Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
A common blood type... an uncommon hero.
We'll call him Russell Smith even though it's not his real name. I met him on Sunday in Chicago while we were both attending the Dream Manager certification program. When Russell heard that I was looking for a Type O blood hero he stepped to the forefront. There we were in a conference room together when Russell's blood donor card came sliding across the table. Whenever I find myself in a group of people I like to share Patricia's story and let people know that they can help. Sunday was the first time that someone responded. Russell told me that type O blood is fairly common and I told him that type O heroes are uncommon. Russell responded to a request because someone asked and he is programmed as a servant. He wasn't even sure to what service he was enlisting. This story isn't about a need for a kidney. This story isn't about a donor in the waiting. This story isn't about whether Russell and Patricia match as donor and recipient. This story is about the need to always be sharing your passion because the type of hero you search for could be standing next to you. So, if you don't know all the details about Patricia's fight for a traditional life, read the first entry in this blog. More importantly, if you find yourself in a crowd ask them if there is a type O hero amongst them. Maybe you are the type of hero that will save a life.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/thommonahan
http://www.linkedin.com/in/thommonahan
Friday, October 3, 2008
Analysis by Dialysis
I have been asked to write a bit of a bio by a very special person whom I have never met. He is willing to put his life on the line to save mine.
Everyone has some type of problem that seems to dominate their families. Ours is kidney disease. My paternal uncle died in 1953 from gloumerial nephritis when his one and only son was 6 months old. He was only 32 years old. My dad died in 1962 at the age of 44 of the same disease. My Mom was left alone to raise five of us on her own. In 1977, my paternal aunt passed and once again, it was the same illness. She was 54. Then in 1993, my paternal uncle passed away of polycistic kidney disease. He was 73.
My problems began when I was born, but I was not aware aware that anything was wrong until I went for my physical for college. My physician told my Mom that I had blood in my urine and I needed to be watched carefully. Being "indestructible" at the age of 18, I really didn't worry about anything. I know my Mom carried a very heavy heart and prayed that illness would never strike me. I continued on with my life getting physicals every year. I married at the age of 25 and was blessed with a son and daughter, still not really thinking that anything would happen to me. All this time, the creatinine (measure of kidney function) continued to rise. A normal measurement is .5 - 1. Each check-up was higher than the last one. At the age of 37 the doctor told my husband and I that I was ready for dialysis. My creatinine was at 10. My siblings (3 sisters and 1 brother) were all tested for transplant and for various reasons were unable to donate a kidney to me. Even my Mom wanted to be tested, but the hospital told her that she couldn't because of her age. She argued that she was healthy and that even if her kidneys were old, they were working and mine weren't. It didn't matter, the answer was the same - no! My arm was prepared to be my life-line. An artery and vein were tied together in my right arm (I am left handed). This "fistula" had to mature and then I began dialysis. My children were 8 and 10 years old. It was extremely difficult to leave them 3 times a week with Grandma and Grandpa. God bless them and all the others who helped take care of the kids, do their homework with them, and give them dinner. My husband would pick me up after he finished work and then we would go get the kids if someone hadn't brought them home. I begged and pleaded with God to find it in His heart to bless me with a transplant. I wanted to see my kids grow up, finish school and get married. I was called twice to go and see if I was a match, but it wasn't until the magic of 3 being the charm. I lay in the hospital from 6:00 am until 6:00 pm waiting to see if this was the match. It was 6-6-1987 - D-Day and it was indeed D-Day. I was in surgery for 7 hours and I truly was blessed because the kidney began to work immediately. I learned at a later date that as happy of a day as it was for us, it was extremely sad for someone else. A very generous person had donated her son's organs to give others life. He was 12 years old and had died in a motorcycle accident. He was exactly the same age as my son. I cannot tell you the guilt I felt knowing that someone had died for me to live. I wrote her to tell her the difference her sacrifice had made in my life and would always remember her generosity. I received a response from her and she was so glad that I was better. Her closing words in her letter were "that every time you hug your son, it will be a hug for her son". I still cannot read her letter without tears. I was a text-book case and everything went great from the very beginning. I cannot even begin to tell you the difference this made in my life and the life of my family. I was able to live a normal life. Do you know what it is to be able to drink whenever you want? That alone was a miracle for me. I am a huge water drinker and could not have this simple drink when I was on dialysis as your fluid are strictly watched.
Fast forward to October, 2006. My husband and I went on our first cruise - actually our first real vacation in 33 years of marriage. I hadn't been feeling that great, but really didn't pay much attention. Needless to say, I got sick on the cruise and missed much of what went on. When we got back to West Palm, we were planning on staying with our son for a few days before we headed home. I ended up in intensive care for 3 days before I was able to travel home. That was the beginning of the end. As soon as I returned home, I went to my hospital here. I was there for 5 days waiting to see if they could save my kidney. I had had it 19 years and never once had a rejection episode or problem of any kind. Nineteen years is an extremely long time to have a transplanted kidney. So, I am back on dialysis, 3 times a week. I am also again trying to bargain with God because I am now becoming "greedy". My daughter has married and has a precious baby girl. My son is not married yet, but I'm sure he will marry. Now I want to live long enough to see this baby girl and any future grandchildren grow up and attend school and maybe even be lucky enough to see them get married.
