Let’s backtrack a bit.

As my fistula was developing, and before I started hemodialysis, my nephrologist “suggested” (read: ordered!) my wife and I to make an appointment with a transplant co-ordinator at The Rogosin Institute, here in New York City.

I’m sure you have had blood drawn for testing. Should you get to go to a transplant center, (and for those who need one, please go as soon as possible!) be prepared to have about dozen vials of your blood drawn! It’s amazing to see a rack of test tubes with your own blood in them!

And, since my wife was there, the nurse asked her if she wanted to be tested to see if she could be a donor. My wife, with a shrug said, “Sure!”

And a dozen vials of her blood were drawn.

After a little class given by the transplant co-ordinator to the few of us who were there, we left. They said they would get back to us. So what else is new!

All I knew was that I was registered with in Rogosin’s transplant program. Note that I was not yet on a list.

About a month later my wife gets a call from Rogosin that her blood type and antigens were a good (not  perfect) match and could potentially be a kidney donor for me!

This was unexpectedly good news! By this time, I has already started hemodialysis, so I wasn’t expecting any “quick fix.”  Nevertheless, the Odyssey continued.

Over the next three months my wife underwent a lot of tests! And I do mean a lot!

X-rays. 24-hr urine wearing a blood pressure monitor, and, an angiogram!

Finally, around Thanksgiving of 1997, she was told that she qualifies as a donor!

Ultimately, surgery was set for Jan. 6, 1998. Imagine how that New Year’s Eve went!

But I still had to get checked!

And Murphy’s Law was involved!

A routine X-ray showed a cloudy spot. I saw it myself. I couldn’t convince the doctors at my local hospital that was a bit a asthma acting up (which it was.) The doctors didn’t want me to go home! They were sure I was dying of pneumonia! (I was fine. Not even a fever!)

Fortunately, my dialysis-center doctor “just happened” to be by the Radiology department. I called him over, and after some hassle, I signed a release form and was allowed to leave!

It took two weeks to resolve this. I finally got another X-ray which showed my lungs perfectly clear!

Further pre-op tests included an MRI (mainly of my head(!) to see that I was in no danger of aneurysms.)

My wife and I were scheduled to check into Rogosin on Jan. 5, 1998.

Stress.

The night before we were to go, we were at each other’s throats!

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re not going to hold this up to me whenever we have an argument?” (Notice I was the one starting one!)

“What do think I am?”

On and on.

Well, the next morning we went to Rogosin.

But wait…there’s more obstacles!

Stay tuned!

Peace and Blessings!

Coach Richie Perl

Certified Professional Coach

Certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming