I spent most of this morning at the University of Wisconsin Hospital Transplant Clinic.
The good people there took nine vials of blood, gave me an EKG and briefed me on my upcoming surgery. (Normal kidney function is considered to be 60% or above. Mine is 4%. Yeah, I’m ready.) While I was was there, I bumped into my live kidney donor, my daughter knitolitics.
(Did I mention how proud I am of her?)
In the few minutes we were able to sneak in between our respective appointments, she told me about some drama that occurred while they were taking her blood specimens. It seems that she encountered an “ADA and HIPAA rights” fool in the wild. The fellow in the next booth went into an extended rant, yelling at the lab tech about his rights. He was breathing well enough to holler for five minutes straight but couldn’t wear a mask for a 90 second blood draw. He wound up his screech-fest by telling the lab workers that he was never coming back there. (Nobody begged him to reconsider.) Dude, this is a hospital. This lab is loaded with people who are facing drop-dead serious health challenges. Suck it up. Put the damned mask on and while you’re at it, try not to pass gas.
The hospital is ground zero of mask-wearing and social distancing. Perhaps I shouldn’t be too judgemental about covidiots. My wife and I snuck in a forbidden hug with our daughter in the Transplant Clinic waiting room. We haven’t been able to touch any of our children or grandchildren in months. In three weeks, one of knitolitics’ internal organs is going to be connected to my abdominal artery, so I’m not worried about exposure in this case and nobody else in the waiting room objected.
Yes, I said three weeks. My kidney transplant surgery is scheduled for September 29. Thoughts, prayers, and positive waves are all welcome and appreciated.
If you are moved to do more, consider making a donation to the transplant program. If you were cast in the mold of a true saint, perhaps you might become a living kidney donor.
Anybody in my situation would be fine with getting a cadaver kidney, but a live-organ donation gives the recipient much better possibility of a long, healthy, post-operative life. Be warned, you will have to wear a mask and spend a couple of days in the hospital. This is one of those instances where virtue is it’s own reward. You will never have to wonder if you did enough. You won’t actually lay down your life for someone in need, but you can’t get any closer without catching a bullet or flopping on a grenade. I don’t think they hand out medals to live donors, but if you donate I can guarantee that you will never pay for a drink if I’m around.
I’m not sure that I will post anything more on DailyKos before my surgery. Perhaps I will be able to put up a post-op diary. Don’t worry about ol’ ruleoflaw. I am going to survive this and live to vote for Biden/Harris and Jessica King for Congress.
GOTV!