On Deck with the Kidney Doctor

 This blog will be posted some time after it was written due to an outside directive to not talk about my living donor experience until after I have donated.  If you are reading this, it is because I have completed the donation process. 

********************************************************************************

February 16, 2011

Not the actual
Kidney Doctor

No sooner did I finish the last post than I got a call from the program. I'm on deck again with the Kidney Doctor (baseball reference for those of you thinking I might be on a cruise ship-I wish). The first call I received was actually from my social worker (who is really awesome by the way) to make sure I was "okay" after my chat with the doctor and the subsequent chat with her and the program coordinator.  There was a bit of the "are you still mad at us" in her voice although she didn't actually ask that. It was positioned that they appreciated they had (again) sent a lot of information to digest my way and they wanted to make sure that I had been able to process it. The funny part is that I was "over it" about 15 minutes into talking to the doctor-his acknowledgement and sincerity allowed me to let go of any doubt, concern or frustration I was still feeling. I am still perturbed by the limitations of the policy of course but I stopped having any misgivings about the program itself early in my conversation with him (although the entire conversation for an hour plus was draining).

Within moments of assuring her everything was fine, I got a second call booking me with the nephrologist next Wednesday (a quick kudos to the program coordinator for giving me the doctor's name, appointment time, location AND length of time I should expect to be there-its nice to have all the info ahead of time to know what to expect).  Despite the fact that the appointment conflicted with a marketing luncheon I really wanted to attend, I was so excited to be at this stage that I agreed to the appointment time. I mean, I can find other ways to learn about how campaign managers used social media to market/promote/propel Naheed Nenshi into the Mayor's chair last fall. Quite frankly knowing if I am a go or no go is far more important.  And that is not a reflection of my patience levels of late.  Really. Well it kind of is.

Do I think I will "pass"?  I want to say yes.  I know that my progression through all the test phases indicates I scored better than normal in most if not all of my tests. I think my only concern is the few extra pounds I have developed in the last year or so although by no means do I feel unhealthy or obese. It does worry me that they will think I am too pudgy to donate. And I could work around that right?  I am still curious about the "hmmmp" the surgeon made when he flipped through my file and glanced at my MRI.  If I get him again after this I'm going to ask him what "hmmmp" meant.

While I have never had a child, it kind of feels like Wednesday is one of those pregnancy milestones where you learn the sex of the baby or get to see the babies face via one of those semi-creepy ultrasounds that shows you exactly what your child looks like.  I guess the ultrasounds themselves aren't creepy if its your own child but when you see other peoples children, still in the womb, on Facebook...well its a little weird. But I digress...I guess to make another analogy I feel like I'm getting to open that present that's been sitting under the Christmas Tree for weeks, making you wonder what's inside.

I hope its not like the time I got the empty cell phone box for Christmas.