Goodbye Lefty!

Finally, after a year + of researching, wanting, having other surgeries first, getting myself ready- FINALLY a surgery date for The Ditching Of A Kidney. July 13th or 14th. I can't WAIT!

There have been 4 people who have openly disagreed with my wish to do this- perhaps there are more but they are choosing to keep quiet and support me. One of the 4 people who have disagreed with me has said they are sorry, but they simply cannot support me- and that's okay too!
One of them respected me enough to have a discussion regarding it, and I feel like they didn't hold back, and I felt like i was open enough to hear everything and take it in, because everyone's concerns are valid.
Of the other two who disagree with me, one just says "don't try to understand her, just go with it." and the other just wishes I wouldn't. It's not as fun to tell the last one about anything that excites me because it's usually met with a sigh and a "i wish you wouldn't."
WHICH IS FINE.
This is the coolest experience ever. Everyone gets an opinion, and I get to do what I wish anyway. My mom, who probably started out like "WHY? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST NOT DO THIS?" has watched and listened to numerous stories on the news about kidney donations and can see past the part that it's ME doing it. It seems like she can see that the results are over a million times better than any worry that comes from the actual surgery.
What's been SUPER interesting to me is that a couple of the people who struggle with my decision are very, very Christian--- which I am not. Or should we say that i am since I believe in Love? Is that so big that it encompasses Christianity also? Only I don't believe JESUS saved me- I believe I can't go wrong no matter what. Wow, i get sidetracked, don't I though? Damn. It's interesting to me that my Christian friends can't see how this makes all the sense in the world. I don't feel like I'm doing anything THAT huge- it only seems huge because so few people do it. But it is giving, and I get that. It's giving in an amazing way, isn't it? Whoever gets my kidney is going to wake up from surgery FEELING BETTER ALREADY. How kick ass is that? And my life, after I heal, is going to continue on like nothing ever happened. KICK ASS, AGAIN! Am I not not talking the talk, but walking the walk?
And Cullen is so stinkin cute about the whole thing. He gets real defensive on my/our behalf. He might be the only person who completely understands why and how I can do this- it was his uncle who died waiting, who needed a kidney. But he's heard every "crazy" idea and thought to enter my mind....and he honestly gets it. He would love nothing more than for me to go toe to toe with someone who doesn't get it. He'd love the chance to do it- except there is nothing to argue over. I can't argue with anyone's very valid concerns (but it is interesting that not ONE person was concerned over my possible death during surgery for the hysterectomy, which is also a major surgery, and when *I* uttered it out loud ONE time, I was chastised and told not to think that way.) but it doesn't change how I feel about doing this. Of COURSE I should do it! If everyone felt like they could do it, we wouldn't have this horrible waiting list. I read all about it, learned all about it, am part of a research group who will track the difference in me compared to how I am with 2 kidney's, and compare me with one to my sister who has 2. We're making history here, people. A grand story, and maybe someday the rest of the world will be convinced that it's not really that big of a deal and we can wipe out that stupid waiting list, and people won't be chained to dialysis anymore.
BRING IT!
Next weekend we are going to the cabin. The weekend after that, we are again, for the 4th of July. The weekend after we are going to Dan and Deb's camper- which is funny because we were at their camper the weekend before the hysterectomy too- and then BAM! surgery! I will finally wake up from the surgery I've been waiting to have!
3 organs gone in a year- isn't that super funny? Let my stupidly funny jokes start. Get ready to hear them! Over and over. Get ready to be made to say goodbye to Lefty. And expect to have to take pictures of me so that you can recognize me after surgery with only one kidney. :D If you're Angie, get ready for all the normal phone calls from now til surgery so you can hear what I sound like with 2 kidneys. Who's the biggest dork you know? I AM! I AM! I AM!
I AM!
And I'm insanely excited to get knocked out, wake up with one less kidney, on pain meds, I am excited to pee for the first time, proof that my absolutely marvelous body is working, and that my adorable right kidney is taking over full time. I love my brilliant body.

I CAN'T WAIT!