“I still can’t believe you passed that test. “If we put your kidney in my body, do you think I’ll turn into a smart ass like you?” Who says I even want your pickled kidney?” I think I knew all along that it was going to be me, but my mom had been less than convinced. I’ve had a harder time deciding what I wanted to eat at Waffle House. Once I knew our antigens were compatible, the decision was an easy one to make. Thing two you need to know: An organ from a living donor, even if it’s not a perfect antigen match, is typically still a better option than an organ from a cadaver donor, as the tissue hasn’t begun to necrotize. The two of us had three of the same antigens, which, although not the ideal six-out-of-six, meant there was a pretty good shot her body wouldn’t reject my kidney. She agreed, begrudgingly, only because she thought there would be a next to zero chance that enough of my antigens would match hers for transplant to be a viable option. So, I persuaded her to let me be tested to see if I was a potential match for donation. those who have a reasonable chance of living a long and productive life following transplant. those whose need is the most dire, and b. Here’s thing one you need to know: The top cadaver donor spots are reserved for a. She had a better chance of winning the bronze in men’s gymnastics than of moving up on that list. She’d begun smoking cigarettes when she was 14 and had never been able to kick them, and had a spate of health issues on top of the kidney disease. She knew she didn’t stand any real chance of securing a new kidney, though. The next morning, she would awake feeling rested and in good spirits, only to have to devote the rest of the day to dialysis again.Īll this time she was in kidney failure, Sher was on the transplant list, thanks to the careful stewardship of her nephrologist. The day after dialysis, she would be almost completely non-functional which was so rare for her. Three days a week for two years, she drove her Yukon an hour to dialysis to have every liquid ounce of her blood removed and mechanically detoxified over the course of four hours - and then drove an hour back home. Yet, the disease was always in the background, taking its slow toll. She was still cracking jokes, still running fried catfish plates out to customers at our family’s restaurant, still showing up unexpectedly to mine and Scott’s starter home to help me clean on Sundays. ![]() (Say that even one time fast.) Of course, she was One Tough Mother™ first and foremost, so you never would have realized just how devastating this disease was for her. If I could brave it all and not get into a single fight (except her accidentally waking me up in the middle of the night), trust me, you can, too.My mom, Sherry, had a horrible, hereditary kidney disease: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. We just returned from an Adventures by Disney trip in Barcelona and a Disney Cruise Line sailing to France and Italy-yes, I am childless, and no, I’m not crazy-and I survived two weeks of hotel rooms, shared beds, and a ship stateroom beside my mother in near serenity. Despite being grounded for my entire junior year of high school (I was a swear-spitting brat, so what!), I’ve mastered the art of parental travel, taking her on weeklong river cruises, a jaunt to Paris, and multiple work trips without pushing her-or my sanity-overboard. Sardine-ing yourselves together from the moment you wake up and staring at each other’s faces at three meals a day will be a shock, especially considering the last time you cohabitated was when Dwayne Johnson was a wrestler, not our nation’s future leader.Īs someone who travels a lot and has a spouse who gets too few vacation days, I have traveled extensively with my mother. The bad news is, you are about to lose your damn mind. Kudos! The good news is, you’ve got a heart of gold. ![]() So you have a real-world paycheck and the urge to repay decades of emotional debt by taking your parents on a vacation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |