Journal Entry 8: The Tests ... Here's Really Looking at You, Kid-ney!

In January 2010, Kay decided to donate a kidney and began a life-changing journey. She chronicled her experience in detailed journals, which she is now sharing here.

Feb. 4, 2010

My first day in San Diego at Sharp Memorial Hospital was devoted to counseling, but the second was all medical tests. The hotel stay was comfortable and convenient, and I was ready for the barrage of tests (five, I think).

I started my no-caffeine diet before I left home on day one, but on the second day, it was a complete fast. This was to ready me for the four-hour adenosine myoview test. It involved the intake of mysterious cocktails, waiting periods, scans in tubes and under strangely shaped scanning wings. Nothing uncomfortable.

The best part of the scheduling was that the staff was able to sandwich in other quick tests while I was in my waiting periods. They were able to work in the EKG, the echocardiogram, chest X-ray and "flat plate abdomen" before the time I was to report for the last reading of the first test. Very efficient, indeed.

The most ironic part of the day was the "stress test." I had postponed this series of tests from December when I broke my leg, and trained very hard to recover sufficiently so that I could endure the rigors of a tough walk. Little did I know that the latest way to create "stress" is to inject something into the patient and the heart races as if the patient were walking uphill! What a way to exercise. At any rate, instead of spending a morning and afternoon in the various labs, I was finished by noon, and was able to arrive back home in broad daylight.

Now the wait for the test results, to see if my kidney is really up to the transplant task!

For More Information
To learn more about Sharp's transplant services or to find a Sharp-affiliated physician, search for San Diego doctors or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about transplant, visit Transplantation in Adult Health or read the Transplant News archive.