7 weeks sonogram
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
big news
7 weeks sonogram
Thursday, December 11, 2008
let's play catch up...
well, my life has pretty much gone back to 100% normal. i am doing everything i did before the donation (besides donating blood, which i always did on a regular basis. well, that and i no longer use advil. ive switched to tylenol).
my recipient recently e-mailed me to tell me that he had just gotten back from a christmas gift vacation in st. maarten (me=jeallllloussss!!). his wonderful sister had surprised him and his gf with a week long trip. he had attached photos... and he looks great! healthy, able to enjoy some beers and in great spirits!
although kris and i aren't particularly close, i am glad i was able to give him the opportunity to regain his life back. from what he has told me, him and his gf, sezin, are planning on tying the knot soon. it amazes me to think that just a few short months ago common milestones in life as such weren't even an option. we all take our lives, and even special moments like weddings and marriages, even relationships we build with others, for granted so often. during this holiday season, i know i will be extra grateful for the life i live and the opportunities i have been given.
although i truly believe that we create our own fate, there is some magic in life that can never be explained. like when you fall in love, or see snow for the first time that season or when you laugh so hard you cry. i dont know if i would say it was fate that i decided to donate my kidney just as kris' were failing, or call it "meant to be" that i found him on matching donors. i just think our lives were meant to mean something and in this particular instance, my meaning in life was to donate my kidney. and kris' life wasn't meant to end when his kidneys started failing.
i apologize for getting all heartfelt :)
however, i do want to take this opportunity to wish everyone happy holidays. i hope you take the time to sincerely appreciate your family, friends and good fortune in life. although every aspect of your life may not be perfect (i know mine certainly is not, and the economy is not helping!!! eek! haha), there must be places where we can consider ourselves grateful. i know i have a loving, caring and supportive family. i have friends that care for me and look out for me. i have people who pray for me daily. i am in great health. i can make myself laugh. i have a job. i have a home. i can afford food, clothing and shelter. and i can pass along my warm, caring, festive energy onto others.
i plan on volunteering some time at the local food pantry to help those in need this winter, and you should consider doing the same. and if you cannot find time to do so, make a contribution in the form of donating food, clothing or money if possible. go to a local church or community center. i am sure they have a giving tree where you can pick a card off a tree and buy a gift for a family in need. although you may feel like (and very well may be) suffering somewhat, it is more than likely someone out there is having a harder time. so next time you're at the store and see the volunteer ringing the bell for the salvation army, drop in a dollar or two. or if you're in line at the grocery store and they ask you to donate a dollar to st. jude, say yes. don't push and shove to get in front of one person while doing your gift shopping. don't cut people off on the parkway to get home faster. and thank god every night for the wonderful life you have.
appreciate all you have. you never know when it could all be taken from you. and what a better time to be thankful for what we have than right now. the present time is the best time to make a change.
happy holidays,
melissa
Thursday, November 06, 2008
photos from my parents.... finally!!!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
update
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A teacher at my school went missing monday...
Thursday, October 09, 2008
a clip of the NBC story
Oct. 9: Thanks to matchingdonors.com, New York resident Kris Randall received a kidney he desperately needed. Melissa Stephens, 23, explains why she became a donor to a complete stranger. NBC’s Victor Limjoco reports
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/vp/27091798#27091798
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
"Be Kind" - By Kris Randall
question and answers for the siena magazine
The first thing is tell me about your experience at Siena.
What was the most difficult part of this process?
What were peoples’ reactions to your decision? Did anyone try to talk you out of it? Did the hospital try to test your willingness?
Kidney donation from a living person is still very rare. Do you think you will work as an advocate for it in the future? Would you recommend it to others?
Why kidney donation and not, say, raising money for cancer research in honor of your grandmother?
Do you feel as good about it now as you did when you were making the decision?
Do you have photos you can send us?
Who is the recipient (if you are allowed to tell us)?
When is the NBC special going to air? Will it air in Albany or just on LI?
