poked and prodded

They don't just let anyone donate a kidney. It's a long process that you have to follow, in which doctors look for any possible reason to exclude you from donating. They're not trying to make the donation process difficult, they're just making sure you're not putting your life at risk to save another.

In April, the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., called me and asked me several questions about my personal background and health. After that, they sent a kit of about seven or eight vials that I needed to fill with my blood at a doctor's office or laboratory. That is a story in itself. To make a long story short, I thought I had to fast for the blood test (I actually did not have to) and it took a little more than an hour to fill all of the vials. I nearly passed out the first time they stuck me (I hadn't drank any water either), and between walking and food breaks, I was stuck in four other places. Needless to say my hands and toes were pretty blue afterward, and it didn't help that days later I looked like a major drug addict from all the track marks.

Two days later I got a call back from the clinic saying the test came back negative, which means Annie and I's antigens did not attack each other. Antigens are found in your blood system and will attack cells that they believe should not be there. Hearing that the test was negative made me incredibly excited and, of course, incredibly nervous.

Mayo then invited me to come to Arizona to do major testing. These tests included more blood tests, a 24-hour urine collection, CT scan, chest X-ray, gynecological exam, electrocardigram and a psychology test (They want to make sure you're sane.). I also met with my independant advocate, a Mayo Clinic nephrologist (kidney doctor); my social worker; a transplant coordinator; and my surgeon. None of the tests were particularly painful, but the whole experience was emotionally draining.

A week later I was told that a team of surgeons had approved me for surgery. All of the worries that I had had before that moment vanished and it felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I told them that it would take a week for me to make my decision and set a surgery date, but during that time I never thought about not doing it.

I'm not done yet with testing. I have to do another "crossmatch" test (for the antigens) at the end of July. In many cases, people who've been approved for surgery will not pass this last test because of a change in the recipient's antigens. If the test comes back positive (that there was a reaction of our antigens) the surgery will be cancelled and I won't be considered a possible donor any more.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll pass.