A second early morning phone call

UPDATE BELOW

By Anna Bennett

What is it about Sunday at 7am?  Is that going to be my fate?  It looks like in my case, Saturday night is a good night for kidneys.  Not a good night for a 32 year old man in good health was found in cardiac arrest.  No mater what his problems were, his final gift was signing his donor card, and for that I am thankful. 

Of course, as I write this, I am second on the list for one of his kidneys, and I am waiting to hear from the hospital.  It is funny that as I was speaking to the transplant coordinator, one of the first thoughts running through my head what that I have plans for this week, a transplant is definitely going to complicate things.

As my time comes closer for a transplant, I am aware that there are many changes coming up in my life.  I'll be swapping daily dialysis for a daily drug regime that may cause the dreaded prednisone face.  (I'll admit it, I am a bit vain), there could be some serious complications, the kidney may not work, and no matter what, eventually, I'll be back on dialysis again.  There is nothing like living different scenarios in your head as you wait for a phone call.  It is a unique experience.  I am dwelling on the bad, as I know that my life as it is right now is good, and with a transplant, (the ultimate portable renal replacement therapy) I'll be planning a month in Europe, showing off my transplant scar and catching up on all that I have missed.

Until then, I am going through the motions of what one does when you get the call.  Stop eating (I cheated and made coffee - I could not survive without a cup of coffee), make sure that my home is in order, dishes clean, a hot shower with liberal use of antibacterial soap, clean sheets on the bed to come home to, old leftovers out of the fridge, garbage out of the house, overnight bag packed remembering the extra phone charger, list of phone numbers and e-mails available, bills paid for the month etc.  I live alone, my family is 3,000 miles away, and I haven't told anyone yet, because I have decided that I'm not alerting anyone until the transplant is a sure thing.

In a couple of hours, if I don't recieve another phone call from the transplant center, I'll prime my dialysis machine, eat some breakfast, and Sunday morning will commence as it does every other Sunday.  These phone calls are like a military drill, you prepare for the invasion, but so far all I have done is prepare, then the hours go by, the kidney goes to someone else, and I stand down, and go back to my normal routine.

8:48 am - it is not a false alarm, the kidney is mine.  I am on my way to the hospital.  Details to come...

UPDATE 11/5

I've been talking to Anna - she is extremely bored but now, at last report, has a creatinine of 1.3, which I believe is close to normal for an adult female. I am sure we'll see an update from her at some point - I'll let her keep her posting privileges for a bit to at least let her fill us in on her adventures in nursing.

UPDATE

Transplant the first week

Comments

[Bill Peckham]

I just talked to Anna - 8:50 EST - she's on her way to the hospital. I'm in Chicago and will be in Philadelphia Tuesday night for the ASN conference. NYNY is just about 75 minutes away by train so I'm going to be missing a day of the conference.

Good luck Anna! I'm sending all my good thoughts your way - Peter I guess the blog is in our hands (we're still waiting for a Mel update).

[Ann]

Congratulations, Anna. I'm so excited for you and can't wait to hear all the details! I hope you'll still be willing to give me advice about traveling with a dialysis machine after your transplant! :)

[Alison Hymes]

Congratulations and good luck Anna! My transplant call came 20 days ago at this time almost exactly. I am recuperating well and have a .9 creatinine. I do not know the age of my donor still but that's okay, I do know he or she was under a certain age since it was not extended criteria. No change in appearance here yet except this lovely scar/staples which come out tomorrow. The only folks who seem to want me to show off the scar are medical I should warn you :P. Eating whatever vegetables I want is amazing! :)

[Miz Flow]

Congratulations, Anna! I can't wait to hear about how you're doing! Bill, I hope you will continue to post updates as they become available!

[Roberta Mikles, Patient Advocate]

Anna: On behalf of "Health Care Patient Advocates" we wish you the best of good health and luck. Someone said how ironic it is, for lack of a better descriptive word, at the moment, that you should have endured what you did, at your facility, dealt with all that stress and now you are to receive a kidney. Our prayers and thoughts are with you for a speedy recovery. Roberta Mikles,RN, Director, Health Care Patient Advocates (uncompensated advocates striving for quality safe care for all patients - in all health care settings. RMiklesRN@aol.com

[Tracy Lynn]

WOOHOO! Yay ANNA!

[Kim]

Congrats Anna,

I am sure all will go well and may that kidney start peeing immediately!!

-Kim

[H.A.]

It has been a great priviledge walking this road with you,and i would walk with you again and again and again mi lady.

Job excellently done proud of you as usual and please DO NOT BEHAVE YOURSELF!!!!!

[Kathy]

Congratulations! Hope everything goes well with your transplant and recovery.

[Bobbie]

Good to see a telant at work. I can't match that.