March is National Kidney Disease Awareness Month

Today is World Kidney Day. I wasn't aware there was such a day but I guess today is the day. I did not know my kidneys were failing until I only had 75 % function left. Still enough to live on but they continued to fail. That was March 1997 and by July 1997 I was on hemodialysis. It happened very fast and I was very young, only 21. I didn't do very well on dialysis and had everything go wrong that could possibly go wrong. I spent a year in and out of the hospital living life on dialysis, 3 hours a day 3 days a week :( Although I had 3 matchs ( mom, dad, and brother) to donate I had to get well enough to go through the surgery. Luckily I was able to stick with it and on my 22nd birthday I received the gift of life from my mom. She gave me life 22 years before and again 22 years later. The BEST birthday gift I have ever received. Thanks mom! I made a very long story short and cut out all the stuff I wish I could forget, but I just felt like celebrating my tx today. I am greatful everyday for the second chance at life and today I am thinking about all the hundreds of thousands of people waiting for a second chance at life, as well as all the donors and donors' families who may have to make a very difficult decision . So if you haven't signed your donor card yet please do so, most importantly tell your family your wishes because the signature on the drivers license is not enough. As the saying goes...... "don't take your organs to Heaven, Heaven knows we need them here on earth "! I wouldn't be here today without my mom making the choice to donate.
Happy World Kidney Day!
Thanks for reading my story and say a prayer for everyone waiting for a second chance at life.