Settled

Well, I am sure a lot of people have been wondering what has been going on, and all is going just fine. I promise. I moved in with Kim and Bailee, and they have made me feel very welcome and loved. Kim threw the smack down and reminded me that 15lbs isn't that much to get on the Kidney and Pancreas list. Let me explain this comment. When you are Diabetic and you have a Kidney Transplant, they encourage and like to do a Pancreas one at the same time. If you are Diabetic and have a Kidney transplant, your Kidney won't last as long if you don't get a new Pancreas. Yes, yes I will still be Diabetic and will have to take insulin, watch what I eat, etc, etc, etc... but I should be able to live longer with both transplants. I hope that makes sense. I am still 15lbs over my "goal weight" for the KP Transplant list, (Kidney/Pancreas). The doctors have tryed a new "fluid plan" when I do dialysis overnight, so far it has been going well. I have a bit more energy and am able to work without dozing off. There was some time a few weeks/months ago that I was noticing feeling bad again. I was tired, I was weak, and was just like "whatever happens happens". But thank goodness I am feeling much better and am back to my kicking ass and taking name.

So my goal over the next few weeks/month is to drop the 15 lbs. get on the KP transplant list, and wait on the average of 1 year. Dr. Plumb and the transplant team have told me that the KP list is 6 months to 1 year... again, I need people to remember that I am just now admitting that all of this is really happnening. Please remember up until they placed the port in my chest on the 24th of February, I didn't think they were serious. I really have been and still am living in denial. It isn't that don't want to lose the weight, or it isn't that I don't want the transplant. In my jacked up mind, I still forget this is R E A L L Y happening to me.

Everyone has been very supportive and I need people to yell at me and remind me that this is the only options we have.... must lose 15lbs!! **Also I am on a renal diet... so it isn't like I can just drink water and eat carrots, I have to have a lot of protein and random options** We can spend another day on what a renal diet is. It sucks!

Hope everyone is doing well, and I guess the KC girls are having a "Kansas City Kidney Klassic" on the 28th of August... Now all the KC people can't give me BS excuses!! We are coming to your town... mark it down!!!

Peace out!! Megs

try to answer questions...

I know I freaked everyone out yesterday, but I too was freaked out. A lot of people are asking questions that I really don't know the answer to. I will answer what I can and if you need more info, please just ask.

everyone has 2 Kidneys. Both of mine are shot, so therefore I need a transplant. A living donor is someone that is "compatible" with things other then just blood type. Dr. Plumb won't even tell me my blood type because it has nothing to do with the donor. People can live with just one Kidney. People donate Kidneys all the time, and I guess it isn't even that major of a surgery in the doctor/nurses eyes... like transplants are done daily. Isn't that just amazing?!?

My insurance will cover the donors hospital stay. There is a healing process of what I think is a few weeks. So in my big, kind heart, I would obviously help out with those expenses. Maybe your job would be so gracious to give some extra time of vacation, I mean you are saving someones life. :)

I am not sure if any questions were answered, but those are 2 of the major ones I have been asked. Again, when/if you contact the nurse(s) they too can assist you with questions. Also, feel free to call them with any types of questions... that is why they are paid, to help patients and the people who love the patients.

Thanks for the support. Thanks for the pep-talks. Thanks for everything!! I really am ok. Promise!!!
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Calling in all favors

Well, went to the doctor this afternoon. Dialysis from home isn't working that great. When the doctor turns to me and says, "do you go to church?" I reply, "No, should i be praying hard or something?" he says, "Nah, a lot of people have guilt and maybe they will want to give me their organ". when that came out of his mouth, I did puke a bit in my throat. So let me break this down... time to start putting it out there. If you feel like donating a Kidney is something you want to do, I no longer will say "no". If people want to help out, this is whom you would need to contact...

Please contact Connie Lykke or Gina Rau @ 402-559-5000 (M-F 8a-4p). They are donor coordinators and will be happy to speak to the possible donors. They will send out information regarding the donor process. If they live out of town, the toll free number is 800-401-4000. They can send them out speciman kits that have speciman tubes which they can take to a local lab to have drawn and fed-ex back to the Med Center.

