I think I can, I think I can...

I feel kinda like the Little Engine That Could story. Here is the latest chapter in my trying-to-be-a-donor story, or is it my donor ordeal? I was scheduled for testing on the 6th and 7th of June. Had to do another fasting 24-hour urine collection and have labs done first thing in the morning on the 6th, so I reserved two nights in a motel, the Castle Inn, near Broadway and Van Ness. Decided to stay there because it was close to the UCSF Mt. Zion Medical Center, where I would be on Thursday. My recipient drove me up to SF so I wouldn’t have to deal with the impossible parking situation at the UCSF Medical Centers, and all the accompanying hassle that would send my BP soaring. My higher blood pressure readings at UCSF (in spite of my own doctor saying normal) are what all this additional testing is all about...

Castle Inn has free parking, which is almost unheard of in SF, plus free wifi. It’s not luxury, but is clean and well-managed. I grabbed a taxi out of there about 7 on Wednesday morning and it was just a few minutes over to the Parnassus facility and about $13.. Went into the lab at 401 Parnassus and turned in my sample and had blood drawn.

In spite of the written instructions that said the urine specimen would be good for two days without refrigeration, the lab tech got all in a tizzy because I hadn’t refrigerated the sample jugs. (Jugs? Yes, I peed two jugs full. Did I ever drink the water. Yikes!)

I told her if the samples should be in the fridge the whole 24 hours, then the instructions should say so. I asked her what about the samples that people send in via FedEx? They are always at least overnight without refrigeration. She didn’t respond and said, disgustedly, that maybe they will be able to get something out of my samples.

So I leave there and head across the street to #501, where I had my echocardiogram. Very interesting procedure that took about an hour. I was laying on my side and watching the monitor screen, trying to decipher whether all the lup-dups and varying waves were indicative of any problem. I tried to pump the technician for any hints, but she remained quite non-committal, which is exactly what she should have been. But, obviously, any donor has got to be curious about their results, right?

When I walked out of there and down the street to catch the jitney over to Mt. Zion to have the 24-hour blood pressure monitor put on, I checked my cell phone - there was a message from my transplant coordinator. She apologized, but there was a problem with the insurance authorization for my testing and all testing was cancelled. CANCELLED!! By that time I’m already on the jitney and heading for Mt. Zion. I tried to call her back but just got her voice mail. Yee Gods, who is going to pay for the stuff I already had done? (Found out later that the insurance company will cover it).

The checkout time for the motel was 11 am, so I jumped out of the jitney and grabbed a taxi and rushed back to the motel. I went flying in to the lobby and asked (read begged) if I checked out immediately, would I have to pay for that night that I had reserved? Motels always require cancellation ahead of time or you are charged for the night, as we all know. The guy at the desk said he’d have to check with the owner, but he thought I’d have to pay. So I checked out and called my friend, who was expecting to pick me up the next day. He cancelled plans and said he’d be there in an hour.

While I was waiting on the motel steps for my ride, the desk guy came out and told me that the motel owner said that, because I was a kidney donor, she would not charge me for the night, and they credited the amount back on my card. I am very grateful to her and I can highly recommend the Castle Inn at 1565 Broadway, a half block from the intersection of Van Ness and Broadway, as a great place to stay if you are looking for basic lodging in SF. My room was large, spotlessly clean, with a refrigerator and microwave, and free parking.

I am now waiting to hear from the transplant coordinator as to when they will schedule the rest of my testing...

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can... v