The First Dialysis Story written by US!

[Ohio Buckeye]

Cancel that one.  I didn't read it right.  sorry.





EDITED: Removed last Post By Ohio Buckeye at Her Request - Sluff, Moderator

[mrhecht]

As Sam pondered the ironies of life, her phone rang again. She thought about not answering it, then remembering how she had been scolded by her transplant co-ordinator for missing a couple of calls, relunctantly got up and answered, knowing it was work again. "Hello?" "Samantha, it's Carol. Are you ready? We've got a kidney for you!"
Sam sat down abruptly, mind racing through all the questions she had planned out. "Before you say anything", gushed Carol "this is a perfect match for you, and the donor had a closed head injury from a drunk driving accident."
"I'll be right there!" shouted Sam. "You can give me the rest of the details when I get there."
She hopped in her car and her cell rang. It was one of her friends from the unit. "Did you see the paper?"
"I know, but I'm on the way to the hospital. I just got the call" Sam replied.
"Omygosh! That's great!" said Sheronda. "But I gotta tell you....Jim's okay. The paper got it wrong! The drunk driver was the one killed!"
"Oh wow," thought Sam......that could mean...........

[Rerun]

the light suddenly turned red and Sam slammed on her brakes.  Man, that is all I need, Sam thought, is to get in a wreck myself on the way to the hospital.  She fumbled with her cell phone so she could call her parents.  "Hello, Mom?  I'm on my way to the hospital, they have a kidney for me."  "No, don't come yet until I'm sure it is a go."  The light turned green so she clicked her cell phone closed and started out once again.  A million things ran through her head........

[kitkatz]

Now where was the list of questions she was supposed to ask about the kidney when she go to the hospital?  In the over night bag she hoped.  It was driving her crazy. All the waiting came down to now, a kidney for her.  Would it work? Would it be viable? Was she going to get it?
     She checked in with the transplant coordinator at the hospital and began the slow blood draw process for compatability...

[angieskidney]

Comment: I just wanted to say what a GREAT idea this is as now anyone who hasn't been through this experience can read this and actually LIVE the experience so they will KNOW what to expect! 

Maybe we could eventually make this into a BOOK Epoman?? 

[Bajanne]

...wondering why so many conflicting thoughts were running through her head.  What about Jim?  The idea that he was still alive filled her with such a thrill.  But why should it?  And if this transplant works out, it means she might not be seeing him again.  'Oh well,' she said to herself.'Let me focus on what is going on right now. This is the most important thing for me.'  But certain thoughts just wouldn't go away.  Just then the nurse said......

[mrhecht]

"Samantha", she said quietly. "You're running a low grade fever today. They're sending you home, Hon."
"Crap!" she thought and out loud, "Was it a good match?" The nurse replied, "No matter what the match, it wouldn't be a good 'match' if we made you sicker, now would it?"
"Right", Sam whispered as she began to gather her belongings for the long, slow trip back to the dialysis world. For a few brief moments, she had traveled out and away from that place to a hopeful future free of machines.
"Try not to get too down", the nurse gave her a hug and then let her go.

[Hawkeye]

I have to say that so far this has been a great story.  Within only a few paragraphs the story has covered several topics, and emotions.  Keeping writing so I can see how the story ends.

[shay_pcb]

I have to say that so far this has been a great story.  Within only a few paragraphs the story has covered several topics, and emotions.  Keeping writing so I can see how the story ends.

IF it ever ends! lol It could go on forever!

[Ohio Buckeye]

Try not to get too down, easy for her to say thought Sam as she was leaving.
In a flash new hope for her future had vanished.  Well, she thought I just have to accept that
this time was not meant to be for some reason.  Would she ever get a kidney, would it
ever happen for her she wondered.  Part of the day was shot.  She debated whether she should
go on to work or just go home as she traveled down the highway.  Then........

