HOPE

Right now there is someone out there....they are probably hooked up to dialysis right now. BEST case scenario is that they ONLY have to do it 3 times a week, for 3 hours a time. That's as good as it gets with dialysis. Can you imagine? And guess what? They still don't feel that good. Dialysis "works" but it is no where near as good as a kidney. Their blood isn't as clean as when a kidney does the job. How disruptive is that to life? And that's assuming that you've got it "easy". Have you ever known someone who has had to do dialysis? It's not an easy job, and their poor veins really go through it, being poked so often. All that time and effort, to still not feel well.
Maybe they aren't playing with their kids because they don't feel good? Maybe they don't get to do their weekly bowling anymore because it falls on a dialysis night. Maybe their job is suffering from not feeling well. Maybe they are being as strong as they can, because not only are THEY effected, but their ENTIRE FAMILY is. God knows that most of them have gone to see if they are a match, only to find out they aren't. The guilt on both sides, the people wanting desperately to help, and the soul who would never dream of ASKING someone for a kidney, but praying that they will receive one.
Not to mention what being on that list is like. They are near the top of the list, and that is because most likely they've been on it for YEARS. Their health is deteriorating quickly. How many people die waiting? An average of 12 a day. If you go without your kidney's working for long enough, eventually your heart is affected. Eventually other systems stop working so well. Your blood isn't as clean as it could be. And there are surprisingly few organ donors out there, even cadavers!
There is someone out there, and they don't know it yet, but soon- SOON! Soon they are going to get a phone call and they will feel hopeful again! If I pass the tests, that is. I think I need tell my parents. Just in case they really don't know, they deserve to really know. If I pass the tests, their phone is going to ring, and there will be happy tears, and hope will be known once again!
Can you even IMAGINE?! How much fun is that?
Imagine surgery...they will wake up after having this invasive surgery- and the kicker is that they will feel BETTER than before. It's immediate, if surgery goes well...they don't do the surgery if the recipient isn't healthy enough, but sometimes complications arise. Wake up feeling BETTER! Better color to their face, better feeling all around. AMAZING!
And maybe someone will hear the story, and they won't have that feeling that most people have of "no way!"...I am not the first to do a non directed donation, and I won't be the last. Of course, it's the smallest percentage of living donations, but all of the people who have done it did it because they realized the opportunity and they found that they had the urge. The urge? Doesn't sound right, but I don't want to sound derogatory to people that "can't" do it due to wanting to keep their own kidneys. Because that is fine. But just THINK...we could wipe out that waiting list. SURELY out of the billions of people here, there MUST be 100,000 that wouldn't mind doing it. I'd like to think so anyway.
SIGH.
I'm going to go work out now. GO, ME. Usually I have a hard time because that stupid eating disorder thinking sneaks in mighty quickly, but since I have a reason above and beyond myself (I guess it is for me, it will make recovery faster and easier), maybe it won't happen now?
We'll find out, that's for sure! I'm....hopeful about it. : )