Today is my kidney-versary. It has been exactly one year since I had the surgery that would change my life. At the time we had no assurances, no certainties, no guarantees that it would work… nothing but the knowledge that if we didn’t do anything it would only get worse, and the hope that if we did do something it could only get better.
It took a decade for me to deteriorate to the point where my health became critical; several years for the medical team to seriously consider transplant as an option; longer still to convince the surgical team it was possible; and then seven and a half hours to remove both my faulty kidneys and give me a new one. In the twelve months that followed I had six weeks in Auckland, two episodes of rejection, several major complications, two months in Waikato hospital, faced fear, frustration and apologies from my renal team as they battled to figure out the problem, and was presented with the painfully articulated possibility they had made a mistake in putting me through the transplant process.
In these last 365 days I have also climbed the mount for both the first time and many times since, attended important functions without an early exit, played properly with my nieces and nephews, exercised regularly, written professionally, volunteered meaningfully, travelled spontaneously, got a new job working in one of my favourite places in the world, managed to vacuum my entire house in one go, acquired two cats, planned a wedding, planned a future, spent time with people I love, learnt new things, recovered, healed, grown. But principally, and most crucially, I have lived. I have lived every moment of those days, of this year, and I have been, and continue to be, extraordinarily happy. Every morning I wake and smile. Every night I sleep safely. The smallest moments feel big, the bigger moments feel utterly profound.
In March I will get to marry the love of my life. In the year that follows we will travel overseas. At some point in the not-too-distant future we now have the ability to, in some way or another, start a family. I get to work, to spend my time and energy on things I believe in, to contribute to causes bigger than myself, to make a difference. I get to make plans and discard them; I get to act without plans; I get to contemplate an entire world and be a living, working, breathing part of it.
Tonight we celebrated. My beautiful mumma, my beloved Tom, my soon-to-be father-in-law and my incredible mother-in-law-in-waiting, who is also celebrating the anniversary of her own surgery; the one that gave me this chance at a better life. I am immeasurably grateful to her for that sacrifice. I am grateful too to everybody who has supported me, encouraged me, comforted me, messaged me, called me, visited me, helped, hugged, and loved me in any way through this journey. Every single day I feel lucky. I am lucky every single day.
Happy kidney transplant anniversary! Thank you all for being a part of this.
Lightly, Lightly 