This is a long shot, and probably one of many posts youâll see today asking for help, but Iâm going to spice up the request for your attention by showing you a cat -
This is my chonky son Edgar, and he is the best đ and Iâm below - a 25 year old dude living in Oregon.
Anyway! Hereâs the sitch: I need a kidney.
Well, my kidneys are broken. Theyâre dead as heck. I have an autoimmune disorder (boo) which had destroyed most of my kidney function by the time I was 14. I managed to survive on just meds for a decade - up until September of this year, when I had to finally start dialysis.
âArenât deceased donors a thing?â
Absolutely. And Iâm signed up on multiple lists, but the typical wait is still 2-5 years. Dialysis has really impacted my life in a negative way. I used to be an active person - going hiking and camping every week - and I love cooking and eating a variety of foods. As it is, I have to do dialysis at home for 9-12 hours a day, in addition to working full time. I have a restricted diet, a dozen medications, and Iâm fatigued and fairly nauseous most of the time. Dialysis will keep alive until a deceased donor comes along, but itâs not much of a life.
âWhy canât you have a family or friend donate?â
I would love if that were an option, and so would they, but there is no one in my circle who is a match right now. I have been talking to them and reaching out to my community on Facebook, to no avail.
âWhat do you want me to do about it?â
Ideally, two things. 1) Reblog 2) Consider becoming my living donor.
âA few more specifics?â
A donor needs to be 25+ years old (although 25-35 range is the very best). No illicit drug use (excluding marijuana, because its legal here). A BMI of 32 or less, or willing to lose a couple pounds if you are close. No personal history of high blood pressure, kidney disease, tobacco smoking, diabetes, or cancer.
I am registered with OHSU, a hospital in Portland, Oregon. Donation is 100% covered by my insurance, as is travel and lodging. Recovery is 2-5 days in the hospital and then about a month of light duty after.
Last but not least, I am looking for a donor with O or A blood types!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read! Again, please reblog, and if you feel so inclined, reach out to my inbox or at [email protected]
tangentwithtanner
andulkaphoto
