Transplant Update: 4 Months Later

Thanks for my friends Heather and Jo, I finally have a pair of kidneys again

July 15th, 2012. Four months since the day I received my new kidney. It almost seems like years, not months, since it happened. Which is funny, because when it had been one year since i'd been on dialysis, it seemed unbelievable, like it had only barely started, though each individual dialysis treatment seemed like it took a lifetime to finish. I don't think I have anything new or profound or great to say here. But each month that slips by with health and happiness and hope is one to celebrate for me because for such a long time it didn't seem to have any of those things beholding my life.

I wished Liz a happy 4 month kidney-versary today as I was refiling my weekly transplant meds. 18 pills a day - 8 in the morning, 10 at night, taken 12 hours apart everyday - make my life possible. It's not even a small price to pay, neither are the infinite infections, or the weekly lab draws (the out patient lab at University Hospital has the best phlebotomists) or monthly doctor visits or the erratic blood sugars from the meds. It's all better than a half life on dialysis. Sometimes I can't believe the things I accomplished during that time. I worked, I graduated from college [!!!], I traveled. But it took awhile for me to stop letting it ruin my life. That was when I truly gained freedom from dialysis.

Today I went to an LDS missionary homecoming. The missionary spoke about miracles, and I couldn't help but think much of my life has really been a series of miracles. He talked about one woman he taught who kept receiving miracles from the Lord through tribulations. That's where the greatest miracles come from, I thought to myself. I know that's true, because it's my life. For a long time I was too blinded to realize the miracles that were happening to me. Sometimes it takes something really big to be able to notice the tiniest of graces.

My life is good now. It's always been good; I've been blessed with a lot of supportive, loving, wonderful, caring, great people that surround and take care of me. I've been blessed with means, I've never wanted for much - at least not things you can buy at a store -, and I've got some pretty sweet talents. So my life has always been good. But now, I'm happy. I'm healthy. I'm hopeful.

And I love you with all my kidney.