I now have this generous person who wants to give me a kidney, but does not match me. He has taken on this crusade to find a donor that will match me. I can't begin to tell you what it is like to be dependent on a machine to live. I am exhausted when I get home and don't have much energy the rest of the time. Once again my fluids are restricted, my diet is restricted and my "vacation" is Saturday and Sunday - two days without dialysis. I had to quit a job I truly loved.
I am now much older and the doctor told me that the wait for a kidney is 6 to 10 years! I have passed my physical which I have to admit, was worried about. You just never know if the tests will reveal a problem. But, thank God, He has kept me healthy.
To all those who may read this, thank you for even considering doing this courageous donation. May God bless and keep you healthy always. Without your health, you have nothing. And to Thom, where can I begin to thank you for attempting to me, a complete stranger? God bless you.
Everyone has some type of problem that seems to dominate their families. Ours is kidney disease. My paternal uncle died in 1953 from gloumerial nephritis when his one and only son was 6 months old. He was only 32 years old. My dad died in 1962 at the age of 44 of the same disease. My Mom was left alone to raise five of us on her own. In 1977, my paternal aunt passed and once again, it was the same illness. She was 54. Then in 1993, my paternal uncle passed away of polycistic kidney disease. He was 73.
My problems began when I was born, but I was not aware aware that anything was wrong until I went for my physical for college. My physician told my Mom that I had blood in my urine and I needed to be watched carefully. Being "indestructible" at the age of 18, I really didn't worry about anything. I know my Mom carried a very heavy heart and prayed that illness would never strike me. I continued on with my life getting physicals every year. I married at the age of 25 and was blessed with a son and daughter, still not really thinking that anything would happen to me. All this time, the creatinine (measure of kidney function) continued to rise. A normal measurement is .5 - 1. Each check-up was higher than the last one. At the age of 37 the doctor told my husband and I that I was ready for dialysis. My creatinine was at 10. My siblings (3 sisters and 1 brother) were all tested for transplant and for various reasons were unable to donate a kidney to me. Even my Mom wanted to be tested, but the hospital told her that she couldn't because of her age. She argued that she was healthy and that even if her kidneys were old, they were working and mine weren't. It didn't matter, the answer was the same - no! My arm was prepared to be my life-line. An artery and vein were tied together in my right arm (I am left handed). This "fistula" had to mature and then I began dialysis. My children were 8 and 10 years old. It was extremely difficult to leave them 3 times a week with Grandma and Grandpa. God bless them and all the others who helped take care of the kids, do their homework with them, and give them dinner. My husband would pick me up after he finished work and then we would go get the kids if someone hadn't brought them home. I begged and pleaded with God to find it in His heart to bless me with a transplant. I wanted to see my kids grow up, finish school and get married. I was called twice to go and see if I was a match, but it wasn't until the magic of 3 being the charm. I lay in the hospital from 6:00 am until 6:00 pm waiting to see if this was the match. It was 6-6-1987 - D-Day and it was indeed D-Day. I was in surgery for 7 hours and I truly was blessed because the kidney began to work immediately. I learned at a later date that as happy of a day as it was for us, it was extremely sad for someone else. A very generous person had donated her son's organs to give others life. He was 12 years old and had died in a motorcycle accident. He was exactly the same age as my son. I cannot tell you the guilt I felt knowing that someone had died for me to live. I wrote her to tell her the difference her sacrifice had made in my life and would always remember her generosity. I received a response from her and she was so glad that I was better. Her closing words in her letter were "that every time you hug your son, it will be a hug for her son". I still cannot read her letter without tears. I was a text-book case and everything went great from the very beginning. I cannot even begin to tell you the difference this made in my life and the life of my family. I was able to live a normal life. Do you know what it is to be able to drink whenever you want? That alone was a miracle for me. I am a huge water drinker and could not have this simple drink when I was on dialysis as your fluid are strictly watched.
Fast forward to October, 2006. My husband and I went on our first cruise - actually our first real vacation in 33 years of marriage. I hadn't been feeling that great, but really didn't pay much attention. Needless to say, I got sick on the cruise and missed much of what went on. When we got back to West Palm, we were planning on staying with our son for a few days before we headed home. I ended up in intensive care for 3 days before I was able to travel home. That was the beginning of the end. As soon as I returned home, I went to my hospital here. I was there for 5 days waiting to see if they could save my kidney. I had had it 19 years and never once had a rejection episode or problem of any kind. Nineteen years is an extremely long time to have a transplanted kidney. So, I am back on dialysis, 3 times a week. I am also again trying to bargain with God because I am now becoming "greedy". My daughter has married and has a precious baby girl. My son is not married yet, but I'm sure he will marry. Now I want to live long enough to see this baby girl and any future grandchildren grow up and attend school and maybe even be lucky enough to see them get married.
