A Day of Testing

To be living kidney donors the medical and “head shrinking” staff want to make certain a person is healthy physically and mentally. To give of oneself is dangerous mentally, when things don’t go as planned do you feel at fault, when you are forgotten after the recipient has your priceless gift do you feel even more rejected, there is even more that these questions to consider. Physically this type of gift could cost a person EVERYTHING. Death is always a possibility. I go into this journey understanding this more than most living donors. Having done three surrogate journeys and dealing with all these situations and questions. I go in KNOWING.

I was scheduled for 8 plus hours of testing and appointments on July 19, 2016. Here is my account. I know it is long, the day was long.

I got a folder filled with papers containing a lot of information. I read everything. I have done a surrogacy so I am familiar with blood labs and fasting except this time they tell me I can drink water.  I failed both one hour test with my surrogacies, they told me when I fasted I couldn’t drink, not even water except to take any required meds.  After I failed and my insurance had to pay for the three hour glucose test they tell me I could drink water.  Grrr. Well this time around I was told that I could drink water but I wasn’t told that I would need to have drunk 6-8 8 oz. glasses of water before my scheduled CT scan at 720 am. Grrr Luckily we had stopped the night before and bought two liter bottles of water to take with me to the testing.  I have no trouble drinking water and had both gone in about 30 minutes.  That should be plenty of time to have the test done right, right?

I had never had a CT scan before and as we were walking to the second waiting room we passed an open door with his really cool looking machine in it and I was so excited, not realizing a the time that was where I was going, about how cool it looked and that it might be what I get to work with. 

I got my IV in, not fun. Sat and waited for a little while drinking my water of course.  As I sat there people came and went, people sick or recovering. So emotionally broken or so determined.  One amazing woman with a large scar on her head with newly growing hair barley covering the badges of her battle walked by and sat close. A few patients who were wheelchair bound. Some who could walk. Some patients and family members looked so lost or desperate clinging to their arm, looking so afraid to let go during this battle if even for a moment. 

When it was my turn to be called back I was greeted by this beautiful smile and spirit.  He tried to give me directions to the room and I admitted my lack of being to follow them so he walked beside me and assured me there was only one way to go.  Imagine my excitement when he led me to the room I had passed with such excitement only a short time before.  This was the first of MANY persons that asked me why I was doing this. Do I know the person, were we family? He was so kind in his appreciation of my giving to a complete stranger. I had no idea what was going to happen and he took the time to explain it all. He always had this beautiful smile on his face.  He talked me through it and was always quick to ask it anything hurt. At the end he offered his hand and helped me up and encouraged me as he removed the IV and sent me on my way to test number two.

Appointment/Test two was the labs; pee in a cup, nine tubes of blood drawn, and one “glucose crush” drank.  When I walked into that lab the techs were distant and the room felt cold. I set about being me and David and I had them laughing by the time we left. We left laughing and set with an appointment to be back in exactly two hours for another blood draw.

Appointment three found us headed to the EKG and that was probably the least painful in all aspects. Check in, the lady at the desk has the same birthday as me and was excited to share that with me. The test itself took no time at all and I had a good time making the tech laugh when I mentioned I got nervous because in my attempt to relax as directed I started thinking of Disney and got excite and was afraid that may have messed up the test. I asked her if my heartbeat drew Cinderella’s castle or a Mickey and Minnie head, she laughed at me and my silliness and sent me on my way to the next test.

Appointment four found me waiting for a chest x-ray in radiology. This test along with the EKC made me the most nervous. This one because of two reasons; as a child they had to cancel a surgery because of a spot of congestion on my lung x-ray and two because I would be required to remove my upper undergarment. The tech seemed almost sad when she dismissed me to get dressed and I admit I thought for certain this was the end of the donation for me.

