Friday, March 4, 2011

Challenge Day 4

An experience that made you who you are today.

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you may know that I gave a kidney to my husband on December 3rd, 2009. It was only a little over a year ago, and I would like to think that who I am today is more cumulative of many years, but if I had to choose one experience over the course of my life, it's my donation. Going through seeing my husband on dialysis, near the brink of death, and then having what he needed in my body and being able to give it to him, and see him come back to life, I just can't think of anything that could top that.

Dialysis days...

These boxes were delivered monthly. 3000+ pounds of fluid that was to be used for Al's dialysis treatments

Peritoneal dialysis port. The tube would be coiled and tape when not in use. See Al's machine behind him.



Post OP



The exit sight for my kidney. December 3rd 2009




Resting comfortably, during recovery :)


I will now use this as my platform for kidney donation.
There are countless people on waiting lists for organs.
At the very least, consider being an organ donor after you leave this Earth.
Life can and does live on, through the kindness of organ donors!!
Organ donation can and DOES occur in living donors as well, and that is all around the best option for the recipients!!!
I am here to say, that having a kidney taken out of my body did nothing to the way I feel.
I am the SAME Karrie as I was before donation.
Nothing changed. Literally!
(NOT EVEN MY WEIGHT, I WAS THOROUGHLY BUMMED TO LEARN KIDNEY'S ONLY WEIGH A FEW OUNCES!! WHO KNEW?!)
There are countless resources out there for those interested in being a donor, or atleast learning more about it.
Please consider it. It might be something you are meant to do!

I was never going to get a tattoo. But I have these scars, and I could either hide them, or embrace them. So I designed this tattoo to work around my scars and allow them to share my message :)















6 comments:

  1. Such an amazing story! I am an organ donor and I know if it came down to it, I'd give a kidney to a loved one if needed.

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  2. This is awesome! Thank you for sharing. My husband is in need of a new liver and this story just brought tears to my eyes.

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  3. LOVE that tat....soo awesome! I am a DONOR!!! WAHOO!!! I LOVE that you had one of my photos for your computer wallpaper....sooo flattering and great!!! I LOVE that photo too. I don't think I'll win, but..it's worth a shot. :)
    Thanks for reading my little ol' blog! :)

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  4. That is just an awesome story. And I love that tattoo.

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  5. That is the best gift you could ever have given. Simply beautiful! Oh and I love that tattoo!

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  6. LOVE this post - what a beautiful act of love. That tattoo is perfect, too!

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