I'm sure all of you can guess how scary it is to be this vulnerable on the internet. I'm still opening up about my life with kidney disease because I need help.
I've just always had limited options (medically and financially) and am gonna go out on a limb and hope it lands me in a longer life.
A couple of years ago, I came to my friends on tumblr to ask for help getting out of an abusive household once I realized the lack of self-care that I was constantly forced into resulted in kidney failure (following my heart failure about a decade ago)
I'm here, again (some more... continued? I dunno) to ask that if you've ever considered organ donation, reach out to me.
There are over 100,000 people on the waiting list for deceased donor kidneys, just like me. Time is limited. The average wait time can be over five years and many people I know personally have passed during their wait. To say the least, I'm scared.
An option I do have is to find a living donor.
I'm asking friends and strangers to help improve my quality of life by being a living kidney donor. I only need one, after all! :)
Don't worry if you don't know a lot about living donation - I didn't before learning from my nephrology team. Here's some basic information:
-You only part with one kidney
- The surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions
- The recuperation period is quick. Generally two weeks.
- The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. The hospital can give you extensive information on this.
- You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and look out for YOUR best interests.
You can also learn more by searching for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
Thank you for taking time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and explore the process of determining if you're a match for me. DM!
Also, I know living donation is not for everyone. You can still help if this has moved you to. Consider donating to help covering my medical expenses, debt from my heart surgery in 2007, and the odd cup of boba tea so my kidney diet doesn't bore me to death before the actual kidneys go caput. (Sorry I'm a bit morbid. TY for your time <3)
Go to paypal.me/robincf and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.
