From Practitioner to Patient: A Different Kind of Journey

Never in a million years did I think I would be in the position I was a few months ago. My In Laws met my husband, son and I at a diner near our house. They had just come back from a cruise the day before. My mother in law proceeded to tell us that the doctor had told her she needed to go on dialysis-that she was in Stage 5 Kidney failure. Instantly the idea popped into my head. I knew my blood type was 0+ and while sitting in that diner, my gears were turning. After we left the diner, I told my husband my thoughts. I wanted to get tested to see if I could donate to his mother.

Over the next two weeks I nervously thought of how to offer my kidney to her. We invited my In-laws over for dinner one night, and while chatting in our family room, I told her. We had been trying to conceive for about 9 months for our second child- to no avail. I shared with her that I believed that there was a reason why we weren’t getting pregnant and that was so I was able to give this gift to her. She was speechless. It took her two days to be able to come up with the words to thank me for offering. We scheduled our initial appointments at University of Illinois at Chicago to get onto the registry. After several vials of blood and several meetings with various health care professionals, we were sent on our way. Two weeks later, I received a call from the nurse coordinator to tell me that I was a perfect match. My mother-in-law and I both laughed in disbelief at the news. This was really happening. Here we are now, with the transplant planning process started, still in disbelief that this had come together so fast. It is amazing to me how there had to be an incredible amount of situations that had to line up in order for this to become a reality. How could this be incidental? Our desires for a second child must be put on hold for a while, but this means that our child and future children can have their Nana around a while longer. No good plan survives its first encounter with a harsh reality. Maybe sharing my story might be able to resonate with others going through difficult times and having to make difficult decisions. 

As I am preparing for the next steps, I scheduled my Cleanse Massage and my therapeutic nutrition consultation with the team at Pulling Down the Moon to support my wellness during this process. I am grateful to have found ‘The Moon’ and joined the Massage Team to support women on their journeys with fertility, pregnancy, postpartum care, and all the stressors life brings. I will go on leave for this journey after my mother-in-law’s clearance is finalized and looking forward to supporting your journey before, as well as, after my recovery!

Let us take care of you on your journey and book your massage today!