Picking up from last time –
Welp. This is anti-climactic, huh? And so not the way I thought it was going to “end.” I put end in quotes because this isn’t over until I only have one kidney… But this UCLA chapter is done.
I was told I’d get a call from Dr. R. I never did.
I did check in with my donor coordinator about 3 weeks later, asking if Dr. R. ever did plan to call (or if he didn’t need to since I already heard about the rejection).
She wrote back saying the decision was not going to be overturned and the transplant committee would no longer be involved in my care.
I feel like I was a little passive aggressive in my email back, saying I was surprised that there’s no amount of months/years/tests that could turn things around. But if that’s the verdict, I guess I have to accept it.
(Blegh. I feel bad about kind of coming across as a jerk.
…Still, though. No plan to turn things around? Nothing I can go? Gah!)
So, that’s it. UCLA has put their foot down on a strong no…
I’m not going to jump back into this at another hospital, though it is something I want to do. Truthfully, since the very beginning I wanted to go through Massachusetts General. Boston is sort of like home to me – and that hospital feels especially like home since I spent so much time there. I got the greatest care I could’ve asked for.
I called Mass Gen at the very beginning, before I even went to the Ohio hospital. But I was fatter then. Also, Mass Gen wanted me to be a little older. Those seemed to be the main issues in the way when I talked on the phone to their donation department. Well, I’m less fat now. And years have passed (almost 3 years!). So, I’m a little older too. Maybe I’ll call them again soon…
I do not want to get rejected again. I do not want to go through another long multi-part series that ends with nothing. This is way too much work and too much heartache to accomplish nothing in the end. So, I might wait a tad bit longer, lose even a little more weight and just make sure I’m really, really ready.
In general, in life, I don’t believe in waiting for stuff. And I do kind of think you should do a lot of things before you think you’re ready. (‘Cause when are we ever ready?) But for something I’ve tried and tried… it’s time to get this right.
I will probably call them in a few months and let you know what they say. If not them, there are plenty of hospitals all around the country – and whatever happens with whatever hospital – I’ll tell you all about it right here.