Pre-surgery days

Wow-does that countdown clock really read 4 days?! Amazing that after almost a year of planning, this thing is finally happening in less than a week!

I just thought I'd take a moment (or a few moments--I'm currently on a bus to spend my last 'two kidney weekend' in NYC) to fill you all in on the happenings in Boston over the last few days.

It was great to see Rene and Nancy again upon my arrival to Boston Monday night. They really have come to feel like those kind of friends that you can go a long time without seeing and then when you do, you fall right back into place with one another. After they picked me up from the airport, we headed straight to Jean and Barbara's beautiful home, where Jean had a delicious dinner prepared and I also got to meet Harold of Team RenJen.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday discovering more of Boston. Jean has done a wonderful job of showing me around town--she even took me on a bike ride to Harvard's campus...with a stop at Longfellow's house along the way!

Wednesday was Rene's turn to take me on a tour, but this was after I sat with her for a bit at her dialysis appointment. I was glad I got the chance to do this, as I think it was important for me, as Rene's donor, to more fully understand what living with kidney disease is like for her. Now I also understand why her profile stood out to me the first time I saw it. It was somewhat overwhelming to sit with Rene in a room full of so many other visibly sick people. It was also humbling to get a better sense for what happens for Rene three times a week for three hours. I mean, imagine doing your least favorite activity every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:30 in the morning until 9:30. Got a good picture of what that would be like for you? Now imagine doing that same thing while in the hospital hooked up to a machine that's taking all the blood out of your body, cleaning it, and putting it back in. And you can't call in sick to this job--your life very literally depends on it.

Back to Rene's profile standing out: I can't believe she has been able to do this for five years and remain as positive and full of life as she has. There are more days in the week than not when I'm pretty bitchy for a good portion of the day just because I didn't want to wake up as early as I did. Imagine what kind of raging bitch I'd be if I also had to go to dialysis on three of those days out of the week. Maybe that's why G-d didn't give me kidney disease and why I owe Rene a kidney. :)

Wednesday and Thursday were also very cool because I got to spend them (sleepovers included) with Rene and Nancy. While I feel like I've known them forever, I've really only met them once before, so it's been awesome to do 'normal' things with them--shopping, watching trashy TV (along with Team RenJen member Douglas), and going to puppy classes.

Thursday was spent (by both of us) at Mass General. I think I had more physicals in one day than I've had in all my life. We also both had blood drawn, an EKG done, and met with different members of the transplant team. Being at the hospital made Tuesday seem much more real for both of us, and while we're both feeling a little nervous about surgery, we're also excited to have it finally happening.

I think we're caught up! Family members arrive Sunday and Monday, I meet with my surgeon Monday, GET to (I'm trying to look at it positively) stop eating and (stop reading now if you don't want to enter TMI zone) take a laxative at 5 pm that same day, and then we're both off to the hospital as the sun comes up Tuesday!

I'll definitely be updating the blog as soon as I'm feeling good in the hospital...or maybe I should try to blog from the recovery room...I'm sure that would prove to be the best post yet! :) Until then, thank you all for your continued support. Please be thinking about us as you wake up Tuesday!
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