My Plan B
April 2nd, 2010 at 12:56 PM
My plan A definitely didn't include being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease (Lupus) in my early 20's. I was 23 and told I have a disease that no one knows what causes it, there is no cure, and it can and more than likely will get worse and claim one or more organs. They were some dark times of not understanding and seeking something "more". My then boyfriend (now my husband) stayed by my side and gently suggested checking out churches. He was raised with a Christian background, I was raised Catholic but didn't have a relationship with Jesus by any means. The words the pastor said that first Sunday seemed to be taken right out of our very conversation from the night before. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving in me and I accepted Christ. Physically it was tough but we were still working on maybe a plan A-. We adopted a beautiful baby boy and things were going very well. Fast forward 10 years and we knew my kidneys were starting to fail so my nephrologist started putting into motion the things I'd need to do to get on the UNOS waiting list to receive a transplant. December 14, 2008 was the day that plan b came screeching into place. My husband awoke to me, his bride, having grand mal seizures. The Lupus had taken my kidneys and I was in complete kidney failure at 31 years old. I was rushed to the local ER where I suffered 2 more seizures. I was started on dialysis 3 days later and began a regime of hemo-dialysis that was 3 days a week, 3 hours a day. It was tough being a mom, wife, employee and still driving 45 minutes each way to go to my exhausting dialysis treatments, but God blessed me with those as I was able to share my faith with many of the dialysis patients who had no hope left. 4 friends and family members stepped forward saying they wanted to be tested to donate a kidney to me. Such an amazing blessing since the wait list in California is at least 7 years long (please register to be an organ donor WHEREVER you live, it's the ultimate gift). One of the people that stepped up was a good friend of my husband and I who saw it as his duty as a Christ follower to give part of himself to save another's life. We ended up being as close of a match as if we are blood related (brings a whole new meaning to brothers/sisters in Christ) and Dan donated his kidney to me on July 17, 2009. I've always "understood" Christ gift on a superficial level, but it was last Good Friday when I was still on dialysis and Dan was going through testing to be a donor that it fully hit home - There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends John: 15: 13. Wow. That passage was displayed on the screens at our Good Friday service and tears streamed down my face as I thanked Jesus for his ultimate sacrifice and for blessing me with an amazing friend who was willing to put himself on the line as a Christ follower. I thank God for my plan B now. It was a rough road, but it made me who I am today as a Christ follower, wife, mother, friend, co-worker. I am passionate about organ donation and volunteer for an organization and through registering people to donate I am also able to share my testimony and hopefully save people's souls in addition to their lives. Just remember there is hope. God is a God of hope and faithfulness and if He brought you to this place, He will bring you through it. Blessings.
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