Waiting…

Waiting.  That is the story of my kidney life.

Right now I feel like the woman in the Mervyn’s commercial standing outside a Mervyn’s store in the early hours of a shopping day chanting, “Open, Open, Open.”  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re a millennial.

I’m waiting for UCSF to re-open their living kidney donor program so I can move forward with finding a kidney to swap with in the national kidney exchange program.  Technically I’m already in the local database within UCSF – about 20 or so other donor/ recipients looking for someone to swap with.  UCSF can still perform surgeries among their own patients, just not with others in the national program, not until the suspension is lifted.   Unfortunately there is no suitable match within the local UCSF database so I will have to wait until we can re-join the national program.

Once UCSF opens back up, my donor and I can be entered into the National Kidney Registry where there are hundreds of other donor/ recipient pairs looking for a matching puzzle piece that would allow a suitable kidney exchange.  So to the powers that be, please open open open.  I want a kidney.

In the meantime, I’m still trying to stay strong.  My doctor increased my blood pressure medication to bring my numbers down.  Now my bp is well within healthy range, but now I feel lightheaded throughout the day.  So, time for another conversation with my doctor about adjusting my prescription yet again.  FYI, my kidney function is down to 3%.

Waiting.