[shay_pcb]

...she decided she was hungry and stopped off at a fast food restaurant. She then realized that she had forgotten her binders, because she thought she would be getting a transplant and wouldn't be needing them anymore. She's had a really rough day, though, and figures that it would be OK to skip them with this one meal. She splurges and orders a big juicy hamburger with extra cheese, fries with lots of salt, and a large chocolate milkshake. While waiting at the drive-thru window, she ponders, "So I wonder if the kidney I was going to get was from the drunk driver that I thought killed Jim?" Then they handed her the food she ordered, and she was on her way home when...

[Rerun]

her cell phone rang.  She fumbled around in her coat pocket for it and caught it on its last ring.  "SAM" a voice yelled!  "Yes" she said.  "This is Jagdeep Sing at the hospital" she said in a thick East Indian accent.  "The thermometer was malfunctioning.  It said we all have fevers!  Come back as soon as you can to see if you indeed have a fever."  Samantha shuttered at the thought.  "What a p*cking roller-coaster" she said.  She started to turn around...........

[okarol]

... and her car sputtered, lurching forward, it chugged along - then died. What in the world...? she thought, What now!?! The driver in the car behind her leaned on his horn. She stared at the dash and he honked again. Rolling down her window, she waved him around. Unfortunately the traffic heading out of town at rush hour filled the oncoming lanes. There was no where to go. She reached for the key and tried to restart the car. It seemed to catch for a moment, then whimpered to a dead silence. Now the driver behind her was flashing his headlights AND honking. Sam put her head on the steering wheel and began to cry. Suddenly there was a sharp knock on her driver's side window. Startled, she looked up and ...

[Bajanne]

...there was Jim!  She never felt so happy to see someone before.
"How can I help?"  he asked.  "I was coming in the opposite direction and saw you here in a bind."
"Please help me push this car over to the shoulder.  And I need to get to the hospital right away!  Can you help me?"
"It would be my pleasure!  Please don't cry anymore!"
Jim just took over the situation.  He asked her not to cry, but pure relief made her weep even more.  He sent for roadside assistance and they both got into his car.  'Nice car,' thought Sam, but she decided to say nothing.  Then Jim looked over at her and asked.....

[angieskidney]

"So what you are going to the hospital for? Are you okay or did you get the call?" She was so happy to tell him that she got the call but it has been a crazy day. Anything that could go wrong was going wrong. She told him about the fever and then the call back about the thermometers. He laughed in disbelief and they drove on their way.

She had chatted so much about how bad her day had gone so far that time flew and they were there. As he parked she stole a glance and noticed his strong jaw line as if she had never noticed before. Maybe it was the fact that he came to her rescue that he seemed now like a prince in shining armor. She was lost in thought when he suddenly asked, "Are you coming?"  "Oh ya!" she snapped to! "Sorry it has just been a long day!" He locked the doors and they walked toward the hospital in silent thought. Then he turned to her and asked, "...

[mrhecht]

"....so, did you bring a bag or anything?"
"Oh, great! I must've left it in my car! I'm usually not such an air-head....ok, maybe, SOMETIMES, I can be an airhead, but really, I'm usually pretty good in a crisis...not that this is a crisis or anything...I mean, its a really good thing that this is happening, but it started out so weird...I mean first I heard you were dead and then I get a call saying I'm gonna get a kidney and then I find out you're alive but I'm NOT gonna get a kidney and so I go get a HUGE meal of junk food which I'm just about to scarf down and then I find out I  MIGHT get a kidney but my car dies and then you're suddenly there to rescue me....and ......I'm babbling randomly aren't I...."
"Um....you thought I was dead?" asked Jim.

[shay_pcb]

"Oh," Sam replied.She figured he had seen the newspaper. "Yeah, it was on the front page of the newspaper this morning. It said that you had gotten into a car wreck with a drunk driver. Someone later called me and said that they got the name wrong. Turns out it was James Beam, not James Bean. It was just a typo."
"Oh. I didn't get the paper this morning." Jim replied as they entered the building. Just then....