Melissa,
Thank you so much! This is great! I will be sending you my copy very soon. I would say tomorrow or Friday. I can’t wait to get this story published…by the way did I tell you it’s the president’s issue. It’s all about our Franciscan mission…this will be our lead story J
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
link to siena
Monday, September 22, 2008
thanks alyssa!!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
siena promethean
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
"shine"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psUTJeDdAVQ
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
parrrr-tayyyy
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
sorry about the delay...
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
uh oh...
i called the doctor to see if it is something to be concerned about-- but of course he didn't answer, so i am waiting for his returned call.
anyway-- hopefully it is nothing! :)
regardless... its frrrrridayyyyyyyyyy !!
**************************************
i just got a call back from the doctor... he said that when they take out the kidney, they have to cut the nerves. the pain may be due to the nerves regenerating. however, if it continues for a few more days or gets more intense, i am to go in right away.
i will keep you posted about what happens :)
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
a little downfall...
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
it has been a while
Monday, July 28, 2008
: )
going to see the surgeon today
Saturday, July 26, 2008
oops i forgot
Friday, July 25, 2008
my experience
i got to new york Presbyterian around 9:30am. i was signed in immediately and ushered with my parents down to another waiting room. there, we met up with my recipient and his girlfriend. within seconds, i was asked to come and get dressed. so i left for a brief period of time and instructed to put on typical hospital material pants, revealing gown, a robe and some booties. looking like a "real" patient now, i was able to go sit with my parents again, where i held my mom's hand almost the entire time. NBC showed up and encouraged us to simply talk normally, so we did while they taped us. maybe 5 minutes later, i was asked to leave again with another nurse. as i entered the hallway, my (as previously stated, cute) surgeon was there. he said good morning and high-fived me. then i went into another room to have my blood pressure taken (120/69!! so calm!!), my temperature taken, some preliminary questions answered, etc.
by 10:15 i was called by a nurse to head to the OR. i kissed my parents, my recipient and his girlfriend goodbye and started my walk into the OR. for purposes of the news, NBC taped us (me and the nurse) walking as we headed for the OR. she explained to me that i would have an IV put in then, they would give me anesthesia, and the procedure would last about 3 hours. once we got to our operating room (they had 15 different rooms!!), my two anesthesiologists came out and asked me if i had ever had a reaction to anesthesia before. they continued on explaining what would happen: i'd get in the OR, lay on the table, have an IV inserted, be given a little anesthesia to calm me down (although i wasn't nervous at all). a few moments later, i walked into the OR. it was a typical OR: white, metal and very large. i got on the table, arms laid out to form a "T" with my body. everyone who came into the OR to introduce themselves (doctor assistants, anesthesiologists, nurses, etc) to me were in awe of my donation, especially to a total stranger. at the same time, one of the anesthesiologists inserted an IV into the top of my right hand (ouch!!) and to be honest, i don't remember anything after that. usually, they have you count backwards from 10 until you fall asleep (most people don't get past saying 10, haha), but i don't even remember that.
next thing i knew, i was awake, still in the OR. my upper left shoulder was killing me. it hurt so bad, i wanted to cry, but i couldn't because i was in so much pain. someone to my right said that i could get more pain medication in the recovery room because they had no more in the OR. there was a male standing next to me on my left and i begged him to massage my shoulder, so he did. again, my memory gets lost here, but the next thing i remember is being in the recovery room in pain. i kept begging my nurse to let me see my mom and for more pain meds. she kept saying, "one more minute." after what seemed like hours, i couldn't help it. it took all my strength, but i burst into tears. well, as close to crying as i could get. i was shaking and tears were falling from my cheeks. i was in so much pain, i couldn't even form words. eventually, she saw me and immediately brought over some morphine. within a few moments of her inserting it into my IV, most of the pain subsided and i was able to control myself again. shortly after, i over heard some nurses talking as they brought in my recipient: "56 year old male, just received a kidney transplant..." i knew it was him. again, i begged my nurse to let my mom and dad come see me and since she felt bad for ignoring me before, she was happy to meet my request. as soon as my mom rounded the corner, i put on my biggest smile and tried to push back the pain. she looked so worried and concerned. "i am so proud of you," is the first thing she said to me. it was quickly followed with, "why is your face so swollen??" i hadn't noticed, but i guess my face was so puffy, you couldn't even distinguish my neck from my face. the nurse assured my mom it was just a reaction to the anesthesia and the amount fluids i was receiving intravenously and it would go away shortly. after waiting in the recovery room for about another hour, there was finally a bed open that they could transfer me to. my parents came with me and we all went upstairs to Baker 15, the floor i was on.
