This morning I have my final test -- a retest of the crossmatch and bloodwork to ensure that I am still healthy and a double check that I'm a match with Howard.
When I started this process, I was very afraid of needles. I did not get my flu shot this year because it would involve being stuck.
By now, I'm so familiar with it that I'm using the lingo.
I still cringe when the needle is going in. But after being "stuck" 9 times in one day, you get over it. And some fears *should* be overcome.
Here are all the tests I've had done during the evaluation process:
- Blood type check
- Blood pressure checks
- Crossmatch (my blood & Howard's)
- Urine test
- Full blood analysis
- Glofil test (measures the kidney function, and requires you to drink Herculean amounts of water)
- Lower chest CT scan
- Chest Xray
- Upper chest CT scan
- 24 hour blood pressure monitoring
- one last blood analysis & crossmatch today!
When you start the evaluation process, they tell you that the testing could uncover something wrong with you. I vowed to myself that I would rather *know*, so I could deal with it.
The flipside of that is that finding out that you are in good health feels incredible. All that healthy living has really paid off. I'm at the age where things start breaking down, but so far, I have held that at bay. I may not be able to run as well as I used to (well, run/walk -- let's be honest here!). But I'm still healthy enough to donate a kidney!
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