I think most of you know the story, if not here is the quicky version. October 2004 I go to the Doctor and learn that my kidneys had failed thanks to a prescription that I was on. 2 years of dialysis follow (both hemo and PD) and Aug 17, 2006 I received a kidney transplant. The remarkable thing is that it came from someone who I had only met 4 months earlier, after she expressed an interest in possibly donating.
When you think about the odds of 2 strangers being a match for a transplant all I can say is that this was a miracle. Not like the miracle that will happen if the Braves make the playoffs this year but water into wine type of miracle.
What a year it has been. Numerous stories on TV, the internet, print, radio and even a podcast or two. I think it is important that people going through similar situations have stories like mine or like others to help give them hope and encouragement to get through the situation. I have heard from many people of how they were touched by the story, some of which are waiting for donors and others that have changed their opinion about being an organ donor themselves.
One of the biggest things that my wife and I have gotten out of the transplant (other than the obvious) is an extremely close friendship with people that were recently complete strangers. It is really strange of the similarities that we have with the Shaws and how well we get along. Even if we werent a match, the whole process has been worth it just to become friends.
Even though I live with the knowledge that today could be the day my body decides to reject the transplanted kidney, I hope that there are many more anniversaries to follow after today and I look forward to continuing the friendships that began 16 months and 4 days ago. Thanks Brandi (and Doug) for everything.
oh, and stay tuned as their is some continued interests in retelling the story maybe on a national level....
Friday, August 17, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
tipping
I am a great tipper at bars and restaurants but I will be honest I am unsure what is appropriate tips for other things.
One weekend in college my roommate asked what I normally tip after getting my hair cut. Zero, I said. I didnt know it was expected. When I was really young my dad cut my hair. At three was I supposed to give him a frog or a stick as a way of saying good job (even though it wasnt)? Then I went to barber shops for a while and although I didnt watch dad pay, I am confident he didnt tip the barber. High School I would cut the yard around the salon I got my hair cut as part of a barter system. In college I began tipping after my roommate told me that was expected.
What about valets? How much should they be tipped? I am really asking what is appropriate. Should I wait until I get in the vehicle and see if they moved my seat or changed my radio before handing them a tip? Should the tip be equal to or a portion of what the paid lots are charging nearby?
What about pet groomers? We take our dogs every couple of months to get washed and have their nails trimmed. It is a lot easier to have someone else cut their nails then for us to do it. Our older dog has some hip issues and our younger dog despises having her nails done (she is this close to being sedated to have her nails done) plus I dont have to worry about cutting them incorrectly or too short. After our most recent trip to the groomers, we get home and find out that the older dog only had about a third of his nails cut even though we paid for them to all be cut. In the future should I look over the dogs and make a big scene if it isnt done correct before tipping?
I remember years ago I was making a cross country flight. A buddy of mine worked for the airline and had given me some free drink coupons. Somewhere high over the heartland of America I decided to tip the flight attendant as I thought she was doing a great job. She became offended that I had offered her a tip. I asked some flight attendant friends about it and most said they would have taken it but that some attendants feel that if they are offered a tip you are thinking of them as a waitress in the sky which they feel is below their stature.
Whatever. So who should you tip and at what amounts?
One weekend in college my roommate asked what I normally tip after getting my hair cut. Zero, I said. I didnt know it was expected. When I was really young my dad cut my hair. At three was I supposed to give him a frog or a stick as a way of saying good job (even though it wasnt)? Then I went to barber shops for a while and although I didnt watch dad pay, I am confident he didnt tip the barber. High School I would cut the yard around the salon I got my hair cut as part of a barter system. In college I began tipping after my roommate told me that was expected.
What about valets? How much should they be tipped? I am really asking what is appropriate. Should I wait until I get in the vehicle and see if they moved my seat or changed my radio before handing them a tip? Should the tip be equal to or a portion of what the paid lots are charging nearby?