by now, it was 5pm and i shimmied my way into my much more comfortable hospital bed. air pressurized booties were on my feet, every 30 seconds or so, they'd fill up with air and massage my feet. additionally, my bed did the same thing, but just not as often (bummer). slowly but surely, i was able to keep my of my liquids down (i kept getting nauseous from the pain meds) and by the end of the night, i was eating applesauce!!
the first night was long: nurses kept coming in to check my vitals and administer pain medication. luckily, i was on the private floor and my mom was able to sleep there with me. also, there were no set visitation hours, so my dad came early in the morning and left late every night. my roommate and best friend from college came (and brought a cake, at my request, for my parents 31st wedding anniversary, july 16th) and stayed as long as they wanted. by the time i left the hospital (thursday afternoon), my room was filled with flowers and cards. all the nurses i made friends with came to wish me luck and say good bye. i left them thank you cards (and leftover cake) because they took such good care of me.
sorry for the long entry, but i figured everyone would be wondering what i experience while in the hospital. in a nutshell, the first hour or so after surgery was very very very very painful, but afterwards, it was do-able. i can't type anymore-- it took so much energy to type this much, but if i think of any other significant thing i should add, i'll blog it later : )
wow, i need a rest : )
Thursday, July 24, 2008
is this ever going to get any better??
anyway, i just wish the sleeping at night would get better. i just end up getting up at 7am since i was just up at 6am, 4am, 3am, and midnight.
anyone that has gone through a transplant have any advice????????
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
good (kinda) morning...
i finally was able to go to the bathroom, after 6 days of waiting!!!! it was such a relief. but i have the stomach ache feeling again, which is probably the worst feeling. i just don't understand why i'm not feeling better yet.
i had to go to back to work today because i already took 2 days off with no pay (friday and monday) and i can't afford to miss any more work. it's going to be a rough day. i'm taking it easy, but i wish i was in bed, asleep, haha.
i received the most thoughtful package in the mail yesterday: a prayer quilt, a throw blanket, some pretty cosmetic bags, a book and a 2 month subscription to netflix along with tons of thank you and get well cards. i pretty much cried reading every word in every card. i was so touched.
sorry, i have to break from writing more, i am just so tired-- concentrating this much is really wearing me out. ill try to write more later hopefully.
back to work......
Saturday, July 19, 2008
up and running :)
again, thank you so much to everyone who has sent me gifts and flowers: the eckert family, maggie, caitlin, my mom, my dad, my little sister, erika, my recipient, paul from matching donors, the list literally goes on and on. your thoughtfulness has really gone far. i sincerely appreciate it.
my appetite is small, but growing. i'm tired a lot and i take frequent naps and breaks from walking. but i am doing so well. so thank you for praying for me and keeping me in your thoughts.
i will write shortly again. i have a follow-up appointment with my surgeon on july 28th, just to make sure i am healing well. until then... i love you all, thank you so much!!
xoxo
Thursday, July 17, 2008
leaving the hospital...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
THE SURGERY IS OVER
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
wish me luck!!
