It begins

October 14

While this adventure started 55 years ago, we'll pick up the story in the current, and today was pretty eventful. Jennifer and I have an interesting time ahead, and I thought that keeping a blog over the next couple of weeks would be a good way for us to keep our friends informed.

For those of you who know the backstory, I inherited Polycystic Kidney Disease from my father. It's the most common kidney disease in the world. In the United States, about 600,000 people have PKD, and cystic disease is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure. If related medical problems don't kill you earlier (as they did with my father and younger brother), those with it will need a kidney transplant typically in their 50's, or have to go on dialysis. I turned 55 in September, so that puts me right in the middle of the curve. I've been on the national transplant waiting list for almost three years.

In the run-up to prepping for the transplant, Michelle went in for testing to see if she might be a live donor. While we've been compatible in just about everything in the last 27 years (other than the temperature the thermostat is set at), we weren't medically compatible. Next up was my stepdaughter Jennifer. I was just stunned with the results: despite million-to-one odds, she was not only a compatible donor, but without hesitation volunteered to give me one of her kidneys. The outcomes from compataible live donors are really excellent these days, so we were really relieved that we had a way forward. Now, for the last two years, it's been a waiting period, and its just about over.
My kidneys have slowly gotten worse, they have now just about quit, so we've schedule the transplant for November 11. In the run-up for that, we've been working with our transplant coordinator, Kimberly Goad, at Innova Fairfax on all the details that have to be addressed. There is counseling, tests, working with the insurance company, nutritionists and all the planning that goes into something like this.

Which brings us to today. Today, both Jen and I had to go into the transplant center to have our final blood crossmatching testing done. Jen went in the morning. She had to wait 2 hours in the waiting room only to get a crabby nurse who took 7 vials of blood. I wanted to go in at the same time, but am in the middle of working a big consulting bid for the agency where I work, and had a meeting with my boss Vince, our boss Tim Chase and the president of Lockheed Martin. Kind of one of those that you just can't miss. So I went in after that, and while the traffic on 66 was bad, only had to wait for 20 minutes for my draw, with one of the best phlebotomist, for my 6 vials. Sitting in the waiting room, 25 days from transplant, it started to sink in -- this is real and it's coming soon.

That evening, Jennifer came down to cook dinner, and had invited her boyfriend Steve out to join us. I had a 7 pm conference call, and by the time I got done, the scallops and sea bass hadn't waited, and they had started eating. We had a nice relaxed dinner, and afterwords, finished the wine and chatted about what were our favorite sports. Steve has been dating Jennifer for about 11 months, and we're still at that stage where we're learing about each other, what do we like, what do we do, those conversational chats.

The topic was bowling, and Steve said something like "Jennifer, maybe you should take some bowling lessons" turned to Michelle and said " and oh by the way we're getting married". We both thought he was just kidding, and then Jennifer said no kidding, we are. Seems that Steve proposed last weekend when they were up at Philly attending an Eagles game. After a round of congratulations and questions:

• When -- we haven't decided
• Where -- we haven't decided
• Where will you live -- we haven't decided
• Where will you park Stella (Jennifer's Volvo, which has never been outside at night, and Steve's garage is full)

So, as if our lives were not complicated already, they took a new turn today, and we hope for the good. We're excited and pleased to have Steve join our family.

We're going to keep this up as events move forward, and share the journey with you. Wish us well.

Glenn