Happiness: A One Week Journey

@hopeful33250 Once you have received an organ you realize so much more how important it is to be a donor. If my son and daughter are looking to give me something for Mother's Day I plan to tell them that the best gift would be to sign up to be an organ donor. From what I understand they can accept many things from people so a condition that effects one thing shouldn't stand in the way of being a donor, they can choose what organs are usable.
Interestingly I was told that a person who has had more than three sexual partners is considered to be a high risk donor. I think that many young people these days would have to be categorized as such.
JK

Thank you Teresa- I will do the things you said to the best of my ability- thank for your wisdom and help in this- I really-really appreciate it ALso the guilt is killing me when I can't help my wife more. JJAMES>.

Thanks everyone. Well it was disappointing to me. I got starter diabetes where they say it's uncomplicated. I don't feel ill. Also most people that have diabetes don't even know it. I came in for physical and that's why I know about it. But mayo clinic really does not miss anything when it comes to diagnoses. I got a whole list of them. They checked my eyes and gave me something like vertical imbalance. That mean they're not totally lined up verically. So I am probably disqualified from flying an airplane. But I kind of wish they would tell you upfront that you're disqualified as living donor with type 2 diabetes even with no meds. You have to enter all your personal data before you get to questions. Now I am probably on done blacklist. I don't know. It's mysterious. A black box. Heck, I had gestational diabetes when pregnant with second child. I bet that would have disqualified me too because it's risk factor that diabetes is in your future. Also what if I had donated a kidney when I was 25. I was in perfect health then. I think I still would have had diabetes at 50. Then I would have been in trouble with just one kidney. But at my age at least I know what I am dealing with. And I thought I could keep myself healthy with the healthy living program. That's what I'm doing. Hiking, eating well, no drinking or smoking. Why can't I donate a kidney to a 70 year old. I think it would hold out long enough for an older person. But I understand why they wouldn't want it for younger person. That would be stupid to give to younger person. But don't older people need kidneys too?

@contentandwell Yes, you are probably right about young people not being qualified. I have always wanted to be an organ donor as well, even if it is just my cornea, but I found out that because of my history of carcinoid cancer, i could not even donate any parts of my eye. Carcinoid cells are very tiny and cannot be detected in the usual manner, so donating organs could put the recipient in danger of acquiring carcinoid cells. So I guess as much as we would like to pass on something of ourselves, it is not always possible. Teresa

@johnjames I am sure that your wife appreciates you JJames. For that matter, we all do! Teresa

I'm sure your right- I just have a hard time not pulling my weight in helping her,

@ihatediabetes You make a great debater! You have made some good points. Teresa

Hi everybody, I just signed up to donate money to John E. Herman house. That's new residential treatment house for people with mental illness trying to get well. Its right by St. Mary's Hospital. So I was coping with rejection for living donor kidney by donating to mayo clinic for mental health. Mental health is near and dear to me. People do need help. There's really nothing between home and hospital but something in between is really needed. Plus I think all the glory and money goes to physical medicine like cancer and cardiology. But I think psychiatry and psychology are really important too. That's my opinion. So I'll keep my kidneys. That's OK.

@ihatediabetes I didn't know that diabetes would disqualify you. I too have mild diabetes, diet controlled. I have signed up but not where there were any questions about your health. I have heard that there often is something that can be used among your many organs, even skin.
Speaking of flying an airplane, on a totally different subject from diabetes, did you know if you are the type of person who sneezes when they go outside into the sunlight you can not fly in the service? For that one tiny second you close your eyes so if a pilot was flying in and out of clouds he/she could run into that. I googled that a few years ago because as soon as I walk out of a store into the sun I sneeze. I think it said that 16% of people do.
JK

@johnjames I can sympathize totally. When I got bad with my cirrhosis, at the end, my husband was doing everything. I really hated that. He is not the type who does give much help generally so it was not something that came naturally to him but he certainly rose to the occasion and went above and beyond. I am so grateful to him.
JK