TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE XX

just rehashing the past four months - from transplant to costco.

i'm more convinced than ever that whatever occurs in anyone's life is just a function of almost random dumb luck. of course you may have to push a little on the dumb luck part. if you remain totally on the sidelines the world will totally pass you by.

in a few days my kidney transplant will have been installed four months. in late evening on the day before the procedure i was called into the hospital. i did not think this was really going to happen having been offered kidneys about a dozen times before and been turned away or not called back at all. things were looking bad in other respects too. in a few days i would need a reevaluation for the procedure; my blood tests indicated my condition was deteriorating; and my nephrologist told me to hold off any dialysis the only option remaining with davita a profit making, business oriented, payoff making, new york stock exchange company. a death sentence for sure. a 20% first year mortality rate across all age groups. probably >50% at my age.

my stars, murphy, and lady luck aligned. strangely the kidney was given up by another hospital for an unknown reason. it was sent in, examined, and given to me.

i had waited only 18 months. i know its much less time than other patients. the main reason i think is that my blood type is ab. an ab blood type can accept any blood type but all other blood types cannot accept an ab blood type. only about 4% of americans have an ab type. when i was in the army only two others of about 200 in my company had an ab blood type.

the only thing that kept my feelings of anxiety from overwhelming me and possibly run screaming from the room as my body was being prepared for anesthetic and surgery was the certainty that there was no other logical option. i may have even mentioned previously to the surgeon that if there was any problem in surgery it was ok with me for him to finish me off. i'm not real good with pain and suffering.

TO BE CONTINUED. WILL THE SURGERY BE SUCCESSFUL? FIND OUT NEXT TIME.

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