What about pet groomers? We take our dogs every couple of months to get washed and have their nails trimmed. It is a lot easier to have someone else cut their nails then for us to do it. Our older dog has some hip issues and our younger dog despises having her nails done (she is this close to being sedated to have her nails done) plus I dont have to worry about cutting them incorrectly or too short. After our most recent trip to the groomers, we get home and find out that the older dog only had about a third of his nails cut even though we paid for them to all be cut. In the future should I look over the dogs and make a big scene if it isnt done correct before tipping?
I remember years ago I was making a cross country flight. A buddy of mine worked for the airline and had given me some free drink coupons. Somewhere high over the heartland of America I decided to tip the flight attendant as I thought she was doing a great job. She became offended that I had offered her a tip. I asked some flight attendant friends about it and most said they would have taken it but that some attendants feel that if they are offered a tip you are thinking of them as a waitress in the sky which they feel is below their stature.
Whatever. So who should you tip and at what amounts?
Friday, August 03, 2007
Paired Donation Story
After One Kidney Was Incompatible, Eager Donor Found Recipient and Spurred More Transplants
By BARBARA PINTO
July 26, 2007
A domino-like series of kidney transplants across the country first started with Matt Jones, a 28-year-old father of four.
Last week, he made the unusual decision to donate his kidney to a complete stranger.
"You only need one to survive," Jones explained, "and there's a lot of other people out there who could use the other one you have."
After running his information through a nationwide database, doctors found a match for Matt's kidney in Barbara Bunnell -- a grandmother from Phoenix, Ariz., who has battled kidney disease her entire life. (For information on the database contact www.paireddonation.org)
The hereditary kidney disorder she suffered from claimed her mother and her grandmother in their mid 50s. Her husband, Ron, had hoped to donate his kidney to his wife, but tests showed he wasn't a good match.
"The fact that she gets this kidney, we'll grow old together," said Ron Bunnell. "We'll see our grandchildren grow up. It's just a miraculous gift."
Gift Keeps on Giving
His wife's gift has led Ron Bunnell to the University of Toledo Medical Center, where he sat in a hospital bed ready for surgery. "I've transcended the nervousness. I'm totally relaxed," he told ABC's Barbara Pinto while glancing over at the woman in the hospital bed across the room.
She is Angie Heckman -- a virtual stranger until a few weeks ago -- who was just hours away from receiving Ron's donated kidney.
Angie has spent most of her 32 years on dialysis. She was diagnosed with kidney disease at a young age, and spent 12 hours a week hooked to the blood-cleansing machinery to stay alive. She is also on drugs to control her blood pressure, which has skyrocketed as the result of her kidney disease. To Angie, Ron's gift is overwhelming.
"We don't know each other and he wants to help so his wife could be well. He's just passing it on," she said, her eyes welling with tears.
"This is the first day of the rest of her life," said Angie's mother, Laurie Sarvo, nervously pacing the room.
Computers Bring Donors Together
This first-ever chain of transplants is not only the result of amazing generosity -- but of something called paired donation. A potential donor who wants to give a kidney to a friend or loved one, but is not a biological match can now be paired with an appropriate recipient. A computer program connects donors and kidney patients nationwide.
In this case, the computer matched Matt, who lives in Michigan, with Barb, from Arizona. Her husband, Ron, who was not a suitable donor for his wife, was perfect for Angie in Toledo. And now, Angie's mother, Laurie Sarvo, who was not a match for her daughter, will soon give her kidney to another perfect stranger -- touching off a chain of six more transplants.
"The simplest way to explain it is 'paying it forward' when it comes to organ transplantation," said Dr. Michael Rees, medical director of the Alliance for Paired Donation.
"The future that I see in America is there will no longer be such a thing as a willing incompatible donor," added Dr Rees. "If you're willing, we're going to get you a transplant."
While a family member is usually best, doctors say in some cases a stranger can be an even better match. That means fewer life-threatening complications, and more lives saved.
