WOW!

WOW! Last night was amazing! The people who were in that room...! So many transplant patients...
I don't even know where to start.
Heather, who was one of the donors, donated for her uncle Bob. Uncle Bob started to ask me something, something about my first ever visit to the transplant clinic, in January 2010. I'm sure I'd mentioned it before, but walking in there is/was kinda hard. You don't realize how healthy you look until you stick out like a sore thumb in the waiting room of people who are clearly not as healthy. On my first visit, the receptionist was rifling through papers and asked me why I was there and I said "I'm going to donate a kidney" and I'd said it as quietly as I could because it just felt weird. Bob and Sandy were sitting there. She heard me. She was pointing to Bob saying "pick him!" He said he couldn't believe it when they met me at the luncheon, because they recognized me. I remember them. I could tell you where they were sitting in the waiting room, I remember Sandy's eyes following me. What a small world!

Heather is a HOOT! Gosh she's funny.
Shannon looks AWESOME. Everyone looks awesome. Sheila cried love tears through most of it.
I had lotsa wine.
I haven't had that much wine in a very long time.
There were 500 people there.
I thought I was going to pass out.
But- I didn't. I totally didn't pass out.
And we did it. And everyone was on their feet clapping. Their feet weren't clapping, they were standing up and clapping. And the National Kidney Foundation, for the first time ever, netted over $100,000 (hey, it's not an art institute, people! hahahah)! I had to pee when I was done, and I missed the big pledge when they hit $30,000 just right there. The auctioneer, Gene, was a flippin RIOT. The funniest guy ever. "We passed ridiculous $1,000 ago. You've had lots of wine. Who's gonna give me $5,500?" Matt Fugate was one of the emcees, along with a channel 9 chick.
Anyway, we finished on stage, and went back to our tables, and then it started.....

a brunette came over, crying, to say "thank you". She didn't say for what. Sonya, another anonymous donor came over to talk. She was so teary and cute and wanted to meet the whole chain. More transplant patients, who have incredible stories...one has also beat leukemia using his brothers stem cells --OMG--can you BELIEVE how cool our bodies are? --the other one was the speaker last year...the stories kept coming, these amazing, incredible stories....

Early on in the night, an older man came up and recognized Cullen from when we were in the hospital...his name is Jerry. His wife Carol passed away a year and a half ago after he had donated a kidney to her. He's very active with the NKF. And quite a memory on him, also. After we said our hellos and he told us that Carol's Team raised the most money for the walk, he told us that his kids were working the auction table. That's not really important, but knowing that I did go talk to them and tell them I love their dad and was so sorry about their mom. What a memory on him!

I also finally got to meet the transplant coordinator that coordinated all the surgeries in the 3 different hospitals, so I got to tell her thank you for all the work she's doing all the time. All the important work, while I'm here changing diapers. :)

Bob bought us Twins tickets from the silent auction, and Cynthia, Mark (recipient)'s partner, bought me a vase of tulips.

It feels funny because I don't feel like I did anything at all, but I do have to say, there are some very, very calming presences in this chain. Heather, although she is a total crack up and wasn't shy about saying "I'd die if I had to go up there and talk!" helped. John is also a force of some sort- a very calming, reassuring force. I like him a lot. Gosh, I like ALL of them alot. I'm so lucky to know them. Their stories are all so heart wrenching and warming and I love them.

More later!