My friend John B. called me tonight and said “Happy Kidney Day” to me. I figured he was acknowledging the fact that it was three months ago today that Jaime and I becamed joined at the kidney. But he said that there was a real “World Kidney Day”. So I googled it and, sure enough, there’s a whole website for it - http://www.worldkidneyday.org/.
So then I got thinking that it’s ironic that this is also my third month anniversary - that it should fall on World Kidney Day! One one hand the surgery seems like it happened ages ago. On the other hand it seems like just a very short time ago. On the third hand [I’m allowed to have a “third hand” because, after all, I have three kidneys! :-) ], if it wasn’t for the scar and the handfuls of pills I take every day, I sometimes find myself even wondering if it ever happened! There are SO many ways in which it still hasn’t hit me that I have a piece of my friend Jaime inside of me. I do believe there is some emotional denial still going on inside me that I’m even sick at all. that’s always been a struggle before the kidney - I used to sometimes wonder if I was just making up the kidney illness but the blood tests and my declining health told me otherwise and brought me back to reality often.
But now I feel reasonably well - still tire easily but I feel better than I have in years - and I think because of that the whole surgery experience almost feels like a dream. But once again I see the 10″ scar and the alarms go off to remind me to take my pills and I have the bi-weekly blood draws and it all brings me back to reality.
I’m still formulating “Wow! Part II” to bring more of the emotions and thoughts about this surgery to the forefront but in the meantime I wish to you a joyous “Happy World Kidney Day!”
Thanks for reading.
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14. March 2008 at 05:13
Well then,
Happy Kidney Day!
Love and prayers,
Laura