I now have this generous person who wants to give me a kidney, but does not match me. He has taken on this crusade to find a donor that will match me. I can't begin to tell you what it is like to be dependent on a machine to live. I am exhausted when I get home and don't have much energy the rest of the time. Once again my fluids are restricted, my diet is restricted and my "vacation" is Saturday and Sunday - two days without dialysis. I had to quit a job I truly loved.
I am now much older and the doctor told me that the wait for a kidney is 6 to 10 years! I have passed my physical which I have to admit, was worried about. You just never know if the tests will reveal a problem. But, thank God, He has kept me healthy.
To all those who may read this, thank you for even considering doing this courageous donation. May God bless and keep you healthy always. Without your health, you have nothing. And to Thom, where can I begin to thank you for attempting to me, a complete stranger? God bless you.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Type O's... it's your turn!
This is your chance to be a hero just because you are the right type or know the right type.
We live in a world of abundance. Just look all around you and the evidence proves there is no shortage of oxygen, smiles, sunshine, water, blood and living organs. And yet, we have people who need clean air, compassion, a walk in the park, clean water, blood, livers and kidneys.
For years now I have believed that God gave me two healthy kidneys, one to sustain life and one to hold until someone needs it. And then in August of 2008 I learned that Pat needed my kidney. I should say that Pat needed a kidney and I thought it was mine. I have never met or spoken to Pat but I learned of her story through a close friend. I didn't need to know anything about her other than she needed a kidney. That was enough information for me to believe that this was the time that God was calling upon me for my end of the bargain. I have since learned that Pat has been on dialysis for over a year and while it is life sustaining for now, it is not permanent nor is it convenient.
And so I started the process of determining if my kidney and Pat's body were compatible. I am a type A positive and Pat is type O. That's really all I know about her. We did not match initially but I was told that there was still a 20% chance that my kidney could be used. After going through additional matching tests, it was determined that my kidney would not work and we are back to square one. I have since gone through other tests so that Pat and I could get on a shared waiting list that looks for other people with the same scenario. So now we are on a list looking for a type O donor and a type A recipient. If this combination is found then the four of us will go through a donation procedure at the same time.
This is where you come in. If you are reading this post it is not by accident. If we do live in a world of abundance then it's not a question of do we find a kidney for Pat? We will find a kidney for Pat and it will give her the quality of life that she deserves. What type of Hero are you? You could be a type O and the gracious act of giving one of your kidneys to Pat means that you are a life saving hero. You could be the type of hero that passes this information along to as many people as you can and you would be a life saving hero of the networking variety. Regardless of your type, please choose to be a hero, lives depend on it. http://www.linkedin.com/in/thommonahan
We live in a world of abundance. Just look all around you and the evidence proves there is no shortage of oxygen, smiles, sunshine, water, blood and living organs. And yet, we have people who need clean air, compassion, a walk in the park, clean water, blood, livers and kidneys.
For years now I have believed that God gave me two healthy kidneys, one to sustain life and one to hold until someone needs it. And then in August of 2008 I learned that Pat needed my kidney. I should say that Pat needed a kidney and I thought it was mine. I have never met or spoken to Pat but I learned of her story through a close friend. I didn't need to know anything about her other than she needed a kidney. That was enough information for me to believe that this was the time that God was calling upon me for my end of the bargain. I have since learned that Pat has been on dialysis for over a year and while it is life sustaining for now, it is not permanent nor is it convenient.
And so I started the process of determining if my kidney and Pat's body were compatible. I am a type A positive and Pat is type O. That's really all I know about her. We did not match initially but I was told that there was still a 20% chance that my kidney could be used. After going through additional matching tests, it was determined that my kidney would not work and we are back to square one. I have since gone through other tests so that Pat and I could get on a shared waiting list that looks for other people with the same scenario. So now we are on a list looking for a type O donor and a type A recipient. If this combination is found then the four of us will go through a donation procedure at the same time.
This is where you come in. If you are reading this post it is not by accident. If we do live in a world of abundance then it's not a question of do we find a kidney for Pat? We will find a kidney for Pat and it will give her the quality of life that she deserves. What type of Hero are you? You could be a type O and the gracious act of giving one of your kidneys to Pat means that you are a life saving hero. You could be the type of hero that passes this information along to as many people as you can and you would be a life saving hero of the networking variety. Regardless of your type, please choose to be a hero, lives depend on it. http://www.linkedin.com/in/thommonahan
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