Throwback Pic: From One Winter to the Next

Remember these?

What a difference a year makes, right?  These pictures were taken last year, just as I was beginning my kidney transplant adventure at Inova Fairfax Hospital.  My sister took these with my cell phone because I told her I was thinking of starting a blog to document my journey.

I look at these pictures and I think, "Wow, this girl was really excited." And, "Wow this girl has no idea that things are just going to get more complicated."  And also, "Wow, this girl doesn't really know how many vials of blood are going to have be taken from her body and pumped back into her body and taken out again."  I didn't know so many things then.

This picture was taken six months before Ben's and my wedding day. And now, I sit here writing this, thinking about how we've been married for about six and a half months.

Life is incredible, you know.  It's amazing how 12 months ago I was facing down kidney failure. I truly did start off 2013 with a bang.  An impending wedding and a bum kidney.  And I'm ending it with near perfect health.  No, really, I am. I went to the doctor the other day and my medical report said that my creatinine is 1.4, and all my nutrition levels are normal. I'm even allowed to stop one of my medicines now so I'm only down to taking three pills medicines. Still a little anemic but some things don't change I guess.

I'm ending 2013 healthy and in an wonderfully blessed marriage to my best friend.  I know I'm lucky. I know this is a miracle.  I know there are kidney disease patients out there who started the year on dialysis and will end it on dialysis, again, for lack of available donors. 

As I talk to more and more people about kidney disease and transplantation I find that many still don't know what a gift they can give by donating their kidney to someone who needs it.  And how safe it is.  

My goal for the next 12 months is to continue writing on this blog, about my journey through the first year of transplant, living life with kidney disease and my marriage, but I also want really drive home the fact that living donation is safe.  Living donation is cheap (the recipient pays for everything!).  And that living donation is necessary.  It's saving lives.  It saved my life.  And it can save more.  I'm hoping those of you that have stuck with me this long reading this blog when I post will stick with me just a little longer.  Until we have too many donors and not enough recipients.  That could happen in the next 12 months, right?  

Either way, Happy New Year, Y'all.  May God give you everything you need, all the desires of your heart, over the next 12 months and beyond.

Want to read the post where these pictures were featured?  Click HERE to start my transplant journey from the beginning!