have had SO many people offer to help with the kids, with food, with Dan, with me, etc. We have people from church who already requested the day off work to just be at the hospital with Dan while Amanda and I undergo surgery. I am OVERWHELMED by the love and support from those people. You know who you are, and you are AMAZING!!!!! I am go grateful for the blessings God has given us. A kidney match, and amazing people who have our backs. We are so blessed!!!!!!

Now that I wrote a book......I hope you all have a good day :) :)

XO Em