the big day!! (well, one of the big days)

today was the day of extensive tests (the word extensive being used lightly). i went to bed at 2:30am, woke at 5:30am, was on the LIRR (long island rail road) at 6:50am and at the Rogosin Institute by 8:30am. it was an incredibly early morning, but SO worth it!! i feel more confident and excited about the donation more than ever. besides the awkwardness of carrying in a pitcher of urine, 3 QUARTS!! to be exact, it was a great day! 

first, i met with my transplant coordinator. she briefly went over what was going to happen that morning. i had to sign consent forms to be tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C and have more blood work. then i waited. while i was waiting, i noticed this woman. she sad down with a blue lunch cooler. she looked so tired, worn out. shortly after she sat down, she opened the cooler and took out the biggest pill case holder i have ever seen. literally, it was the size of a textbook. she took pill after pill after pill. i couldn't imagine having to live my life like that-- relying on pills to maintain my body. seeing that made my mind stop running for a moment and appreciate life. after a while, i was called into the back to have more blood drawn. the same guy who did it the 1st time i went did it this time. he was very nice... tried to make small talk; "where you from?" "how did you hear about this" "what do you do/where do you work" "what nationality are you??" etc. he was nice; kept me entertained. 

i learned today that i am an altruistic donor, meaning that i came out of no where and am doing this for a stranger with no personal gain or benefit. altruistic donors are far and few between. it is true that most donors give to family members or close friends. random strangers are more rare. anyway, after they analyzed my urine (all 3 gallons of it) and poked my arm a little more for some blood, i was off to meet with the MD. he had a funny sense of humor- like a bad, flirty kinda of conversation; he kept trying to joke, but it was so weird. it made me laugh though! at the end of the medical history check, he said i was a great candidate. then i met with a social worker, who was also very nice. she asked me a lot of questions regarding my decision to donate, if my family knew and supported my decision, family background, my personal, financial and social stability -- all of which was great. lastly, i went to another medical building to get a chest x-ray and an EKG. the EKG was a little weird because she asked me to undress from my waist up (so basically my shirt and bra had to be removed) and put on a gown with the opening in the front. anyone who knows me knows that i am not ashamed to be naked, so i did-- except that she never left the room while i was changing, so i undressed in front of her. then she laid me on the table and opened the gown so i was exposed to everyone. again, i am not shy about being naked, but what was the point in putting on the gown if she was going to watch me undress and then pull it off once i was laying down?? haha. i don't know why, but this bothered me a little, the concept of the gown and all. maybe it was just protocol. who knows. anyway, it took like a minute to get a reading of my heart and then i stood up, baring breasts, got dressed and went on my merry way. 

the one downfall of the day: i wore my favorite flats and got blisters, so before i hopped on the train home i bought some flip flops. but other than that, my day was very exciting. oh! i hear the results back (if i am healthy enough to proceed) next week sometime. after i hear back, i have to schedule a catscan and a meeting with a psychiatrist. once i am cleared from that as well, we are setting a date for surgery. i asked when they thought it would be and they said the end of august; which actually works out perfectly because my sister will be coming back from korea then and can be my nurse :)

xoxo