Project Muse | Donna Luebke
In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:
All I really needed to know I learned after my donation . . . years later . . . still learning . . .
The image remains in my mind as if it were yesterday. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking out the window. It was in May, 1994. The transplant coordinator had just told me that I was a perfect, six antigen match for a close relative. I knew I would be a match because we looked nothing alike.
I walked into the room, sat on the bed, and gave her the news from the transplant center. “It will be okay” I whispered. Then, I held her in my arms and we both cried for what seemed like hours.
Our family did not know she had kidney problems until a month earlier. She was seeing a kidney specialist at the hospital where she worked as a nurse. But, life for her changed drastically once she was admitted to the hospital, a catheter placed, and dialysis started. She was then referred to the kidney transplant program for evaluation. The Chief of Nephrology told her he would not list her for a deceased donor kidney until all family members were tested. Could he have been any more coercive or threatening? Had I been there, I would have slapped him. They would not get my family. I would not let anyone else donate. No one was going to cut my family open for a kidney. We would leave the wait list for other candidates. I checked the national list. 20,000 were waiting for a kidney transplant.
Preparing for Surgery
From May to the day of surgery, time moved fast. I worked as Trauma Coordinator for a level I trauma center. In June, I transitioned to work in the Surgical ICU as a staff nurse. In September, I was planning to start a nurse practitioner program.
Read more: http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/narrative_inquiry_in_bioethics/v002/2.1.altobelli_sub08.html
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