I Promise to Pay It Forward...

On November 13th I will be meeting my donor for the first time!! I am so excited to finally meet the wonderful lady who will be donating  her kidney. Through the kidney exchange program this was made possible since we were not compatible  in our blood type. When I was first told I would need a kidney transplant and placed on the list I naively thought there would be a line of  family members just waiting to be tested. There were some that stepped forward but for various reasons decided not to or couldn't. Don't expect everyone to understand what it is like to live through illness on a daily basis. I have learned that you have to be your own advocate when it comes to your health. Don't be silent! You cannot simply sit back and hope for the best. Don't be afraid to reach out and ask for what you need. There are people in this world like my donor who just want to make a difference in someone's life. I promise after  my transplant I will find some way to pay it forward. I too want to make a difference in someone's life and to share the Blessings God has given me. Just to have a shoulder to lean on when things get rough can mean so much to someone. Or to be the voice for someone who can't speak for themselves. I hope this blog brings awareness to the need for organ donors as well as how day to day life is for people living with any kind of illness. And also how it affects the families of people like us. What I say on this blog is not always going to be easy to read  as I go through the transplant . But it is real and sometimes emotional. It is so helpful to write it down and I believe an important  part of the healing process.