[kitkatz]

Three nurses came running up to Sam.
"You are here finally! Let's go!"
Bewildered Sam went with them. They whisked her away to an exam room and told her to strip down. A thermometer went into her mouth and onto a gurney she went.  One nurse took her blood pressure, another called the doctor, the third took the thermometer out of her mouth.
"Uh Oh." the nurse on the phone said. She turned to Sam and asked. "How long have you been on dialysis?"

[Bajanne]

Kitkatz, PLEASE continue!  I want to know what the 'uh-oh' is about, and why she should ask how long Sam was on dialysis.  pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!

[mrhecht]

"Turns out it was James Beam, not James Bean. It was just a typo."

Hey girl, I am LOVING, your sense of humor! First you kill him off and now the stupid drunk's name!!!! LOL long & hard. Hope you don't mind me bringing Jimbo back to life....I wanted to have some more soapy flirting amidst the vomit in the unit!






EDITED: Fixed bold error in quote box - Sluff, Moderator

[mrhecht]

"About 15 years", Sam replied.
"Well, when was your last heart cath?"
"I've never had one." Sam was getting nervous now. She'd always hated the idea of someone jamming, THREADING, a wire into her pumping heart. That particular procedure always sounded more suited for those hearts that had already stopped beating.
"I've never needed one, she continued. "I always passed all the cardiac tests with flying colors....the echo, doppler, stress test...all of 'em. When I had my evaluation a couple of years ago, they didn't think I needed it then..."
"Hmmmmmmm," Nurse Ratchitt pursed her lips and turned back to the phone.

[shay_pcb]

"Turns out it was James Beam, not James Bean. It was just a typo."

Hey girl, I am LOVING, your sense of humor! First you kill him off and now the stupid drunk's name!!!! LOL long & hard. Hope you don't mind me bringing Jimbo back to life....I wanted to have some more soapy flirting amidst the vomit in the unit!
EDITED: Fixed bold error in quote box - Sluff, Moderator

Thank you! lol I try to stay happy and humorous! And, nah, I dont mind that you brought him back. It makes for great twists and turns in the story!

[okarol]

Sam slumped, staring in space...'What now?' she thought.
She straightened up.
"NURSE!!" she yelled. Get me the transplant coordinator NOW!"
The nurse turned and said, "She's with the donor family," and turned back to the phone.
"Well we need to talk. I have some questions of my own!"
Just then Carol, the TC came through the door. "Hey, how are you? Looks like they're
getting you all checked out!"
"Carol, listen. I have been thinking. I know I should ask questions. I couldn't think until now, but I need to know.
What can you tell me about the donor? How old is he? What about his health history? Can I ask what the injuries are? Is he married?
I just need to know more before we go any further."
Just then Nurse Ratchitt marched over to Carol and Sam and said...

[mrhecht]

"SHE should've had a cath done when she had her work up. She's never had one! Now we have to waste time getting that cath and I just don't know if she's even gonna be able to get this kidney now!" All that was missing was the finger snap in Carol's face.
Carol just rolled her eyes and then calmly told Nurse 'I Know Everything About Everything', "Excuse me doctor.........Oh! You almost had me fooled for a minute......the way you were talking, for a moment there, I thought you were the transplant physician."
And to Sam, "C'mon Samantha, let's get you upstairs where all your questions can be answered."
Sam and Carol left Nurse Ratchitt spluttering her objections to an empty room.

[kitkatz]

"Amazing, that nurse can sure find ways to prevent a transplant." the TC muttered under her breath. Sam grinned at her as they whisked her on the gurney up to the transplant waiting area. The surgeon stepped out of the surgical area not smiling at all.
" Well Sam. It is not good news. The kidney is too damaged from the car wreck to use. The other one has already been sent out of the area."   
Sam groaned along with the Transplant Coordinator. " Awww.Hell."