It Could Be Worse...

The week started off a bit rough. 

Monday afternoon at 3:15 my parents get the call that they have a kidney for my dad!  My dad is in renal failure and has been on dialysis for several years now.  He has been on the transplant list for quite some time and we knew that he was getting closer and closer to the top of that list.  The average wait in Illinois is 3-5 years. 

It was an exciting afternoon and evening.  The plan was that by 9pm they would know for sure everything was ok with the donor kidney and at 10pm surgery would begin.  I went to the hospital straight after work and we hung out while techs and nurses came in out and doing final tests and drawing blood, papers were signed and everything was a go.  It was a strange feeling being so excited, actually looking forward to a surgery. 

At 9:20 my mom got the call from the transplant coordinator that the doctors felt that the donor kidney was not functioning well enough to risk the surgery.

You could have heard a pin drop.  We were stunned and my dad is in bed in his hospital gown with an IV stuck in his arm, having started his first dose of anti-rejection medication all for no reason now. 

About 3 minutes later his nurse and an orderly come in to wheel him down to surgery.  Turns out we had gotten the news before the nurses station.  There was some confusion and calls had to be made.  Shortly thereafter one of the physicians came in expecting to have to break the bad news.  It took another couple of minutes to explain that we already new the surgery had been cancelled.

They finally discharged him and my parents, Jason and I went to the Portillo's in Forest Park for a 10:45pm dinner. 

I think we're all still a little bit in shock.  But he's doing well and we know now for sure he is at the tip-top of the list.  He's functioning really well, tired in general but able to still go to work and his health is holding.  No harm no foul and having gone through with the surgery and then discovering the kidney wasn't functioning would have been a disaster.

It could be worse.  Much worse.  But still, send some good thoughts our way.