Fin - well almost!

Well, almost!  My next check up isn't for months.  In fact, not till Dec. 6th.  That's six months almost to the day from my surgery.  Today's check up went very well, just too long as always.

 I've been given clearance to leg up on the bike!! Hooooray! and allowed back into the gym (although I didn't tell them I went to a Zumba class yesterday afternoon)  Real weights are out of the question till probably the Dec. appointment.  They want to be sure that I don't herniate anything.  So I'll be sticking with the lighter weights..which is good, I need to start rebuilding my base here.

If I had any doubts that about being in good shape helping with recovery, they were answered today.  One of my fellow donors, eight years younger than I, is having a really difficult recovery.  I'm sure she's somewhat fit, let's face it, or she'd never have been approved for donation.  Still, she's not even back at work at all yet and I'm actually going full time this week. How I feel about being back at my job is another story entirely.

Two weeks time.

Went to the gym tonight, loving every minute of it.  Half way thru an abs class, it began to really hit me how I won't be able to do this at all, in two weeks time.  Side crunches, working the oblique muscles...twisting and bending side to side...faster and faster.  Long slow Pilate's like stretches..won't be seeing any of those for quite some time to come.  I know a lot of people who would be delighted to be excused as it were, from gym class for the rest of their lives.  I'm sort of in mourning for it.  It's such a part of who I am.  Who I've become over these last..what 8 years.

This isn't regret.  I don't.  I just know I'll miss it, for a while anyway.  If I need encouragement or courage, I've only got to look at the 7 inch scar on my left arm, where my surgically relocated cubital tunnel nerve..the ulna? lives in it's new home.  I was off the bike for 8 whole weeks. At the end of that I was able to do the MS 150...both days.  I know this is much bigger and more serious, but it gives me hope.

 Monday we, Pete, Vicky, Ray, Vicky's sister, her daughter and granddaughter...all spent the day at the hospital.  Going thru more blood work, meeting with the surgeon. Discussing techniques.  Becoming acquainted with exactly who was getting what.  Apparently Pete & Vicky, didn't know until Monday that she's not getting my kidney.  I guess as one of the failsafes, they told me that we would be a paired match, not a direct donation, so that if I wanted out I had a perfect excuse.  But I didn't and I don't!  Vicky is getting another mans kidney.  Mine is going...dunno yet.  Maybe his wife?  or daughter?  Doesn't really matter.

We, Pete & I finally told the people at work.  What a relief.  We waited till after lunch, and then told one of the other women to shut the door.  So now, 3 coworkers know exactly what's happening and when.