The blog went over 500 this weekend too. Thank you. Please share the link with others.
The second possible live donor has been contacted. I am now out of that loop but will still be blogging about the status of the recipient. There is a third donor lined up too.
After that, it's probably either a very altruistic friend or stranger or a cadaver.
Or none.........
It's not too strange for me to share my life with family and friends. I don't always get a lot of feedback either. Which, is both good and bad. I like to know that what I do makes a difference. Doesn't everyone. But sometimes, because I speak from my heart (which isn't always logical) I may mention things in a very direct manor
and it can rub the wrong way.
Lately, it has been exactly the opposite. I have received some feedback and to be honest, it has brought me to tears. I have always had visions of grandeur. This blog is no different. That is why I beg you all to share the blog and links with others. Looking at the numbers below, it's important.
First, here are a couple of things shared with me:
1) ..with you making the decision to donate part of your liver to your
father-in-law, you also were able to find out about the hemochromatosis. To
me this was a blessing in itself. You have helped more people in your family
to be aware of this condition that is hereditary. You are such a good
person...., and what you did was fabulous, and we are so proud of you.
2) ..it's a good thing you went through all this testing -- although
it's sad that you can't help [the recipient], at least you know you have some
housekeeping to attend to. With hemochromatosis don't you have to have
blood taken periodically? It would be a good thing for all of us to be
tested.
Now the requisite numbers for the week.
| Waiting list candidates as of today 11:11am | |
|---|---|
All  | 94,126 |
| Kidney | 68,953 |
| Pancreas | 1,755 |
| Kidney/Pancreas | 2,401 |
| Liver | 17,077 |
| Intestine | 248 |
| Heart | 2,828 |
| Lung | 2,877 |
| Heart/Lung | 142 |
| All candidates will be less than the sum due to candidates waiting for multiple organs | |
| Transplants performed January - August 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Total | 19,722 |
| Deceased Donor | 15,098 |
| Living Donor | 4,624 |
| Based on OPTN data as of 11/17/2006 | |
| Donors recovered January - August 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Total | 10,025 |
| Deceased Donor | 5,406 |
| Living Donor | 4,619 |
| Based on OPTN data as of 11/17/2006 | |
There are 17,077 people waiting for livers. When I started this blog in October there were 17,072. Only 5 livers added in a month. But there has been 683 people added to the overall list in about five weeks.
Granted, I have been on the liver train, so to speak. Now, it's everything, all organ donation. Livers and kidneys can be donated from a live person. But you can still be an organ donor in the chance that after you do die, your organs can help many of those 94 THOUSAND people.
Have I mentioned that even my 9 and 11 year old kids are donors.
One of our family friends who is about 12, received a kidney earlier this year. She is doing well.
Yes, it's a personal decision. One that when alive is pretty easy to make. For me anyway. But you MUST discuss it with your family. When you die, your family can change your decision and cancel out your status as a donor.
For those of you that are closer to me, genetically, PLEASE take the test.
Here is ONE of many resources pages on the internet.
http://www.americanhs.org/testing.htm
Or the next time you see your doctor perhaps to get a flu shot, or winter checkup, or just because you have nothing else to do but spend $25.00 on a co-pay, let them know that one of your relatives has been diagnosed with Hemochromotosis and you would like to be tested. Also share this blog link with them. Perhaps they can do the same with others.
Thank you for reading....
I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not.
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