Some really, really great news! (and a tiny bad -TMI-)

So, we'll give the good first so that anyone who WANTS to read my TMI can, but everyone else can pass.

So far 3 folks have completed the Donor Evaluation. (There is a mystery 4th, who hasn't revealed themselves to me, which is fine, except that I'm insanely curious)

The first two really wanted to be a match, but it wasn't in the cards. The third girl stopped by today. She is all but a match. So here's the deal though. She has 4 bile ducts. 2 is the standard. Because of this, she is delegated to backup/emergency donor. If something happens that I suddenly need a transplant or I'll die...they'll work with hers. In every other way, we are a perfect match. But the surgery would be more complicated for both of us, which is why they'd rather not if they don't have to. Unfortunately, this means more waiting. And if you haven't gathered, I'm not a very patient...patient.

I'm very fortunate to have so many people WILLING to call in to find out the process. Angela (the donor contact) said that she's never had so many non-family members call in for one person. You guys are seriously the best.

Interestingly, though, I'm going to be curious when I see DrG on Monday. He keeps asking me about whether or not I have donors. I guess the two teams are entirely separate and don't communicate at all until there's something to communicate about.

Something that is also kind of bad, but not the TMI thing is that I'm developing a sort of agoraphobia. It's becoming increasingly difficult to want to leave me house for anything. I'm not afraid to leave my house...It just takes so much effort to get ready (showered & dressed), driving takes energy if I have to do that, regardless of how I get there, bumps have been terrible since my body hasn't recovered from my surgery in May, and then I get to wherever I'm going...and I know I have to do the return trip...Being social is super exhausting right now. Depression is winning right now and I hate it.

Now is the time to not read on unless you REALLY want to know all (Even the gross) you can about this process.

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The bad is...my ammonia level is high. Normal is >33. Mine is currently 56. When I had my last "episode" (I'll explain), it was 75.

So when my amonia level gets high, I kind of...lose it. I start being repetitive in speech or in movement or both, and I don't know who anyone is if I've gone deep enough. It's hard to get my attention. I don't respond to my name(s). It takes some form of physical contact to get my attention.

This could happen. Any time. Anywhere. So far it has happened twice. Once was years ago, the other time was this month.

BUT!

There is a solution. Ammonia leaves the body via bowel movement. If I am close to you, you probably already know that I don't poo (<---this is the only word I felt was the least icky) very much. They want me going 3-4 times a day. I don't think I go that much in a week. So...I have to start pooing. And I'm very unhappy about this.