Liz Young shares her story about donating a kidney.
Goodbye "Lefty Louise"
I love nicknames, so it seemed natural for me to name my kidneys. 🤣 My left kidney was flown to be transplanted into the recipient on July 11, 2022. The name "Louise" means "warrior." Even though I don't know the recipient, I do know he will now have newfound strength and courage with his new kidney. 💪
Getting ready for surgery...
My mom is my rock and wears a lot of hats in our relationship. She's my support crew for my races, and she's my travel buddy (we've traveled to 4 of the 7 continents together!) She's my friend and keeps up with all the social happenings in my life. Even when I think I know everything and roll my eyes at her like when I was 16, she still advises me, guides me, and is my mom.
When it came time for the surgery, she was there to support me. ❤️
The surgery took about 2.5 hours and when I woke up, I didn't feel too bad. Probably due to the anesthesia and other painkillers, I actually was feeling pretty good!
To remove my kidney, my stomach was pumped with gas. I was very bloated, so I felt like a walk might relieve my discomfort. To prevent me from sprinting down the transplant wing (I'm joking 🤣) I held onto a walker. A nurse and my mom were on each side of me. As I shuffled down the hallway, I heard a familiar voice behind me say,
"Liz, don't you ever stop training?!"
Laura greeted me with a big smile and a gentle hug. I found out a few days before my surgery that she was the dietician assigned to me for my kidney donation. What was really special is that Laura is a good friend from my triathlon club.
I could only drink clear liquids following my surgery. However, by that evening I graduated into being able to eat jello. I didn't know hospital jello could taste so good!
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What was it like
the day after surgery?
Very emotional, powerful, and full of gratefulness...🙏🏼
July 12th was the day I was discharged. It didn't seem possible that one month earlier, June 12th, I crossed the finish line of my 8th Ironman. When I reflected on all I'd done in the previous month, it didn't seem possible for me to have had so many adventures. The day after the Ironman, I traveled to Croatia for what was a trip of a lifetime. I went on a bike and boat tour island hopping the Dalmatia Islands. In one month I'd done an Ironman, traveled abroad, and donated a kidney. Whew!
As I was leaving the transplant wing I stopped to ring Laura's Bell. (No relation to Laura I mentioned in the previous section). This is a plaque on the wall of the transplant unit in the UC Health hospital which recognizes a donor named Laura, and her recipient. As donors leave the hospital to go home they ring the bell, which signifies the end of the kidney donor's time in the hospital. (See photos below).
At first my mom and I simply took a photo. Then one of the nurses prompted me to read the plaque out loud. I made it through the first line, before becoming overcome with emotion. I tearfully read this beautiful poem:
Today, I ring this bell
To honor the heroes before me,
To encourage the heroes
Who will follow me, and
To acknowledge the hero I am.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day after day, ordinary people
Become heroes through
Extraordinary and selfless actions.
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