Waste Of A Precious Gift

Something has been bothering me since my biopsy last Wednesday. I went for a Biopsy to check to see if I was still in rejection and I got a ZERO! After my biopsy I had a appointment with my Transplant Doctor and I met a woman in the waiting room. She asked me how far out I was and I told her 10 months. She had a Kidney and Heart transplant 18 years ago. I was thrilled to hear she had gone that long with her organs. She told us she now needs a new Kidney and a new Heart. She explained that she had become very depressed and due to medicine she has gone into rejection. I said oh wow your anti rejection meds made you reject? No, she said… I got so depressed I STOPPED taking my anti-rejection medications for a year. WHAT???????? I was glad my mask was on because my mouth dropped open. I wished her good luck but I was upset and mad all at the same time. I don’t understand how someone can waste this 2nd chance at life like that. This transplant journey is not a easy one. It comes with a lot of pain, sorrow, trials and struggles. I understand that, I know how hard it is. I also get very sad at times, all transplant patients do. You have to push through that and see the silver lining.. YOU ARE ALIVE!!!! Some stranger that never knew me registered as a organ donor, she then passed away and due to her selfless gift I received her heart and a 2nd chance at life. I look in the mirror every day and thank my donor and I live to honor her. I don’t understand how someone could not take their medicines for a year and not feel guilty. How could you not think of your donor? How could you not think of the pain their family went through loosing a loved one? How could you not think of the pain you were in before transplant? How could you not think of your family and friends and all they have gone through with you along this journey? It take a selfish person to waste a gift like this. I also don’t understand after she is the reason she went into rejection and now needs new organs WHY they would give them to her. I had to go through a lot of tests and I had to have a psych evaluation. They want to make sure you aren’t going to be risky or essentially WASTE the organ. Well she did and now she is going to get 2 more? Today, more than 3,700 patients listed at Florida transplant centers await life-saving organ transplants. What if 1 of those 3,700 don’t get their organ due to someone being so dangerous with their life. My heart is heavy with this. I don’t take my transplant, my donor or this new life for granted! I pray that if it is God’s will for this woman to receive a 3rd chance at life she takes it and doesn’t just throw it away!!!!