Appointment five was checking in with the Dr. Dr. Heidi Schaeffer is her name. So now here I had met one person with the same birthday and now someone with the same first name.  Here was an uncomfortable situation, standing on the scale. I told the nurse my bladder was full form all the water for the CT scan and maybe I should take care of that before standing on the scale. NOPE.  It wasn’t too bad. Weight, height, blood pressure, pulse and temp, of course no one likes to have their weight measurement taken. We were moved to yet another waiting room and I still hadn’t eaten yet for the day as I waited for my second blood draw for my glucose test. One quick trip back to the lab and then a half an hour wait to meet the Dr., she was running late. Dr. Schaeffer was warm and funny and was the first to tell me how my life may be changed by this. My recovery will be hard, harder than the recipient’s. I will not be able to do some things I may do now. No more full impact cage fighting with my husband, we would need to take it down. We DO NOT have or have ever had a cage. She was the first to say this is dangerous. Here are the risks. You may die. The chances of bad are very low, but they are there. I think this was the first time I paused. Had I thought about the impact this may have on my family? She said everything looked good except for my urine test. I would need to retake it. Not a big deal just a bad time to take it on that day. She sent us on our way and as we left we said will you be there for the surgery and she said we will only see her if there is a problem. I shook her hand and said, “It was nice meeting you I hope to never see you again”.

LUNCH was awesome. It felt like it had been forever since I had eaten. It had only been 16 ish hours. Food was great and it was nice to have some time to talk things over with David. Was he scared? Did he want me to stop? What did he think? What about the kids? I admit it is hard for me to stop and think about my life and family when I start moving forward in helping someone else. I feel so bad about it after it is pointed out to me. I need it pointed put to me. Why can’t I see what I am putting my family through? I just need to slow down. My faith tells me that if it shouldn’t happen God will stop it. If I am led to do this I need to do this and God will take care of it all. When it is my time to die I will die no matter what I am doing.

Appointment six was to see the nutritionist. Her name is Jane; one of my sisters is named Jane.  She goes over what I eat every day. I have a terrible time remembering what I eat on a daily basis. My current job provides lunch on a busy day. My previous job didn’t allow me time for lunch.  I need to work on this a lot.  I gave her grief about my love of cookies.  She gave me grief that I will need to exercise to earn them.  She again mentioned the pain. She told me it may take a while to get better and what I need to eat to help my recovery. She answered a lot of questions.

Appointment seven was with the donor advocate. He almost made me cry.  His brutal honesty of the risks at times was shocking to me. His questions of who I am. He asked me why. He asked me what if.  He tried to understand me as I told him that I can’t let the fear of death stop me from living. And that living to me is this. Can my family deal with this? What about them? What about them? Why?  I think I will remember more of my time with him later, but for now it is hard to find. Side note; he is moving his daughter to Iowa City for her graduate work and University of Iowa. We are from Iowa.

Appointment eight was with the psychologist. I was nervous. I don’t want to be found “mentally challenged”. We talked for almost an hour. I can’t remember much of the conversation.  I will hopefully find it too. I do remember she is from the Williamsburg, VA area, we lived and worked there the early years of our marriage.

We left and while walking to the car David told me I am too honest, and that maybe he would have over analyzed and answered differently. I feel that when it comes to me I am an open book but in sharing the behaviors toward and treatments of me I am not quite so forthcoming. In all honestly I don’t know if it is worth the work it would take to change the habit of treatment I have so long “put up with”. But I also believe my desire to do something for others is to counter how others make me feel. I have lived a life of unacceptance and unworthiness which causes me to try to do EVERYTHING I can to help others feel WORTHY and ACCEPTED.

It was a long day. Several of the people I spoke to are on the board that decides on who gets to donate. Several of them said it all looks good. Some talked as though this is going to happen. I am waiting to see. I do not know how many more tests there will be. I do not know when I will know anything. I almost wish they hadn’t been so positive. Their current positive talk will make the “no” (not positive talk) hurt more if it comes.

Now we are back home and we wait.