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.
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 :)
I had that tattoo done in April 2010 (it was roughly 5 months after surgery) you can still see the two laporascopic scars up near the top of the tatoo, and the exit site scar under the words "Be a Donor"
This is my tattoo now, nearly 3 years after the surgery, as you can see, the scars are almost completely invisible! Infact, when I went for my two year post op check up, the NP had a bit of trouble locating the exact spot of the scars!! AMAZING!!
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I love you for this... not just the selfless act, but the embracing of your scars with tattoos and using it now to speak to a worthy cause! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an amazing story, Karrie. :) I love tattoos, especially ones with meaning. And just like the above person commented, it tels the story of a SELFLESS act between a husband and wife. It's the definition of a love story. :)
ReplyDeleteI humbly maintain that it was God who told me to do it and God who carried me through it. I truly believe that's why it was such a beautiful experience for all of us!!
DeleteI know this post is a few years old, can you give me an update on how you and your hubby are doing? Also the pic from 3 years post is not showing... would you mind showing an updated pic of your tattoo and scars?
ReplyDeleteT.I.A.!
Megan (poss donor for my brother)
Megan, I'm not sure if you will ever see this reply, but I'm writing it anyway :)
DeleteIt's been a long road to where we are today! My husband's kidney failed 3 years ago, he went back on dialysis for a little over two years. He waited on the list for a transplant, we settled into routine and last March we got a call in the middle of the night that there was a kidney for him. We actually had baby #3 just 5 months before that call. Timing wasn't ideal, it was a very rough recovery, but here we are almost a year later and have quite the testimony of faith carrying us through!
The picture you mention, I believe is the one that shows up on the right side of my blog, just above the "about me".
Thank you for checking in and God bless!