Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

I always have to laugh a little when I think about those "life and death" decisions we make as teenagers. Remember how you would just die if you made the wrong choice? We were sure that these decisions were the toughest we were ever going to have to face. Oh how little we knew about life when we were that age. And after-all, we were invincible and indestructible at that point in our lives. No adult could ever possibly understand what we were going through, that was un-thinkable.

I'm not sure that this upcoming decision about a kidney transplant is the toughest that I have ever had to make, but it ranks right up there. So much information to concider. So much risk involved. Will it work, how long will it last, will my life improve or will I just be pushing one thing aside to deal with something different? Is all of this real or am I just having a really bad dream?

Un fortunately, I know it's all real. I know it's my life and my problem and I will deal with it. I will consider all the information and I will talk to my Dr. and my family. My decision will not be rash or quick coming and it will affect the rest of my life. And just like those teenage decisions, I could just die if this decision isn't the right one.

Kidney Transplant. Is it for me?

Yesterday we went to Albany(NY) to a seminar about the kidney transplant organization. There is a lot to consider about this process. There are many pluses and minuses to really think about. The amounts of medication you have to take for the rest of your life are staggering. This is a huge decision that will require much thought before that decision is reached. My next appointment with my doctor will be filled with talk about this process because I have questions for him and only him. I say this because he knows my kidneys and knows how my body adapts to treatment better than anyone else. I need his input, his expertise in this area. I know a new kidney won't make me 18 again. I know it won't make me 30 again. What I don't know is what will change. What will improve and how much improvement can be expected. Will the pro's outweigh the con's? That's the real question.

The Next Big Step

On January 17,2010 I will start another journey on the road to a healthier life. This journey will start at Albany Med in Albany, New York. The end result of this journey will be obtaining a kidney transplant. This is a registration and information seminar that I will be attending, but it is still step one in what I am told is a long process. I am aware of the fact that everyone who registers for a transplant doesn't always get one. Whether I get one or not remains to be seen. For right now I'm doing fine on dialysis and I know that there are people in worse shape than me. This is sort of like learning to walk, small steps and one at a time with a few falls along the way. Life is full of changes and challenges that we all face in one way or another. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy and the fact remains, nobody gets out alive. We just have to do the best with what we have while we are here and enjoy the journey.