Fall Update
Hello! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving, and is having a good start to the holiday season. I've got a couple updates I wanted to share, so I'll jump right in.
Back in October, Jill and I went to visit my recipient and her family. We sat outside with masks on, and hung out. Jill's birthday was the day before, so my recipient made Jill Rice Krispie treats with lemon frosting! Needless to say, they were delicious! My recipient and one of her older brothers were playing Pokémon GO, a mobile game where you try to catch as many Pokémon as possible. I played it a bit when it first came out in 2016, but I haven't played it at all since. Well, she got me back into it and we've been playing it together and comparing the Pokémon we've been catching. It's been a lot of fun! She also got a cell phone for her birthday, so we've been keeping in touch more too (mostly about Pokémon GO). It's like she's the little sister I never had, which is fun because I'm an only child. Before we left, I took my recipient and her brother for rides in my convertible, which I bought just a few months before. Neither of them had been in a convertible before, so it was fun to take them around the block.
For Thanksgiving, Jill and I were at her parents' house, and while we were there, we were invited to one of my recipient’s horse-riding lessons. It was so cool to see her riding her favorite horse Ernie, and she was so good at riding, too! It was something we've been trying to set up for a while now, and I'm so glad we were able to go. I knew she rode horses before the donation, but it was so great to see her putting the kidney to good use. We also got to see her brother ride as well. Jill and I will be back up there for Christmas, so we're going to try to see them again around then.
As we approach the 2-year anniversary of my kidney donation, I've been looking back. It is hard to believe that just 2 years ago, we were first getting in touch with my recipient’s family and setting up the surgery dates. I am so grateful that I've had good health since the surgery, especially with the pandemic going on. Besides the appendicitis right after the surgery, I haven't had any health issues relating to it.
My recipient has been doing well too! Her labs continue to be stable, which is fantastic. Recently her mom shared something with me that really blew me away. She told me that while my recipient was doing a scavenger hunt in a park with a bunch of other kids, she was running around more than she ever could before, and even led the pack a few times, running out in front of the other kids to the next location. She is able to do so much more now, and she's gaining so much more confidence too. It's wonderful to see, and hearing updates like that really solidifies my reasoning for donating.
Penn Medicine, who performed my transplant, put on a virtual event for its organ donors and recipients a couple of days ago. They usually do it in person, but the last 2 years, they've had to do it virtually. There were holiday wishes from donors, recipients, and medical staff, as well as updates about the program. I saw my surgeon in the video, the person who actually took my kidney out! I hope the pandemic gets better and we can all meet in person next year. I have my 2-year appointment coming up in the beginning of next year, so that will probably be my next update. I hope you all have a great holiday season and a great start to the New Year!