Anyone a Loma Linda patient?

[vandie]

Is anyone a patient throught Loma Linda in Southern California? 

[kitkatz]

On the way to there I hope from Kaiser.

[vandie]

Oh, we must be neighbors.   The surgeon who heads the research study I am in is really cute.  Is that off topic??
Are you waiting for your evaluation there?

[kitkatz]

I am waiting for my evaluation at Loma LInda, Kaiser has okayed me to go there. Just have to do the three hour meeting with the team and say yes I want a transplant and see if they will take me this time.
Where are you at?  What city? Where do you dialyze?

[vandie]

Sounds like it shouldn't be too long for you then.
I live in Canyon Lake.  Where do you live?  I don't dialyze, not yet.  Was hoping to get to transplant without it.  Looking better.  I found out today that my two best friends are a match.  Could be as soon as 1-2 months to get a new bean.

[kitkatz]

Coolio.  I live in Rialto.  I am currently dialyzing at RAI in San Bernardino. 

[vandie]

You are very close to Loma.  That should be convenient.  Do you know who your coordinator is?  I thought that it was Lynn.

[kitkatz]

Coordinator at Kaiser i Know is Kathy.  Monica from Loma Linda called on Friday to set up appointment.  I get to call back Monday! Excitement building here!

[vandie]

Great!!  I am very excited for you.  When I went through the eval, it wasn't too bad.  The social worker asked a few too many questions regarding my "drug use."  (Smoked pot a few times in high school, 20 years ago)
But otherwise, painless.  Have you already done the EKG and those types of tests, or do they come after? I can't remember.

[kitkatz]

I have done everything. Kaiser requires a full work up before they will send you to Loma Linda.  They sent my file and now I go through the meeting and stuff again.  If it fails this time I give up transplant for good.  We shall see what happens.  My doctor wants me to transplant. He thinks it would be good for me.  Question is Do I ask my older sister for a donation of a kidney or wait on the cadeveric list?  She asked me the other day and I turned her down. I am reconsidering now.

[vandie]

Why did you turn her down?  I am sure she did some serious thinking on it before she offered.  I know it is a big decision to accept someone's kidney like that.  I had to do some serious sole searching before I could accept that I had friends that loved me enough and thought enough about me to give me a kidney.  I knew that were I in their shoes, I would offer one to them in a hertbeat.  It's a big decision, and only you can decide, but please think on it.    

[kitkatz]

Man I am so afraid if something happened to her I would be blamed for it by the family and my mother.  And guilt is hard to live with for me.

[vandie]

Your family would blame you?   

[kitkatz]

You have no idea...I think my mother would have kitten fits all over me.  My sister would be cool, I think. She would just take it all with a grain of salt and what is meant to be attitude.  I do not know if I could take the guilt that would come if she had to go on dialysis because I had one of her kidneys.  That would suck.

[vandie]

I think guilt is normal, really.  But how we handle the guilt is all we can control.   Your sister is doing a selfless thing by offering. 
I have had several, very lengthy conversations with both of my girlfriends who have offered to donate.  Their take on it is, if it will help me right now to get better, the small chance that they will need two kidneys in the future, is worth the risk.  It was a no brainer for them.   They have bottom lined it for me.  I need to get better.  They want to help make that happen.
I'm sorry your mom is not supportive.   That makes me sad.  Maybe having a more in depth conversation with your sister would be helpful before making a decision. 
You know you always have a support group here that is on your side, no matter what decision you make.

[kitkatz]

That is why I am here on the boards so much. The support that is here is wonderful.  I am going to talk to sis later and see what she says.

[vandie]

I'm glad.  Keep me posted.