The Day Has Arrived.

  The night before transplant we had all kinds of paperwork and procedural stuff that we had to handle. The usual paperwork, like agreeing not to sue and what to expect the day of the procedure, was filled out in the lobby of Children's. After, what seemed like hours, we were finally placed in a room together. I had one bed and my dad ,the other. My dad was placed on an IV line as soon as we got to the room. The line was for the diuretics he needed to take. At first I had a little laugh about it, he was told he was going to be using the bathroom all night. The laugh didn't last long for me though. I was just then told I had to be on an all liquid diet for the next 12 hours.. That night was pretty much smooth sailing otherwise. 
  So today was the day. August 1st, 2001. This was the day that I was going to receive a kidney from my dad. I was all set and ready to go. My mind was running the whole night so I got hardly any sleep. My life was going to be completely different. I was going to be a little more normal and be able to do more. Me and my dad both went into the pre-op room where we were given a final run through of what was going on. After signing a few last papers and saying a little prayer together, me and my dad were all set to go. My mom, in tears of course, tells us she loves us and we go on our separate ways. We wouldn't see each other again until after the surgery was complete and we were healed up.
  Going down the hallway to the surgery room was a little intimidating. I was excited for the kidney but anxious about the results. I was told about how it was possible things could go wrong and how I would need to be very careful to take care of the kidney. I didn't care, I just wanted to be as normal as I could be. After being fully prepped and laid on the operating table I was laying there and soaking in all that I was seeing and hearing. Just in case something bad were to happen I wanted to remember thigns how they were. The last thing I remember is the doctor telling me "Ok, you're going to feel some cold in your IV. Just breath normally and count down from 10 to 0." I started counting. 10. I didn't feel anything. 9. I started feeling drowsey and yawned. 8. My eyes were closing. 7. My eyes were completely shut. 6. I was falling asleep. 5. I was out. The last thing I remember saying to myself was, "Damn, I didn't even get to 0." and "Why do I hear Bob Marley in the background?" The doctors had the radio on and Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldier" was on.
  Next week is when I come out of the surgery and a little bit of my recovery.