Whew! The last ten days have been tense. My sister, Janice, had gallstones and then more gallstones, and then surgery to remove her gallbladder. Three scopes and ten gallstones plus surgery took a toll on a very sick Janice. Our worry was palpable – holding our breath – that her transplanted kidney stayed safe and continued performing its magic. We sent out an SOS – please pray – and are delighted with the vast number of people who prayed. All surgery involves risk. The risk of infection is a very real fear for people with kidney transplants. Compromised immune systems and the word – complication – makes my heart stand still.
All is well even though Janice spent her birthday in the hospital. Janice joked with the surgeon that he was going to landscape his yard with the gallstones. She has a funny sense of humor and I loved hearing it! She is feeling so much better.
Today I give thanks for the success of Janice’s surgery, gratitude to the surgeon, doctors and nurses who worked diligently to care for her, and the family that helped her through some tough days. Most of all, I give thanks for Janice! Happy Birthday, Jan!
There is a sentence in my book – “Kidneys don’t grow on trees!”
There are over 110,000people waiting on the transplant waiting list, most of them needing a kidney. My family knows what it is like to be on that list. Daily, I pray for all those waiting for a transplant.