So I am training on a daily basis - working my fanny off. You’d think I was gonna run the New York Marathon instead of donating a kidney. My buddy, Pete, has offered to be my personal trainer. I’ve known Pete for a long time - he was my first spinning instructor, and he’s run boot camp workouts. He’s also now a manager for Club One - they have great health clubs... So I am reporting in to Pete every night via email about what I’ve had to eat, how much water I drink, and how my workouts are going. Stretch out, he keeps telling me.

I am working out at least five days a week, doing cardio plus weights. Before, I was spinning twice a week and not much else, so this is a killer for me right now. I’ve been on this program a little over a week - my muscles are moaning and groaning, especially my calf muscles. My program is to keep a steady heart rate - later we’ll add intervals, Pete says. So for now, I’m 45 to 60 minutes on the treadmill, and then working out on the weight machines for at least another 20 - 30 minutes. Man, I didn’t realize how time-consuming this would be, by the time I drive to the gym, stretch out, work out, stretch out and drive back home.... This is like a part-time job! I told one of my friends that all I do is exercise, drink water and pee....

But, I can feel my body getting stronger already. My measuring gauge is going to be the stairs up to my office - I’ve been panting like a dog by the time I get to the top of those damn stairs. The day I arrive at the top, breathing easy, is gonna tell me that I’m back in shape, and ready for the stress treadmill testing ... Motivation? It’s not difficult, I just keep telling myself that I’m doing it for Chris.

Somebody asked me about what people say when they find out that I’m donating a kidney. Almost everybody is really supportive, and think it’s terrific. I’ve only had one person say something weird - she said something like, “Well, what if he dies, then you will have just wasted a kidney”. Jeeze, I could hardly believe what I was hearing... Being civil, I just said, “That was not one of the considerations in my decision”. Hell, any kidney recipient could get hit by a truck, or by lightening, after the surgery and not survive. It’s interesting how many people say that they might donate to a relative, but they would have to think a lot before deciding to give a kidney to a friend - they aren’t sure that they would do it for a friend.... Would you? Would that make a difference?

Why and how did I decide to become a potential kidney donor? I have to tell you that it was not a long and nerve-racking decision process. For me, I just knew immediately that it was the right thing for me to do. No hemming and hawing, or vacillating around. When I heard that my friend’s sister had a problem with her kidneys and got rejected as a donor, I immediately said, “You can have one of mine”. And that was the right and true thing for me to do...

The only nerve-racking thing for me is whether I will pass all the rigid and rigorous physical exams that are required by the UCSF Kidney Transplant Center. More about his later...

My friend is a guy who is just like a kid brother to me. Just one of the greatest, sweetest and most genuine people on this earth. One of the good guys, for sure. So his younger sister had gone through the long process of physical testing at UCSF, and in the very last test for kidney function and kidney health, it was discovered that she had a problem and was not eligible to donate. This was devastating news, because his other family members have various problems that prevent them from donating. So there he was, with only a small percentage of kidney function left and no donor.

The sad reality is that the shortage of kidney donors is horrific. I have to tell you that I had no awareness about these kidney donor issues, or of kidney disease in general. My efforts have been with the cancer survivor community, and that’s where I have put all my energy and fund-raising efforts. So I’ve been doing a ton of research on the Net, and the facts are shocking. From what I read, there are way over 62,000 people in the US who are waiting for donors. The wait for a living donor, or a cadaver donor, is about 5 to 7 years!

My God, how do these people sustain hope, or even survive, for that long? Yeah, I know there is dialysis, and it consumes the person’s life. Several hours a day, several days a week on the kidney dialysis machine. How can they work or have any semblance of a life when most of their days are spent hooked up to a machine? But that is survival - that’s all there is until a donor is found. I wonder how the thousand of friends and family can see this and not donate... Maybe they try and get ruled out for health reasons. How devastating for them, too.

The Care Coordinator at UCSF told me that about two-thirds of potential donors cannot pass the physical testing that is required. A donor needs to be in excellent health - really excellent. Yikes!!

Now I am kinda freaking out about this... I am an average, middle-aged gal, who has become more than a little overweight and out-of-shape in the last year or so. I got so busy trying to make a living and survive solo here in Silicon Valley that my three times a week spinning, and my Saturday and Sunday long cycling rides bit the dust. Will I make it through the stress treadmill test? OMG...

So I have embarked on a dedicated training program and I have six weeks to get my butt in shape again. My testing is on January 3, 2007. If you are interested, you can follow my process through to the testing, and hopefully, surgery and recovery.

Welcome... I will be writing about my process to become a kidney donor. My hope is that it may inspire even one of you to make the same decision. I am told that there are over 62,00 people waiting for a donor kidney to become available, and the wait is five to seven years. Many people never live that long with their damaged kidneys. For some, hope is diminishing as their health deteriorates.

My next posting will give you the story behind my decision to donate one of my kidneys to a dear friend. I will tell you about the process so far, since I made my decision in mid-October.
Stay tuned...