Monday, July 14, 2008
one final post before the surgery tomorrow...
i believe i will be in the G3 west wing on the 3rd floor of the greenberg pavilion. when i know exactly, i will be sure to post it!
i can finally post!!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
be kind....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxm5ol6GE48
Friday, July 11, 2008
SIENA is helping out!!
i am highlighted on the school's website http://www.siena.edu/level2col.aspx?menu_id=528&id=18017 and links to my blog are included as well. you also can read siena's blurb about my donation at http://sienacollegeblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/07-alumna-to-save-life-on-july-15.html. below is the little note i received from allison maloney, a graduate from '06, now assistant direction of communications at siena. thank you siena and allison!! :)
Melissa,
Just wanted to let you know Siena is helping to spread the word about kidney donation for you. I did a short write up on our news blog (and the story will be scrolling on the siena.edu homepage ticker by the end of the day). You are a true inspiration! Good luck on Tuesday, you will be in our prayers.
Allison Maloney '06
Asst. Director of Communications
Siena College
so much happened yesterday
i am mostly scared that the real meaning as to why i am doing this is getting lost in all the attention this donation is receiving. i am doing this donation as a tribute to my halmoney who lost her battle with pancreatic cancer at 8am on may 18, 2008. my intentions of keeping this blog were to track my own feelings for my own personal remembrance and to raise awareness of kidney donation and PKD, as well as other kidney relation diseases and disorders. i will go on to say that as long as that message is not lost throughout this process, i will be more than happy to share my story and insight on kidney donation.
with that said and out of the way, yesterday went incredibly well!! my recipient and i had our final cross match done (a blood test where they mix our blood together to make sure there are no reactions to give reason as to why he would reject my kidney). i finally had the chance to meet my recipient face-to-face for a few moments before being called in to talk with a social worker one last time (where i was asked, yet again, if i was sure i wanted to do this). afterwords, i went back into the waiting room and chatted some more with my recipient. he showed me photos of his friends and family-- it was nice to have some insight into his life. it makes it much more real when i get to see things like that :)
lastly, i went over to the hospital where the surgery will take place and met my (cute) surgeon, filled out some preliminary pre-admission paperwork, had another EKG and finally a chest x-ray. i was back on long island at 3:30 and left almost immediately to go babysit for my favorite 1 year old twins and their big 6 year old brother, brant (who had his 1st horseback riding lesson yesterday-- so cute!!!). after i was able to get the babies and brant to sleep, i received a phone call from my roommate who said my recipient left some pretty urgent messages on our home phone. i called him back where he informed me that NBC Nightly News was interested in doing a 1 hour special on our story and he wanted to know if it was okay to pass along my phone number. being that part of my agenda in this donation is to spread word about donation in general, i agreed that it would be a good thing to do this show. he proceeded on in saying that the director of the documentary (leonardo), was also interested in interviewing me, preferably before the surgery and asked if monday was good for me. unfortunately due to the fact that i am taking so much time off for the surgery (including all my vacation, sick and personal days-- i'm even taking off a few days where i won't get paid leave) i would be unable to take off monday as well. he provided me with the number of the director and i called him right away. the director and i settled on sunday as a date for my interview and decided to film in either central park or long island city. i am awaiting his confirmed phone call, but it should be coming at some point today.
so, although yesterday was somewhat of a whirlwind... i am so excited that the donation is coming so quickly :) the small fears and nervousness that has come my way was quickly washed away. i know i am doing the right thing. i have a few more things to wrap up at work today and then prepare for the surgery, but i am all set to go!! i just really cannot wait to see my parents :)
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
6 degrees of separation...
i paid and was ready to leave the store when i saw her near the door. i wanted to say thank you, so i walked her way and told her i appreciated all her help today. she said you're welcome and then wished me luck on my donation. she went on to say that the reason she was so touched by my random donation was because her cousin had waited 6 years to receive a transplant. unfortunately, he lost his battle a little over 2 years ago while waiting for a transplant. she said her and her family were waiting for someone like me to come along, but sadly, that did not happen. she asked God to bless me and she gave me a hug.
it is truly amazing to see how many people this donation can reach-- in the most random ways.
**and thank you steve for providing me with the title i was looking for. and yes ladies, he is single. feel free to contact me for his number :)
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
this is going to be a long one since i cant sleep... :)
Melissa,
I am so happy to be able to e-mail you…finally! I have posted a few anonymous comments on your blog, because I did not want to seem like I was an eavesdropping relative of Uncle ***’s…but I read a comment from my college friends on your blog and figured it was time to introduce myself!!
