The donor kit arrived.....

I received the donor kit in the mail on Saturday. It was a small white box with Mayo Clinic on the outside and Live specimen all over the outside. Of course the postman (who is very friendly and will strike up general conversation) waited with much curiosity while I explained to Madi why the box wasn't for her and what was in the box (my kids are gift nuts...every time a box comes in the mail they think it's for them!!). He offered all the luck in the world, commented on how nice our flower beds looked, chatted with the kids for a minute and went on his way.

I had made an appointment with my general practitioner last week giving the kit enough time to arrive. I will go on April 30th for the blood draw (well, 4 vials worth of blood) and will ship the vials to Mayo. 4 days after shipping I can call Kaye, our donor/transplant coordinator, for the results. If those all come back good, then I guess I'll be scheduling my trip to Rochester.

Oddly enough, I am no longer scared or nervous. More anxious to keep this moving. And my decision to do this feels right. I'm not second guessing anything or doing a lot of what-ifs. Whatever happens/will happen is what is destined to happen. Will it all be sunshine and lollipops? I sure hope so. Chemically induced or not ;).

If I haven't said it before, if marking organ donor on your drivers' license is not something you are comfortable with doing, consider donating blood. The lives it can save are worth it. It takes an hour, it hurts only when the needle is inserted and you get a treat after!