Test results #1

I haven’t heard from the nurse coordinator officially, just through the patient portal, but it looks like my second creatinine clearance came out much better (a little hard to tell because the lab reporting looks different/uses different scales). I also do not have syphilis, and my fasting labs were fantastic, so all is looking good!

More tests

Still no results from my second 24-hour clearance, but good news: I officially have two kidneys! (some people are born with just one and do fine) So that’s one possible hurdle to donation crossed. The psych eval, EKG, ultrasound, and chest X-ray all went great and quickly. I was on my way home half an hour before my last appointment was even scheduled. On the giant checklist they gave me in my transplant binder, I’m done with the first two phases of the seven total. Also, it was only 12 tubes of blood Monday and it was surprisingly easy (I donate blood regularly and they told me that’s about 100x more) Onward and upward!

Second round of tests

Today I’m redoing the 24-hr creatinine clearance and it’s going much better this time. Tomorrow morning I get the famous 17-tube fasting blood draw – I have the order and it’s kind of interesting. Typical metabolic stuff (glucose, phosphorus, comprehensive metabolic panel, CBC, lipid panel, some others I had maybe vaguely heard of or not at all: “partial thromboplastin time,” “protime differential”), but then a ton of diseases and even parasites: HIV, TB, syphilis (!), cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, hep B, hep C, trypanosoma, strongyloides, and West Nile. Sure hope none of those come back positive! Then Thursday afternoon I have a psych evaluation, chest X-ray, EKG, and renal ultrasound. It’s kind of cool to be so deep into tests when I’m perfectly healthy. On a totally irrational level it’s like I’m warding off the possibility of illness by voluntarily undergoing this stuff – like sharing love and getting as much as you give. I hope. It would be so awesome to be able to share health. Fingers crossed!