My name is Amy ******* and my Mom, Karen, is Uncle ****'s sister. He sent my Mom the blog and she forwarded it to me. I was utterly blown away! I read it with tears, joy, smiles, more tears and complete awe! We had been praying for Uncle****’s healing for years and then for a young, beautiful woman to enter in as an angel (I couldn’t resist!), well, I consider it a miracle! I thank you for posting all of your experiences and innermost feelings and I truly devour every word. I swear my heart skips a beat when I see a new post! I appreciate all of the insights as to why you are doing what you are doing, all of the medical details, and all of the good news (my heart goes out to you for all you have ALREADY gone through. The commuting time, the WAITING time, the pain suffered, the anticipation of each step…etc.)! When I saw that you wanted your blog shared, I immediately forwarded it to all of my close friends, but I was still unsure about getting in touch…but then I saw my friends letter….so here is my long overdue note!
My Mom, my sister and I all suffer from PKD. For my husband, having children wasn’t an issue, but I did have to stop myself and think that I could possibly pass the disease on to them. I actually did not know I had it until I tried to be a donor match for my Mom. I was a bit devastated, but I just hope that before I need a transplant they will develop a cure or a way to stop the cysts from growing. Or perhaps there will be a Melissa waiting for me!!
My Mom and Uncle **** were raised by my widowed Grandmother, as their father died when Uncle **** was a baby. I don’t know how my Grandma did it…working full time and not driving, but family and friends helped her as much as they could. She did a wonderful job raising two giving children and putting my Mom through college and sending her to Columbia for her masters! She was such an inspiration to me and I found myself comparing her to your halmoney (one of my close friends is Korean and I recognized the name immediately), who inspired you to do the unthinkable…donate a kidney to a stranger!! I can’t even imagine the devastation in finding out that she had incurable cancer, but I can relate to the utter despair of losing a grandparent. But it is obvious that her spirit is alive and well within you!
My Mom is my best friend in the world…next to my sister! She was the most fabulous Mom and there was NOTHING she wouldn’t do for her girls. As we got older, the one thing she most looked forward to was having Grandchildren. Her kidneys were failing and she was very afraid of missing that opportunity. Well, her miracle kidney came 3 weeks before my sister had her son and about one month before I had my daughter. (A funny note: our older kids are 12 days apart and our younger kids are 9 days apart!). When I got the call in the middle of the night, I figured my sister had gone into labor early…I never imagined it would be my Mom saying they had a kidney. But what a blessing to have her recovering with a new baby. She and my daughter napped together a lot!
So I guess the reason that I rambled on for so long is to say that my family is my life and it obviously sounds like your family means just as much to you. To think that your parents reacted so lovingly and generously in order to allow their little girl to follow her heart…what an inspiration they are! I was waiting with baited breath for their reaction to the news. Some of Uncle ****’s other potential donors were turned down at the psychology evaluation because they did not tell their families….and the fact that your parents supported you and encouraged you on this brave and courageous journey…well, they a big part of why my Uncle’s life is being saved too! Your parents raised the most compassionate and loving daughter one could hope for. They must be so very proud of you…as are we all! You are all an inspiration to me and my family.
I just want you to know that you have been in my constant prayers since I have learned your name. I will continue to pray for you up to, during and after the surgery. My husband and I actually just planned to visit Uncle **** a few weeks ago and figured it would be before his surgery…and thanks to YOU, it will be AFTER his “second birthday”, as he calls it. I just pray that you will feel as little pain as possible, that everything will go so smoothly, that the doctors will treat you gently and bring the absolute BEST of their abilities with them on the day of surgery. May you return home to the loving arms of your parents and friends and feel better than you thought possible. And I pray that for the rest of your life, you will feel incredible joy…the same way you make our family feel every day.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Melissa!! And God Bless you!! Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help…anything at all!
