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National Organ Donor Day

It’s not just Valentine’s Day.

It’s Valentine’s Day and many of us have given our heart to someone in spirit. Some very special people donate their actual hearts for a good cause. However, today isn’t just Valentine’s Day, or Ash Wednesday, it is also National Organ Donor Day.

February 14th was first designated National Organ Donor Day by the department of health and human services back in 1998. The goal is to raise awareness for organ, eye, tissue, marrow, platelet and blood donations. Throughout the United States, more than 120,000 people are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

Register as an Organ Donor Today

Health officials said there’s someone who needs blood in the United States every 2 seconds which is about 41,000 donations needed every day.

Give Blood - National Organ Donor Day

Learn how you can Give Blood at https://www.redcrossblood.org

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First Clinical

I went to my first transplant clinic appointment today and brought my trusty caretaker, my husband Richard, with me as instructed.  I was told that I would meet with the nephrologist, surgeon, financial case manager, social worker, nurse coordinator and various other people. However, I only met the nephrologist with the nurse coordinator. The nephrologist seemed to have not read my records at all. The nurse coordinator had memorized my health records and kept coaching the nephrologist on my history. After understanding my full history, he concurred with the board’s decision that I definitely am in need of a transplant and it is needed asap.

At the transplant education seminar, I was told to expect at least labwork at the first visit. I have had so much labwork and so many diagnostic tests performed within the last 4 months in preparation for this process that the nurse coordinator has decided to get those records before ordering more. It is quite possible that I have done all of the testing that they require already except for the cardiology clearance. Why repeat if it isn’t needed?

Now I play the waiting game again.  Whenever my nurse coordinator receives the test and lab records, she will review them and then give me a call with any appointment dates. I have no idea at this point what appointments I will have other than cardiology or how far in the future those appointments will be.

Pins and needles. I am starting to commiserate with pincushions.