Learning our Options
We were at MTI (Miami Transplant Institute) for 4 hours that Friday, after the almost 3-hour drive down. Jeff and I were exhausted! There was a Panera Bread nearby, which we were able to get to before the South Florida rain showers began for the afternoon. We sat there eating our healthy sandwiches and sipping coffee, as we processed everything we’d just been told.
This class was the start to something much bigger for us. Jeff could still end up on dialysis again, or decline faster than we could control. We had no way of knowing! We just knew we had to get the process started and hope for the best.
After such a long day, I didn’t log in until the next morning to fill out my Living Donor application. It was exciting and emotional!
Thankfully I knew I was within what is considered the “safe” age range, between 18 and 65. You’ll fill out all the basic questions such as full name and personal info. Your health status will be questioned, such as family medical history (cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure).
I will be honest I don’t remember 100% of the exact questions, which may also vary depending on what hospital you’re applying through, or what state you live in.
By 4pm Monday, I had received an email from Lourdes Rivera (MA) from Miami Transplant Institute, asking me to call her regarding my application. I picked up the phone immediately.
I was reminded that getting approved is not a guarantee, even if our blood-type match was successful. There are many other factors we have to consider, like the cross-match and tissue-type (with recipient), which wouldn’t happen until later.
If all else failed, there would be a backup option; the Kidney Paired Donation (kidney exchange).
To paraphrase www.kidney.org, Kidney Paired Donation is “when an incompatible donor/ recipient pair are matched with another incompatible donor/recipient pair for a "swap". Each donor gives a kidney to the other person's intended recipient.”
This was a fascinating discovery for me, but I held way too much confidence in my own blood test results. I’d already set an appointment for Tuesday morning!
