21 Vials

You see the twenty-one vials of blood in that picture? It used to belong to me… I gave it up to the phlebotomist last Thursday morning during the first of a battery of tests that I endured during a marathon session at UAB, the first of a two-day evaluation to determine if I am a viable candidate for a kidney transplant.

Following that blood draw, we moved into a series of x-rays, scans, and sonographic imaging, culminating in the infamous “Nuclear Stress Test.” I’d rather not repeat that one…. Those who have had it will likely agree.

Following the physical workup, the second part of the day was a mental workout with a series of meetings with the transplant coordinator who is the “traffic cop” of the transplant process, the financial consultant who explains insurance benefits and who pays for what, and the pharmacist who cautions you against the evils of skipping a dose of anti-rejection medicine. We closed the day in a group setting with a class that I’ll describe as Kidney Transplant 101.

With the results in hand, the transplant team will assess my case as a petitioner for a transplant. We return in a few weeks for a meeting with the surgeons and other members of the team for a presentation of their findings. Absent of any unexpected findings, I will be officially placed “on the list” for a kidney transplant.

The wait for a cadaver kidney is currently about four to five years, and I will likely be forced to undergo dialysis treatments as I bide my time for a deceased donor kidney. We are currently making alternate arrangements for that process as we work through the transplant protocols. I am hopeful that we are able to find a suitable living donor, or as my mother used to say, a “Samaritan Donor,” much sooner than that. Should we find an appropriate match, that time frame could be as soon as two to three months. If you or someone that you know is interested in speaking to UAB about kidney donation, please call Shelly at 205-975-9200. Please tell her that “Worley says hi!”