Flickr Favorites - Donate Life

1. Donate Life, 2. Andy and Maff, 3. long way, 4. Liz and Jan

I've been quiet on here lately, and for a good reason. On Christmas Eve at 2:00pm my 27 year old husband Lee was wheeled back to receive a new kidney.

Yep. You heard me; N.E.W. K.I.D.N.E.Y.

I'll give you a little run down of how it all went:

11:30pm December 23rd:

The phone rings. We get a call telling us that a 28year old has died of a stroke and Lee is 3rd in line to receive one of the two kidneys. We are on hold for the time being.

5:00am December 24th:

We begin driving back to our hometown as we were in my parents hometown 3hours away. We left behind our two dogs making both of us shed a little tear.

1:00am December 24th:

Feel deflated we decide to go to bed assuming the kidney went to someone else. No sooner does our head hit the pillows, we hear the phone ring. "Come in as soon as you can" says the calm voice on the other end of the phone. We change, grab my little brother, the only family member down here with us, and head into Philadelhpia to get a new kidney.

2:48pm December 24th:

Lee gives me a high five as he is wheeled into surgery (we aren't the most romantic couple you've ever met). My mom, who came into town earlier that afternoon, brother and I try to get some lunch while we begin the 3-4hr wait to see Lee again.

6:00pm:

I'm told Lee is out of surgery and everything went well.

9:00pm:

I see Lee for the first time. I won't write too much about this part other than it was the hardest thing in the world to see him and not cry. Thankfully the morphine kicked in not too long after he was in his room and he managed to get some sleep.

9:00am Chrismas Day:

My Mom, Dad, Grandma (who both came into town the night before) brother, and I go in to see Lee. He is talking and in pain. But he is positive.

12:00 Christmas Day:

Lee stands for the first time. Not even 24hrs post surgery he manages to take two steps and sit in a chair.

And from there he forced himself to walk laps around the nurses station, eat food again, and do whatever it would take to get his butt home.

December 26th:

Lee comes home.

And now I need to get off the computer and go pick him up from dialysis! Even though the kidney is working, it is still waking up and he will need dialysis a few more times before he can be done with it completely.

You hear people say, "This coming year is a new beginning," and for us those words have never. ever. rang more true. He is off of work getting better until the end of February, and when he goes back it is to a new promotion. Oh, and he'll go back and not have to worry about dialysis either. I for one can not wait for 2010.

Happy Holidays everyone!

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