Someone I know Needs a Kidney!

Some 32 years after the first time I thought I really could donate a kidney, a friend, and co-worker of mine, made it known that he needed a kidney.  He had someone testing to be a donor for him and it seemed to me that it all was going to happen, but it didn't because something went wrong with his intended donors health.  So he went off of work for a month and came back still needing a kidney.  I can still remember thinking that there was No Way I Could Donate a Kidney.  (But I really wanted to donate!)

1. I have had various health problems over the course of my life. (I was able to pass all tests with flying colors, however, so you never know)
2. I have three kids, a full time job, a big house I clean myself, 1 dog, 1 cat, various elderly relatives I Try To Help, a husband (I list him last only because he is my one asset, not liability)

I immediately, as in that same day I found out his intended donor had not worked out, looked up the email about donating, sent off an email of my own to the transplant coordinator and the process began.  First of all, I had to fill out a huge survey.  Secondly, I had to provide proof of my blood type.  I printed off my web page information from Bonfils, because my blood donor card was long lost.  I was in too big of a hurry to wait for a new card.  The people at the transplant team suggested I go in and donate blood and get the printout there, which turns out, was not an option.  They were happy to take my blood, but they had no printout available.  I will add this here, and this is my Not a Medical Person, though an ACORN, (Adult Child of an RN) opinion, why go down a pint when you are going to get ready to go through endless amounts of blood testing?  Just my thoughts now after giving blood and doing the cross match test (we will get to that later) and feeling exactly like crap for like two weeks afterwards.

I soon found that my sense of urgency was solely mine and of course, the guy who was waiting for a kidney. No one at the transplant center seemed to be in too much of a hurry to do any testing.  So going down a pint did not matter too much...that time...

 (To protect his innocence, I am calling him Arnold for our purposes here, even though that some people reading this will know who he is and who I am and I apologize if anyone feels that their privacy was violated but we live in a real world where we all connect to each other and things will be known and discussed, sometimes even when we don't really like it.  I am a private person myself but I am letting it all hang out here, for various reasons, mainly so that someone will read this someday and think to him or herself "If this woman can do it, I CAN TOO!!")