Dr. Plumb said that there is "barely" any Kidney function left, and the reason I have been so tired, and why I have been so weak, is that the dialysis isn't working, and my body is beginning to feel like it did in January/Feburary... and that my friends, that sucks. So really, the only thing I am waiting on is a donor.
I am putting this out there so people don't freak out. I am not going back to the old form of dialysis. If I don't get a Kidney, or if this new way doesn't start to work, that is just how it is going to be. Matter of fact. I tried, I did all the steps, I am not going back to the way it was. I have come out a better person for trying, but I am tired and although some people fight for years and years and years, I am content with having tried at all. And so should everyone else!!

I still have hope. I am sure a Kidney donor will magicially appear, but until that time, keep fingers crossed!!

Again... love you all and thanks for the support!!!

Holy Crap

I know that someone can expect support. I know that someone can expect help. But my god... this weekend was a total and utter success. I really really can't say thank you enough to everyone. But I can say thank you to several people.

First, the "little helpers". The little helpers helped make the golf course a great success. People came from Kansas City and were our "shot/drink" girls. I am sure the course wasn't a fan of that, but man oh man, rumor has it that people were having FUN. I mean that was the point of the golf, for people to have fun!! Cara, Melanie, Kathy, Amy... thank you for keeping me calm as everyone was checking in. Thank you for knowing which ticket went in each bucket, and when I messed up, you fixed it. Thank you for getting booze and getting the golfers loaded at hole 12. Vanessa, Cara, Ali, and Ang... thank you for doing the same. You helped with booze on the course, and my god, you were good at it.

Dawn and all of the other "go to gals"... I love you all. If it wasn't for all of you I am not sure Patti would still be here. She would have checked out mentally and not have been as calm, cool, and collective as she was all day on Saturday. Everyone had given so much of their time, their energy, and even finances to help make this event a success. And it was. All of the ideas, donations, and support was seen from everyone in attendance and if people were lucky enough to have friends like all of you, this world would be so much more fun! :)

Sarah Rock... my goodness! you were the hit of the shit show! you were able to sell items and get money like it was your full time job. OOC!! it was just so fun to watch you work the room and watch the crowd eat it up!! You have a heart the size of New York City, and I am honored and fortunate to be your best friend!! Patti said it best, "everyone needs a Sarah". I am glad I have you!! You never cease to amaze me and everyday with you is a wild yet exciting event!

Farley... you too are amazing! you scored SO MANY DONATIONS! I am not sure how this would have come together without all the people you know! The koozies, the pop, the jello shots! You were there every step of the way, and you will continue to be there as long as you are needed. I will always need you!!

Kim, Hannah, and Bailee... I have to thank each one of you, well, for being you. Kim was there ALL day. The girls were super troopers and worked the door, and didn't even complain about helping. It is sweet, because I know they would do anything for me. Hannah scored some goodies and Bailee even had fun! Those Schracks are amazing people and I literally thank god everyday for having them in my life!! Not only did they help me, they helped Patti and my mom as well. And please don't worry, the Schrack's will be getting a lot more of me very soon.

Then of course I have to thank my amazing sister. You always see those signs that say, "god made us sisters..." blah, blah, blah. I am just so happy to have her as my friend more then anything. She listens to me. She calms me. She just gives me whatever I need, whenever I need her. Hell, she even cuts watermelon for me when I am too tired. Not many sisters do that!! She had a vision and a plan. She wanted there to be an event where fun was had, drinks were consumed, and money was spent. Success. Total and utter success. My family is awesome. I love every single one of them, but my sister, she is just one of a kind. She will give and give and give til there isn't anything left, then, then she will give just that much more.

