Happy Week – Day 3

Today, I feel a surge of emotions, so I don’t know if I will be able to write a coherent post. I am happy. If I had to choose the ‘happiest post’ from my ‘happy week’ series, this post would be a clear winner.

This one is about Oregano. From the time he was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure, we’ve  faced a series of blows. His condition only kept worsening. To make matters worse, we were unable to find a suitable donor for him. So we weren’t in a position to arrange for a kidney transplant. Everybody in the family was tested as a potential donor, only to be rejected on medical grounds or due to an incompatible blood group. His condition declined and we really didn’t know where we were headed.

He was put on dialysis a little over a month ago. Like I’ve said in my earlier posts, dialysis has terrified me because I’ve witnessed my dad’s brother journey. Dialysis reduced him to almost nothing. Thankfully, a kidney transplant is what saved him. I hoped it would be easier for Oregano. After all, I did know people who were doing fairly well with dialysis.

Unfortunately, like I suspected, dialysis has had several intense and undesirable effects on Oregano. It is not that they insert two big needles into him. It is not that he has to endure it for four hours, twice a week. It is the fact that he gets unbearable headaches during dialysis. So much so that he starts throwing up uncontrollably. We’ve feared he will pass out. And to undergo that torture for four hours straight every 2 or 3 days? It is traumatizing.

To add to it, he is constantly fighting intense muscle pain in his joints. His stamina has dwindled and reached a level that is dangerously low. He can’t walk a few steps without feeling short of  breath. He can’t climb a single flight of stairs with ease. His hand aches even when he raises it to brush his teeth. I wondered how he will go on.

I know all of this sounds depressing, But when it all looked bleak, a ray of hope made its way into our lives. An aunt of Mint and Oregano offered to be a donor. Her blood group was compatible and she got all the necessary medical clearances. It took us some time to get all the legal clearances as well. After a lot of running around, paperwork and interviews, we’ve finally got the green signal from all concerned authorities.

I am delighted. We have a donor in place. The surgery has been scheduled for the 17th of this month. That means Mint will have to shorten his US trip by a few days. We’ll both be off to Chennai in less than 2 weeks. If the transplant is a success, it will mean an end to the dialysis sessions and a relatively normal life. This is  big for us. I am happy. And I am praying fervently.