Empty Nesters in Training

Are you all enjoying your summer? I’m loving the relaxed time with my kids, although this week they’re each off to various camps, so I’m really loving a week-long date with my husband.  So far we celebrated a good friend’s 50th birthday Sunday and enjoyed a movie on Monday (“Ant-man”).  Last night was dinner at Wood Tavern.

Wood Tavern, one of our favorite restaurants

Many of you are wondering how I’m doing while I wait for a kidney transplant.   In my last post, I shared that I had four potential donors.  I am currently down to one potential donor actively testing.  I don’t know who he (or she) is, and I don’t know where he is in the evaluation process, nor do I know what happened with the other potential donors.   Privacy laws prevent me from knowing much, but I am keeping my fingers crossed as he makes his way through this testing phase which typically takes 3-6 months.

As I wait, my physical body continues to hang on and I’m feeling generally well.  Dialysis continues its work at removing toxins while keeping my blood pressure within a healthy range. If anything this season of waiting has become a test of my spirit.  During the day I am a fighter, reading and researching and arming myself with questions at every appointment.  But sometimes in the quiet of the night, when the buzzing and humming of my dialysis machine wakes me, a sadness settles in, weary in waiting, and wondering where my finish line lies.  Will I get a transplant in 6 weeks? 6 months? Ever?  Recently I received some UCSF literature on kidney transplant that read:

Of the people on the wait list only one in five survive long enough
to get a transplant, because they get too sick for the transplant.

And while I’m confident that I will be among the one in five, life does look a little different when a life-threatening illness stares you in the face.

Interestingly, I recently finished a little book titled The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,  an international best-seller by professional organizer Marie Kondo. Despite its kitschy title, it really does have a bit of a life-changing effect.  Even the simple act of un-cluttering the home can bring an inner calmness.  And when life in its fragility forces you to re-evaluate your priorities, there is a refreshing clarity and freedom that comes from letting go of the unimportant stuff in your home and life, and hanging on to only the things you need and that bring you joy.

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I’m halfway through my week without kids.  Any suggestions on how to spend the next few days?  Leave a comment.