Practice Run (Sept 2012)

Mid-September I get a call. I am secondary recipient, but this is a unique situation. The donor is an 11 year old. They give me some details and want to know if I'll accept the organs. I am shaken. I had never considered getting organs from a child who died, and this is tough to wrap my head around.

The nurse convinces me to accept and there's a good chance I will be selected as the recipient has to be relatively small (because organs are coming from a child) and a lot of diabetics are larger than I am. With mixed emotions, I am hopeful. I get to the hospital quickly, give blood for the final cross match and the nurse tells me to go home and wait, that I should get a call, yay or nay, during the night. (Cross match tests take 6 hrs to complete.)

So, I go home and start setting my plans in motion. Call kids' dad, let him know he'll potentially be taking over their care after school the next day. Talk with my bosses, share schedules and responsibilities. Oh yeah, call my dad! Pack bags for the kids, don't eat any food or drink any water and WAIT. Midnight comes, no call. I decide to perform dialysis that night. At least it occupies me for 15 minutes to set up. 2am, no call. Finally, at 4:30, I fall asleep.

5:30am phone rings. Nurse tells me that the organs have been successfully placed with the primary recipient. Exhausted, I text everyone to let them know. Sad for me, congrats to the primary recipient. I'm still up there on the list.  :)