: )

ugh, he was even better looking today.

and he said everything looks great and he can't believe i am so mobile and spirited a mere 2 weeks from the date of the surgery. he was a little concerned that i hadn't gotten my appetite back yet (down 17 lbs now) but he said it should return shortly. it's not that i don't have an appetite, it's just that i get full so fast (i.e. one single serving cup of yogurt was my lunch, it fills me up. for dinner last night i had 4 saltines with tuna on them. for breakfast i had a peach and some water.) like i said before, i'm not complaining... but it is hard, for example, i went to dinner with a friend thursday night and i had two bites of my grilled chicken and a piece of broccoli and that's all i could have before getting full. oh well. soon enough i will be back 100%

since i was in the city, i decided not to waste the trip, so i did a little bit of shopping (i got a really cute faux croc print clutch-- for all the fundraising dinners i go to, a cute necklace, and some new makeup) and then i met a friend from college for sushi dinner (6 pieces was about all i could take!) but it was delicious none-the-less.

anyway, the good news is that the surgeon said i could resume bike riding, running, walking, aerobics, etc right away. and maybe with all that extra exertion, i'll build up my appetite. ((hopefully!!)) he told me, of course, that i shouldn't do 5 miles tonight, but that i could build myself back up. so-- to the track tomorrow!!

anyway, thanks for keeping up to date with me. i'll be going back to the rogosin institute every 3 months to track my kidney functions so they have a better understanding of how those who have donated their organs are doing. however, i do have to admit that if they cannot schedule me around my work hours, i will most likely be skipping those appointments since: A. i have already used up all my sick/vacation/personal days and have none left and B. i have spent about $300-$350 in travel and various other expenses related to this kidney donation. so, i do not plan on putting myself out there anymore :(

**not to mention the amount of money my parents spent on this donation: i'm guesstimating around $500**

but, with that said i'm glad this process is over and i was successful in saving a life (although i haven't spoken much with my recipient). i hope my story has inspired you to at least be nice to others and consider the struggles they are facing. there is a saying that goes:

"be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a hard battle"

how appropriate : )