General
8 year kidney transplant anniversary!
Hi Everybody! Today marks 8 years since I recieved a kidney transplant from my mom. Later today I'll be going to celebrate with her as we always do.
Every year, I take this time to feel extra grateful and reflect on all the things I've been able to do since reciving this second chance. For example, if I didn't have a bunch of work to catch up on, I would be in Vermont skiing with my friends today and absolutely loving life.
I often think about how many people are not so lucky in this journey and this thought has been weighing on me heavily in the recent days. While working in dialysis, I saw so many difficult stories and not a lot of them ended in success. Most of them are suspended in a state of hoplessness and that was always a hard thing for me to accept.
There are many things that contribute to my success as a patient. I was 19 when I recieved my transplant so my body has recovered well. I have a mom who went above and beyond for me and I had a good support system. Most importantly, I had an exceptional medical team that looked at my well being as a whole, not just the numbers on a lab report. They not only taught me about my disease, managing a transplant/CKD, medications/side effects, but they also taught me to listen to my body, think critically, and speak up when something doesn't feel right. They taught me where to seek help and that even if you think it's in your head, it doesn't mean you are not experiencing it and IT IS still worth looking into it. They taught me that a key to navigating this is learning ways to cope and making sure you remember to live your life because there are always bumps in the road even when you are healthy.
More than anything, I wish that those parts of my expereience where a part of every patient expereiance. That everyone had someone who went above and beyond for them and made sure they were ready to face the this tricky world of healthcare and chronic disease. I am beyond thankful for this transplant, my life and everyone in it. I am grateful for TransplantLyfe, all the advocates out there, the medical teams and the companies who are pushing for advancements and a better approach to care.
I wish you all good health and success!
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Congratulations Dom! I love to read about anniversaries. Our son is 8 months out from his kidney transplant and thinking he might still be healthy eight years from now is so uplifting.
Congrats to your mom too! I couldn't give to my son but would have done so in a heartbeat!
Wishing you continued success and much happiness!
Thank you for sharing this with me it is much appreciated!
My mom was denied at first and she took it very hard so to some degree I can only imagine how difficult it was for you. I am so happy to hear that he recieved a transplant and I wish him and your family nothing but GREAT health and happiness. I hope more than anything that his kidney remains successful for 8 years and many many many more after that!
Congratulations Dom!! Anniversaries are exciting. I just celebrated 5 years post liver transplant on February 21. I too think a lot of my donor family and I am so thankful for them. Wishing you many more years of great health and happiness!!
Thank you so much! I wish you the same and thank you for sharing this with me!
Transplant Patient
Congratulations! Having comprehensive care and a good support team can really make a huge difference. There’s so much that goes into thriving post transplant
Thanky you! Yes! I totally agree!
Wonderful! Sharing our stories is so important. I gain inspiration, hope and excitement to keep going when things are rough. Thank you and I am happy to hear about how supported you felt! Many blessings for many more anniversaries.
Congrats Dom. A long hard journey but well worth it. Your Mother brought you in into this world and she kept her chil in this world. Bless her existence.
Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your story. Your determination, your Mom’s great kidney and your medical support team are all part of this success. I wish you all the best on your journey!
I feel the same reading other stories. Thank you so much for saying that :)
Thank you! She is amazing! She used to make the joke that it is a factory recall but really she gave me life twice and I am very grateful.
Thank you very much! :)
Transplant Patient
Many congratulations on 8 years with your donor hero mom's kidney!! The amazing woman gave you life, twice! 💙♻️💚
Stay healthy, happy, and blessed 🙏 🤲 🙌