Donor Met, Tests Done, Tomorrow is the Big Day!

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 2:56 PM, daniel <danny@comcast.net> wrote:
Laura,
Did you meet with the recipient today? How was it?
I am writing an article about you in the upcoming issue (hopefully out by Thursday). I would like to write a little about your recipient, what it was like to meet him, your first impressions, etc. I will, of course, just use his first name.
Let me know what you think.
I am on pins and needles thinking about tomorrow, so I know you and your family are as well!
Take Care,
Danny
On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 5:56 PM, Laura Altobelli> wrote:

Danny,
I am going to try to update the blog  but I drank my mag citrate already and everyone keeps calling me and my sweet family is all over me and so on so I may just email you and post it as my blog.

I did meet my donor !!! He showed up for the cross match the same time that I did and he immediately sat down to get water and told my husband, Mark, that he was getting a kidney from an anonymous donor and Mark said "I bet it is my wife" and Lab Guy (who knew we were both there for the cross match) said to the guy "Are you from Grand Junction? I think your donor is Laura Altobelli!" about two seconds later. (I was in the bathroom, of course)

The whole lab was packed and every jaw dropped, especially mine!  LOL

The guy is Native American, and has a pony tail which just seemed to make sense! He gave me his hat, which is a Medical Marijuana hat--Mark asked him if I had said anything to him about his hat, since I had been the Medical Marijuana lady at Unnamed PD, (they were chatting while I was getting my tests) and the guy gave it to me when he saw me in the lobby--very cute and sweet of him, but sort of funny--I think about what the cops would think of that whole thing!  He said his dialysis buddy gave it to him at dialysis.

So then he goes upstairs and that is when TCL told him that we were not supposed to meet and he could not have my contact information. I happened to get the ESP word at John Holly's while eating my soup that I had better call TCL (believe me, the ESP word is real) and TCL told me how it was ILLEGAL to have met like that--she said she told him that I had requested no contact.  I think I only told them 14 times that I was willing to do whatever the donor wanted--meet, not meet, etc etc!!!!!!  Then I thought we would meet upstairs, and we did not because I am sure TCL made sure it did not happen! 

 I had her patch me thru to TCL Donor and then TCL Recipient and told them to give him my phone number and he had also asked them to call me with his number. I am sure everyone used the word "hard boiled" to describe my tone.  At best!

He, Donor Guy, said that he knew that they were wrong and he was not worried.  He said they told him a lot about me anyways!

We had fun on the phone on the later on after I came home and he was doing dialysis (for the last time, let's hope) I called him because I know people like to talk on the phone while they are doing their dialysis.  We talked for an hour.  He is 56 years old, served in Vietnam, worked for an oil company--lives in Grand Junction.  He said that this day was more exciting than when his son was born.  I dont know anything about a wife so I think he is single now.  He told Mark he cannot wait to be able to go hunting this fall, if the transplant works.  His name is Albert.  He said that I sounded just like one of his sisters.  He said that everyone has been calling in on the "Mexican" radio station in Grand Junction and dedicating songs to us today!  We did not know that!  : )

Thanks for praying, brother Daniel