Well, it looks like we have to push back the transplant date. Randy has some sort of blood infection so we need to wait until he is rid of it. I don't mind so much. I'm still taking antibiotics from a sinus infection, so who knows if I'd be ready anyway. I think this was meant to be, really. Randy and I both got sick at the same time causing the date for the transplant to be rescheduled. The transplant will happen, but not before it's time for it to happen and I don't mind waiting for that time to come. Once it does, I'll be ready.

That's the date it'll all go down. Randy's been approved and our surgery is scheduled for the 2nd. It's a little surreal that it's suddenly happening. I'm nervous and kind of excited. It'll be a life-changer, that's for sure.

Randy has been approved by the Transplant Center Gods to be a donor. He still has one test left, which could ultimately rule him out. It's to check to see if the kidney is too "vein-y" for transplantation. Most likely it isn't and he'll still be my donor, but there is always the chance. The surgery could conceivably be very soon. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. Scared? Hopeful? Excited? Nervous? All of the above plus more terms I cannot think of right now? Yes, I think so.

So, it appears Randy is starting his testing to make sure he is a good match for a transplant. All of his tests are scheduled one 5-hour, fun-filled day at the hospital. This Thursday, January 15, to be precise. I'm not really sure what tests are happening, and I'm feeling too lazy to research it (but here is a resource that has some general information that is useful: National Kidney Foundation). I do know they'll test his kidney filtration, take a look at the size of each kidney to make sure they are both still operating at the optimum levels, and that's about all I know. He'll fill me on on Thursday with all the gory details. I hope none of the tests are too invasive. If all goes well and he is approved as a donor by the all mighty Transplant Board, we could be looking at surgery happening within the next month. It doesn't quite seem real yet. I'm sure when a date is set, it'll be more than real. I'm crossing my fingers everything works out.

By now I should be listed on the UNOS transplant list. This whole thing is a little surreal. Ever since I found out about my funky kidneys and my kidney disease, I knew I'd need a transplant someday. I just didn't know that "someday" would be now. Someday always denotes some far-off future date. It's funny how easily you can convince yourself that "someday" may never come--or maybe I was just hoping it would never come. Now that the process has begun, I can say that I'm actually looking forward to the transplant. Not the actual procedure and the immediate aftermath, but down the road from it a bit. In my minds eye there is a hill. I can see light near the top of what I imagine is a beautiful sunrise. All I have to do is make it over the horizon.

So I went to my "activation" class yesterday. I had 8 vials of blood drawn, which was fun. They will do tissue typing and other blood work. Tissue typing will show how many antigens are in common with the potential donor kidney. The most important thing is my PRA (panel reactive antibody) test, which shows how many anti-human antibodies I have in the my body. You'd have a high PRA if you had a blood transfusion, a baby, a severe infection, or a transplant. My PRA should be very low (near 0% would be best) as I have had none of those.

Randy will begin his testing soon. The first and most important test is essentially the tissue typing. They'll combine our blood and see how reactive it is. This is called a crossmatch. We want to have a negative crossmatch.

After they work up my many vials of blood, they will place me on the UNOS transplant list. Now we just have to wait and see. If Randy gets all of his tests done soon, we could be looking at surgery sometime early next year. If he is not a match and I need a kidney from the list, I could be waiting for five years or so. Either way, I'm excited to get the ball rolling.

Today I had a really fun time getting my blood drawn. I go to LabCorp at least every other month to get blood drawn for analysis of my kidney function. They are both staffed by monkeys, and the slowest snails on Earth. More than once they've "lost" a vial of blood, making me go back to get more drawn. Once they decided to do a liver panel instead of a kidney panel. Don't ask me why. At least I found out my liver is super healthy.

My nephrologist has started using a service that only does tests for patients with kidney disease. They sent me this box and lab order. The box contains the vials and everything the lab needs to draw my blood and ship to the testing facility.

So I arrive at the lab, box in hand and sign in. The woman checking people in moves like she has weights tied to each limb, her eyes droopy and uncomprehending. The waiting room is already full even though it's only 8am. So I sit and wait with my little box. And wait. And wait. For almost an hour. Finally my name is called and I bring up my little box. The lab techs regard the box as some foreign object never seen by common earthlings. The lady takes my order, looks at it quizzically (I'm not sure she was capable of reading) and sends me in to the blood draw room. The box has a tab across the front they must pull off to access the contents. The dude is perplexed by the box and keeps turning it around and around trying to find a way in. I point out the tab and he gives a little grunt. He takes the tab in hand and gives it a mighty yank, which only succeeds in tearing off the tabs handle. He then takes his pen and starts to dig out the tab from the box. This takes a few minutes and eventually he both gets the tab off and breaks his pen. He assures me he has plenty as he tosses the pen in the garbage. He then takes everything out of the box one by one regarding each with interest and saying the name of the object out loud ("a coupla rubber bands. Ok. An ice pack. Ok. Blood vial. Ok. Return label for shipment. Ok.") before laying each item carefully out on the counter. After emptying the box, he gets set up to draw my blood. There is always a little prick when the needle is inserted, but today, for some reason, it hurts like hell! When he's finished he says with a satisfied grin, "There. Should only be a little bruise. Not bad!" Which, it turns out, is correct, but a) is a scary thought for other patients ("Oh. That'll be a big bruise. Sorry.") and b) I've never actually bruised from a blood draw before. I then put on my jacket and hurry through the crowded waiting room. I hope to god they package and ship the collection correctly.