While I was testing to donate, I had a lot of personal “interviews” with many people on my team at Mayo. You get a Social Worker, and Advocate, a psych test (hahahaha yes, I passed! ), and all of the medical people. Those people kept me very well-informed, but they were lacking one thing: None of them were donors. Though they’d witnessed donations and performed them, they’d never donated. So, they don’t know what things *feel* like.
I don’t remember how long it was after my donation that I found the Living Donors group on Facebook. My donation had pretty much taken over my life, but I never had anyone who KNEW how I felt to talk to. It would have been nice to have such a network for myself.
So, what I’m getting at is that if all goes well with this film, I will make some money. I’d like to be able to start a foundation that mentors donors, before and after surgery. I love giving people information and sharing a very intimate experience with someone who’s been through it.
I talked to a woman tonight who donated on November 9th. I left a voicemail with another woman after getting a message on the Facebook page. Her husband needs a kidney.
This has to continue to be talked about.
Since my Liver donation was done in NY..there isn’t a close advocate I am able to turn to. I do email with my Social Worker as well as my Psychiatrist. They are both very awesome!!! It is just difficult not to be able to be face to face with them. Also since I am in a minority of Living Donors (my brother passed away, one month after our surgeries) . I would love to be “That” person that I pray it doesn’t happen to, however nothing is perfect. Since I know the feelings first hand, dealing with not only the donation but the loss of my brother as well.
I am not sure where to begin, I do not want it to be a “negative” thing in donations. I am a firm advocate in Organ Donations and would do it again in a heartbeat!
I love the sites I have been included in they have been so helpful in my healing process. No matter what ones donation is it is a “Gift of Life”!
Pam
I would be crushed if TinyMom had died right away. I can’t imagine dealing with that pain. A donor is a donor, whether “just” blood, a kidney, or part of your liver!
I’ll be doing bone marrow after the trip. 🙂