Organ Donor? It's a Possbility

I don't use my blog to spout about my personal life - in fact, whether it be here or on Twitter, outside of talking occasionally about my wife and kids, I don't post much about my personal/private life. I'm under the general impression that no one would care about my life beyond social media, therefore I keep it to myself.

This time though, I'm going to share something that's quite serious, and rather life-changing.

My mother has informed me that she's on the wrong end of kidney failure. She'll need a transplant, and she'll need one soon.

That's where I (and possibly my brother) come in: time to see if I can be a viable donor.

Admittedly, I don't have the strongest relationship with my mother. She raised me strict, over-bearing, over-protective, etc. Looking back now, I can see why: she just wanted the best out of me, and wanted me to make proper decisions. I didn't do my best after I left home, and I may have made a number of wrong decisions, but as we stand, life is what it is. Two great kids, a wife and best friend who loves me and our lives as we have them now. And it can all change just like that with a major decision that I've been faced with.

In all reality, it's should be the easiest major decision ever. Can't let a family member pass because you don't want to help. Not so sure I could live with myself knowing I could help my mother and decided not to.

So I've filled out a questionnaire sent from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where the donation will happen. Soon enough, I'll receive a kit to take to my primary care doctor so that we can do simple tests and blood work to send back to Rush. If all goes well with that, I'll make an appearance at the clinic for another pre-donation test. If I am to donate, then I'll be spending a couple of days there for the operation. My mom gets a kidney, and she can go on living for a few more years. At 62, she's probably not ready to go just yet.

The scary thing for me is going to be the recovery. I'm a blue-collar worker, so I'm likely going to miss around a month or so while I get better. That's not what's scary: it's the lack of short-term disability from my employer. My life will likely get rather difficult if it becomes that much harder for me to bring in my end of the mortgage payments, food for my growing children, etc. My life as a beer snob will likely take a big hit, too. My desire to attend more and more baseball games could be in jeopardy as well.

But if I let those obstacles get in the way of granting my own mother a chance for a few more years, then I can just brand the word "selfish" on my big forehead.

I'm hoping one of my kidneys is healthy enough to donate. Because my mother has put up with a lot of my crap for this long, why not donate and help make that time even longer.