Getting started...

I suppose, as is said in The Sound of Music, one should begin at the beginning as it is the very best place to start.

 I would imagine most of you know the back story about mom's struggle with her kidney disease. In November of 1993 mom was placed on the list for her first kidney transplant. Six days later, on November 10, she got the call that miraculously a match had been located and she would be given the gift of life. This transplant was not without trouble. She went through a period of rejection (the process by which the body tries to "kill" the foreign organ) but eventually she was allowed to come home. Her first kidney was found to have a disease and it was not expected to thrive for very long. Through the grace of God, she was able to have 7 years with that kidney before it failed. In that time our family grew together and grew stronger. I have to say, at the age of 13, I took a lot of the transplant process for granted. I remember traveling with Mom for the weekly doctor visits, etc. that needed to happen. We were blessed to have that time and I am so thankful for it.

AfterMom's transplant failed in November 2000, she started hemodialysis. Her first treatment was on November 10, 2000, exactly 7 years after her transplant. For 8 years mom struggled through hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and hospital visits, waiting and praying for another kidney. Because of all of the medical problems she had through that time, we were prepared that she would not get that chance for another transplant. We learned to appreciate the time we had together and spent much of it together.

On August 28, 2008, I was at work at the Children's Home when I got a phone call that mom was going to be travelling to Fort Worth to do some tests for a possible transplant! I must have looked crazy that day as I sat in the lunch room trying to process, crying all over myself, and unsuccessfully trying to explain that I wasn't sad but very, very happy! Sis and I left after work for the drive to Harris Methodist Fort Worth. We sat up all night that night and into the next morning waiting to hear about Mom's surgery. Finally Sis, Dad, and I got word that the surgery was complete and now all that was left was to wait. The doctor said her new kidney was not producing much urine and, because of some possible trauma during the placement, it may take a little while to function. Mom was placed in ICU due to some blood pressure issues so after shift change we were allowed to see her. Dad, Sis, and I stayed at the hospital all day, hanging out with Mom and waiting on her kidney to produce urine. After that weekend, Sis and I came home to work while Dad stayed at the hospital.

What follows are the emails I sent to Mom during her stays in the hospital. As the time comes, I will also share the email updates I sent to people. I am including this as a way to provide a frame of reference to the goings-on during the process. I understand this was a long blog post and I don't mean to bore, but I feel like the whole story should be shared. It is my hope that through this process I find greater healing and perhaps, you will as well.