The day was a success. A lot of money was raised. Now, now we just sit and wait. We wait for a Kidney. We sure hope that it comes sooner rather then later, but now is better then never. I am ready. I am physically, mentally, and emotionally ready for the next step in this adventure. I am ready to go forward and to move on with my life. I am ready to say, "i am just fine" when people ask. I am ready to help someone else raise money. I am just tired of hoping and wishing. I just want this to end in the most positive way possible.

Finally, finally I need to say thanks to Sabrina and Eddie. I was able to hold back most/all tears until the end of the evening. I love you both, and although I can say thank you over and over, I really can't express how much your presence meant to me and the whole clan. Bern and Ray are loving it!! I promise!!

And so we continue....

Mixed Emotions

Well, this is it. Tomorrow is the big day, and to tell everyone the truth, I have had so many mixed emotions over the last few hours. It started at dinner. My amazing cousin from NY surprised me and my mom and flew in for the Klassic. When we were at dinner tonight several mentions of our parents, who have both passed kept coming up. Such things like how Aunt Bernadette would have loved the Marylebone bar. We mentioned little things that my dad from Brooklyn would have loved about this weekend, and also how much he would have hated to see why we had to do this. I then thought about other people in my life that I love and have loved. All the people that donated time and everything else to make this such a great success. I started to miss even the people that aren't part of my immediate family. The people who would have loved to help. Who would have worked the grill and would have spent a lot of money to help me out. When people are sick, they get to say "good-bye" they get to tell people how much you care, or how much you love them. I don't say it enough. I don't tell people how important they are and how thankful I am to be part of THEIR lives, let alone part of mine. Opportunity passes by so quickly, I wish I was better about recognizing it.

I know people may not believe this, but I haven't cried since this all began. I didn't cry when I got a port, when I got surgery, I just was pissed!!!!! I was mad at everyone and no one could bring me back up. Tonight, tonight I cried. I am thankful for everything that has been done. Donations are massive. Desserts are plenty. And people won't stop giving. It is like a "pay it forward"... my goal is to get a new kidney along with a new start.

Tomorrow is going to be amazing... so much has been making me think about all those people in my life that are no longer with us. Not just my family, but everyone. This weekend makes me remember to say "I love you" and "thanks!"

So to all of you... I love you and thanks for all you do to keep me moving forward!! Lets have a great time!! (god knows it is going to be memorable)

Omigod you guys...

It is hard to believe that it was about one year ago when my sister, mom, and I went to the Med Center to learn about "kidney transplantation". Back then I was still in denial, and thought they were kidding around. Then in October when I went to NYC with my mom and sister, I was so damn tired, but I blamed it on the travel. I still as in denial. When Christmas rolled around, I was beat. I was tired, weak, and barely able to function. I would literally doze off at work and hope to god I didn't snore in my office. I still thought that there was so many other things to blame my exhaustion on. Too much work. Not enough sleep. Doing too much. Guess what... it was just my body slowing down. February 24, 2010 changed everything. I went to Clarkson, had a port placed in my chest, and the rest is history. I started dialysis and this adventure of Kidney Transplantation.

It has been a long few months with a lot of changes. I started dialysis in a clinic 3 times a week. I then had surgery that placed a rubber tube in my belly. I now do dialysis every night while I sleep. I have been placed on a transplant list, and I just sit and wait. People are supportive. People are helpful. And this weekend, this is a big weekend. My amazing sister has planned a very very impressive dinner and fundraiser. She has taken a lot of time out her life and even all the other people who have assisted. People are just amazing and I again am thankful.

I will once again go over the event so that people get what is happening. It is like 2 fundraisers in one day. Golf is at 1:30 for all of those people who have signed up to play. For those who won't be golfing, they can come to a Sloppy Joe feed from 3 to 6... after 6 we will be having music and lots of great donated auction items.

Again, please please come and help support me, and the amazing event that will be taking place. I can't stop singing the song, "Omigod you guys..." its like I can't believe it is here and the weather should be amazing!!


Knights of Columbus Hall 4323 Washington Str, Omaha, 68107 (map quest info)

thanks again and again and again.... I will post pictures after the weekend and especially after the big move!!!!!