Wow! I apologize that this note was so lengthy, but I think suppose waited a bit too long to write it!
Humbly and gratefully,
Amy *********
so much to do!!
ugh, so anyway, i have to go in thursday morning for a final blood cross match and then prepare for hospital admission. i'll let you know how it goes :)
melis
information regarding the donation:
Preparing for Surgery
The day before your surgery, you will come to transplant clinic for the pre- operative evaluation. You will have an updated physical, blood testing, and anesthesia appointment. You will be taught deep breathing and coughing exercises. This helps prevent pneumonia.
The evening before surgery you will take a medicine to clean out your bowels and take a shower using a special soap. You will not eat or drink after midnight.
The day of your surgery you will be admitted to the hospital. By this time you should know whether the surgery is going to be the open or laparoscopic method. (see HFFY # 5285 for a brief explanation of each) If you do not live nearby, hotel accommodations the night before surgery will be provided.
While in the First Day Surgery Center an intravenous catheter (IV) will be inserted into one of your veins. Through the IV, placed in the arm or hand, you will be given fluids for hydration.
About an hour before surgery, you will get a shot. This will relax you and dry the secretions in your lungs. It will make your mouth feel dry, and you will become sleepy. After the shot, we will ask you to stay in bed.
During surgery, a small rubber tube (Foley catheter) will be placed in your bladder. This allows us to watch your urine output. It remains in place until the day after
surgery.
The surgery will last about 3-6 hours. You will be in the recovery room for about 1-2 hours before being taken to your room on the nursing unit.
After Surgery
When you arrive in your room, you will still be quite sleepy. You will still have the IV and Foley catheter in place. Your nurse will take your blood pressure, pulse, and
temperature, and measure your urine output often.
You will be asked to cough and deep breathe at least hourly while you are awake. Anesthesia can increase your lung secretions. These can stay in your lungs and may
lead to pneumonia. By deep breathing, air reaches the area where the secretions collect and coughing helps to bring them up. A small plastic tool (incentive spirometer) will be used to help you take deep breaths.
Most often you get up and walk about six hours after you return to your room. Walking will help prevent many problems that can occur after surgery. These include pneumonia, blood clots and bowel problems. You should walk at least every 1-2 hours during the first few weeks.You may be given elastic socks (TED stockings) to help the blood flow to and from your legs to help prevent blood clots.
Your urine output will be measured hourly for the first day. When the Foley is removed, we will measure your output every time you void. This helps us know that your remaining kidney is working well.
Your doctor will decide when you can resume eating. Surgery and pain medications can slow the wave-like action of your bowels for a short time. As bowel activity and sounds return and you start to pass gas, you will be given liquids. Slowly you will advance to eating regular food. Walking as early as you are able will help your bowel function return to normal.
Laparoscopic incisions are smaller. There are four small (one-inch or less) incisions at various places on the abdomen and one larger (3-4) inch incision below the belly button. Sutures are also used to close these incisions.
You should look at your incision/s daily watching for signs of infection such as redness, swelling and/or drainage.
Your doctor will order pain medicine for you. Until you are able to drink, you will receive it through the IV. The pain medicine should be taken to help decrease incision pain. It will be easier to walk and take deep breaths if your pain is under control. Once you are able to eat, you will take a pain pill instead of a shot.
Getting Ready for Discharge
You will go home 3-4 days after surgery. The length of stay may be shorter with laparoscopic surgery. Your nurse and doctor will give you additional instructions before discharge. You ill also have pain medicine ordered to take home with you.Activity and driving will need to be restricted. Walking is a good exercise anytime. Do not lift more than 5-10 pounds for the first 4-6 weeks after the open surgery and for 3-4 weeks after laparoscopic surgery. Exercise with moderation, and lifting heavier objects after 4-6 weeks is probably ok. Slowly increase to any more trenuous activities. You cannot drive if you are still taking pain pills. In most cases, you may return to work after 4-6 weeks. Some people may go back to work as early as two weeks. This will depend on what kind of work you do. Please discuss returning to work with your doctor.
some kind notes
"Melissa:
Long story made short, we are college friends with *****’s niece and she forwarded your blog. My wife has fond memories of dancing with him at his niece's wedding. We think it is great what you are doing so unselfishly and wish both of you the best throughout the whole process. We will certainly keep everyone involved in our prayers throughout the next few weeks.
