Well, the last I heard, the transplanted kidney was working fine.
I ended my second week as living donor coordinator by visiting the operating room where I used to work and helping my friends remove a kidney from my patient. There was the a little O.R. drama during the surgery but overall it was a quieter case than I anticipated and my friends were glad I was there to help them out.
To be honest, I was just there to observe the surgery & take photos so initially I just planted myself on one of the chairs in the room to avoid getting in the way. But things came up (as they do) during the case and they really needed an extra set of hands to help push things forward. Choosing to remain seated and out of the way seemed kind of irresponsible when you consider that I spent two years in the O.R. and knew how to help.
In the end everything turned out ok and they joked about seeing me in action again. You know, they laughingly said things like “Just like getting back on a bicycle, right?”… and stuff like that.
Honestly, I forgot how much I respect the ability of my friends to perform highly technical work under crazy-stressful conditions. Sure, I can hang in there with the best of ‘em but they’re the ones who are there everyday getting it done.
I have to admit though, it was kind of fun… flying around the room again like the old days.
I’m also struck at how courageous my patient is to step up and donate a kidney. All throughout the process (especially, the day before when things got a little nutso), the dedication to the decision never waivered. It’s my job to move the case through the donation process while simultaneously making sure the person is constantly aware of the option to back out and not once did the patient consider cancelling.
The recipient of the kidney has been through a lot and I hope this is the final bump in the long road back to good health.
When I get back to the office on Monday, I’ll have a stack of applications sitting on my desk from other people who want to donate and I’ll start the process all over again with them. I haven’t fully appreciated what these people are willing to do but I know I’m looking forward to being the one to help them during every step of the way.
So far, from what my patients have been saying, they like the job I’ve been able to do. It’s a great feeling to get that kind of positive feedback from someone who, in the end, I admire as being incredibly selfless and unimaginably brave.
