Happy 28rd Anniversary to My Kidney from Tom!!

Today is the 28th anniversary of my kidney transplant - given to me from my brother Tom.

How do you ever thank someone for giving you a new life? I guess I haven't really figured that out.

I often think about how my life for the past 28 years would have been so different had he chosen not to so generously make the decision he did - and on a daily basis am thankful for the gift of love he gave to me on February 22, 1985.

The process itself was kind of interesting. First was to locate my own kidneys by ultrasound. I'm not quite sure why the doctors cared since I still have my own two kidneys!

Regardless, it was interesting to see where it is they were. Too bad they just weren't working very well anymore :-)

The most vivid memory I had of the day of surgery was in pre-op when we were both in the same room. I asked the nurses to make sure he didn't hop off the table and run away :-)

His surgery was by far worse than mine as his scar is way longer than is mine.

I thought the first anniversary was really a big deal and we had a kidney shaped cake to celebrate.

The immediate change physically was crazy unbelievable and it would only get better.... I was going to be happy even if it lasted just another few years.

And suddenly it was 10 years! We had a celebration at our home in Cleveland - Tom was able to attend and I was so happy our friends were able to finally meet the person who had changed my life so dramatically.

This was one of my best window paintings to date for sure!

And now it's been 28 years - I don't know what my life would have been like but I feel pretty certain that I would not be living on a boat with a terrific husband following our dreams ......

Thank you Tom - you are daily in my prayers!!! As is my brother Pat who had also agreed to be a donor :-) My other two brothers were not a good blood type but they too would have done the same thing.

How is it that I was so fortunate to be a part of such a great family?