Cheers!"****************************************************
"Dear Melissa,
I received your blog from ***** and ****, ****'s sister andbrother-in-law.Thank you for giving the gift of life to ****. Because of you and your actions, I learned of the Rogosin Institute and how to make a donation. Your parents must be very proud of you. I will be praying for you, your intentions, ****, and everyone who guides and cares for you both.
Jean Ann from Pittsburgh"
i'm excidly looking forward to july 15th... literally, i am counting down the days :)
i've learned that i have to go in for one final corss match of our blood (mine and my recipient). also during that time, preliminary admission paperwork for the hospital will be completed. i went shopping yesterday evening to prepare for the hospital. sweatpants, check! travel size deoderant, check! comfy slippers, check! you get the idea, haha.
and i can't wait to see my parents, i miss them so much.
xoxo
Sunday, July 06, 2008
some breathing room
Thursday, July 03, 2008
THE DATE!!
i cleared all the tests and we are scheduling the surgery for the 15th of july. i called my recipient to tell him... "thank you, thank you, thank you," was all he could say. thats enough lets me know that i am making the right decision :)
i told my parents and requested the days off from work, so i am all set to go. once i know more specifics, i will let you all know as well.
thank you again to everyone who has followed me so far in my journey :)
heros among us
i am so excited!
i am so impressed with how fast and far the word has spread. please do me a favor and tell at least one person about my blog and give them the link. it is really an amazing thing and i'd love for more people to learn about it. i appreciate all the comments so far and i'd love to get more feedback. i've heard that people have had trouble leaving comments. you just click on the comments link, type your comment into the comment box and then at the bottom, click on to move the selection dot to "name/URL" or "anonymous" (depending on if you'd like to leave your name of if you'd like to leave it anonymously), and then click submit. if you continue to have problems leaving comments and would really like to say something, please feel free to e-mail me at sms3630@gmail.com and i will post them for those who are having trouble :)
secondly, i received a phone call from my parents last night after i got back from a 4 mile run... they received a call from the psychiatrist who interviewed me and they said everything went well, for the most part. he told my dad that i had passed all their tests and asked my parents if they would prefer for me to wait 6 MORE MONTHS! my dad was floored and said, "are you crazy?? this man is going to DIE is you wait any longer!?" so the psychiatrist finally agreed and said, "okay, i guess we can proceed" my mom was particularly shocked by the audacity of this whole system. she can't understand how people who are supposed to be saving people's lives would risk adding another 6 months to the time frame just to "make sure i am certain i want to do this." my mom kept telling me, "melissa, if you want to schedule the surgery tomorrow, i will fly there tonight and be there for you." it's so nice to hear that my parents support me so much and are just as giving and willing during this process.
i talked with my mom and dad for a while about the whole thing-- they are so incredibly proud of me, it is indescribable in words. it really means more than anyone will ever know. i love them so much.
lastly, i spoke with my recipient today (just a few moments ago actually) and he was ecstatic to hear the good news. although i haven't received the "official" okay, the psych told my parents that i was pretty much cleared to donate. i told my recipient that i'd be more than willing to set the date for the next possible opening that they had. he seemed very pleased with that, so that is what i plan on doing. i shared with him the comment that the psych made to my dad and he was as equally upset that they would even push this further than the 5 months we're at now. anyway, at least we can be grateful that we match, it is happening and hopefully he will gain many years from this donation.
i called my donor coordinator to see if she had any news for me (a.k.a. the official okay to go ahead), and when i do i will post on here to let everyone know. hopefully she will let me set a date for surgery and we can proceed ahead!!
i am more excited that ever and cannot wait for this to happen!!
xoxo