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Celebrate your Transplant Blessings
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, our minds reflect on the blessings that we have received. I thought that this might be a good time to share a short note or statement about some of the blessings that you are able to enjoy as a result of your organ or tissue transplant. And in doing so, we are honoring the donor (no names) who made our life today possible.
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Good news ladies! We are having driveway and patio re paved. The backhoe operator told us that he never does a job with out getting the woman's approval first:-)
Rosemary
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1 Reaction@rosemarya The backhoe operator is a smart man. 😉
what is UNOS?Maria<br><br>
@mari, This is an excellent question.
UNOS stands for United Network for Organ Sharing. For patients, professionals, donor families, living donors, it is the private, non-profit organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system. Here is the link, where you will find information, date, policies for transplantation. .
https://www.unos.org
Rosemary
@rosemarya,
Once again a tardy response. Thank you for your condolences. My husband and I have come to terms with losing our daughter and have lead numerous grief support groups using GriefShare materials. GriefShare.org is a great resource and way to find a supportive community anywhere in the U.S.
A family member has had AS since she was six so she has gone through many phases but has come to accept her disability and manages it well. This is her first year away from home so she has had a bit of a steeper learning curve but she is doing well. I know there is a discussion but I have not explored it yet. She is more independent now (at college vs. home) so I'm trying to take better care of myself. I joined a discussion group for caregivers because my mother with Alzheimer's just moved near me but I can't keep up with three discussion groups - too overwhelming. I'm trying to put my health at the top of the list for a change and I'm getting there. Prior to Mayo I got much of my AS information from the Spondylitis Association of America which is a great resource.
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1 Reaction@rosemarya
Well I suppose I could have been ignorant of the need for organ transplants too but PKD has always been a part of my life so it is not foreign to me. Thank you for helping me look at it from a different perspective. I continue to post facts about organ donation, especially living organ donations, and I'm not seeing much change but I know change takes time. I do get a better response during personal conversations so I have learned that the key is to know the facts so I can respond whenever the topic arises
My husband and I experienced similar reactions when our daughter died. People rarely wanted to listen to our grief but preferred to give us a few pat answers that were to make us all better. Our pain made them uncomfortable and I think my need for a living kidney donor might do the same thing. I'm just praying that God will provide a kidney for me when the time is right and in the mean time I will do what I can to educate people about the shortage of deceased and living kidney donors.
@contentandwell, @chattykathy
Well, even in our modern society, people remain sexist and do not interact with those with disabilities in an appropriate way. My freshman daughter is minoring in Disability Studies which is about changing the way people view disabilities and interact with those with disabilities and she continues to be amazed by pepeople's ignorance. I'm just going to continue to post things about transplants and organ shortages and they can ignore it if they choose.
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1 Reaction@lcamino I am so sorry about your daughter. I can't even begin to imagine how painful that must have been. I think death, particularly does make people uncomfortable -- no one knows what to say and they know that no matter they do say it cannot possibly be of much comfort to the grieving family.
Hoping for a donor is a different thing in some ways but in some ways the same because there also people don't know what to do. On the one hand they would probably like to reach out and help, but on the other hand that is a huge thing to do.
JK
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