Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Boss Knows...and thinks I should wait

Yesterday was an interesting conversation. I was able to sit with my boss and her husband (a rare thing) and talk about a few things that had been going on at work. After a bit of this I felt it would be a good time to talk to them about what I've decided to do.

I have to admit, I was a bit taken off guard with their reactions. I'm not sure what I expected, but I hadnt expected both of them to tell me to wait, and revisit this after a (minimum) year. They will both support me in going through this, but did say that they would rather celebrate me choosing not to go through with this, than celebrate a date for surgery being set.

I think the thought was that as the formal process has only been going on for 4 months, and I am so young (23) that I havent had the opportunity to think this through clearly. They asked how I would feel if down the road a close friend or family member (possibly a child) needed a kidney, and although I was a match, I didnt have one to give, as I had already given it to someone else. I've thought about that.
My thinking is that for certain I will be saving someone's life (or at least extending it), and there is a small possibility that someone I know will ever need a kidney, and I'm not willing to trade a certainty for a possibility. I dont think I will regret this decision down the road, I've done enough research to know what I'm getting into, what life will be like, and just something inside is saying this is the right thing to do. I'm going to trust that feeling and make it happen.

The other thing is by saving my kidney for someone who might never need it, I would be saying that the lives of my friends and family are worth more than someone elses, which isnt true. Just because I dont know them doesnt make them any less of a person or any less valuable. I also know, that life with one kidney will be normal, functioning, healthy, and long. I'm okay with that.

I firmly believe that should a situation happen where later in my life, if someone I know needs an organ, that they will get one. I believe that with everything that I am. And things have a way of working out for me, in better (and more) ways than I could have ever imagined. So I believe that this will work out, and it will be a good decision.

So the reaction wasnt what I expected, but I know that they will support me, and keep this to themselves (which is just as important as their support). I feel a bit better having told them, but know that I would have felt better if the main theme of their reaction wasnt "you shouldnt go through with this."

Be that as it may, its time to move on and get back to work as I wait for the psyc appointment to be set. 

Small sidebar:
I'm not the youngest (Living) donor on record (thankfully), but I am among a total of 34,621 donors age 18-25, with 141 being in 2010 thus far (American Stats, sorry dont have Canadian ones, but will post a link if I find them).

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