And a kidney from a living donor, as opposed to a cadaver donor, will also last longer -- 16 years, as opposed to eight, according to Rees.
For Angie Heckman, this is a new beginning.
"There are not even words to say how thankful I am," she said to Ron -- the man she calls her "guardian angel."
"I don't want her to pay me back," Ron replied. "I just want to keep it going. Keep the chain going."
That is the hope among doctors and patients -- that this cascade of lifesaving miracles, sparked by one selfless act of kindness -- will continue indefinitely.
For more information on paired donors: http://www.paireddonation.org/
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures
By BARBARA PINTO
July 26, 2007
A domino-like series of kidney transplants across the country first started with Matt Jones, a 28-year-old father of four.
Last week, he made the unusual decision to donate his kidney to a complete stranger.
"You only need one to survive," Jones explained, "and there's a lot of other people out there who could use the other one you have."
After running his information through a nationwide database, doctors found a match for Matt's kidney in Barbara Bunnell -- a grandmother from Phoenix, Ariz., who has battled kidney disease her entire life. (For information on the database contact www.paireddonation.org)
The hereditary kidney disorder she suffered from claimed her mother and her grandmother in their mid 50s. Her husband, Ron, had hoped to donate his kidney to his wife, but tests showed he wasn't a good match.
"The fact that she gets this kidney, we'll grow old together," said Ron Bunnell. "We'll see our grandchildren grow up. It's just a miraculous gift."
Gift Keeps on Giving
His wife's gift has led Ron Bunnell to the University of Toledo Medical Center, where he sat in a hospital bed ready for surgery. "I've transcended the nervousness. I'm totally relaxed," he told ABC's Barbara Pinto while glancing over at the woman in the hospital bed across the room.
She is Angie Heckman -- a virtual stranger until a few weeks ago -- who was just hours away from receiving Ron's donated kidney.
Angie has spent most of her 32 years on dialysis. She was diagnosed with kidney disease at a young age, and spent 12 hours a week hooked to the blood-cleansing machinery to stay alive. She is also on drugs to control her blood pressure, which has skyrocketed as the result of her kidney disease. To Angie, Ron's gift is overwhelming.
"We don't know each other and he wants to help so his wife could be well. He's just passing it on," she said, her eyes welling with tears.
"This is the first day of the rest of her life," said Angie's mother, Laurie Sarvo, nervously pacing the room.
Computers Bring Donors Together
This first-ever chain of transplants is not only the result of amazing generosity -- but of something called paired donation. A potential donor who wants to give a kidney to a friend or loved one, but is not a biological match can now be paired with an appropriate recipient. A computer program connects donors and kidney patients nationwide.
In this case, the computer matched Matt, who lives in Michigan, with Barb, from Arizona. Her husband, Ron, who was not a suitable donor for his wife, was perfect for Angie in Toledo. And now, Angie's mother, Laurie Sarvo, who was not a match for her daughter, will soon give her kidney to another perfect stranger -- touching off a chain of six more transplants.
"The simplest way to explain it is 'paying it forward' when it comes to organ transplantation," said Dr. Michael Rees, medical director of the Alliance for Paired Donation.
"The future that I see in America is there will no longer be such a thing as a willing incompatible donor," added Dr Rees. "If you're willing, we're going to get you a transplant."
While a family member is usually best, doctors say in some cases a stranger can be an even better match. That means fewer life-threatening complications, and more lives saved.
And a kidney from a living donor, as opposed to a cadaver donor, will also last longer -- 16 years, as opposed to eight, according to Rees.
For Angie Heckman, this is a new beginning.
"There are not even words to say how thankful I am," she said to Ron -- the man she calls her "guardian angel."
"I don't want her to pay me back," Ron replied. "I just want to keep it going. Keep the chain going."
That is the hope among doctors and patients -- that this cascade of lifesaving miracles, sparked by one selfless act of kindness -- will continue indefinitely.
For more information on paired donors: http://www.paireddonation.org/
Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures
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