21-Year-Old College Senior. Loves Mexican Food. Needs Kidney.

I’m a very private person. That’s why I am writing this blog.
Come again?
Okay let me elaborate here. I’ll talk your ear off about my feelings on Bobby Flay, Oklahoma, and my constant desire to lose about 7 pounds. One thing I don’t like to go on and on about is my health problems. I kind of like to be in denial that they even exist. But I got slapped with reality recently. So here it is: I’ve been sick since I was 12 years old. For those of you who aren’t up to speed, I got mysteriously ill when I was 11 and in less than a year, I needed new lungs. As you probably know, transplant recipients have to take immunosuppressant medications their whole life to avoid rejection. You take them and you’re all good. Right?
Well…
It’s sort of a double-edged sword. You keep those lungs nice and healthy and take the drugs like you’re supposed to. But by doing what you’re supposed to do, you’re actually killing other parts of your body. These drugs wreck your kidneys. Most people get about 5 years out of them. I got almost 9. It’s hard for me to say “lucky me” even though I guess 4 extra years is pretty good. It’s about to be my senior year though. It’s about to be FOOTBALL SEASON for Christ’s sake and I need a kidney. I know it’s not exactly a tragedy. But when you’re 21 and usually your biggest dilemma is what to wear and where to eat on Friday night, and all the sudden you’re being handed pamphlets about your new organ and you can’t even make plans a week in advance, it’s all very hard. Not “Flight of the Conchords is being cancelled” hard. More like “Oklahoma is going to the National Title game” hard. Now you’re starting to get it.
In recent weeks, I’ve been dealing with being physically ill, emotionally exhausted, and the fact that I have no control over my life. I’ve made this blog so I can keep everyone updated with this process without spending countless hours on the phone and replying to emails in my free time. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the love and concern each of you have for me. I just can’t talk transplant non-stop. It’s depressing. So now we’re all on the same page. And you can all spare me the “I’m so sorry” speeches. I mean, come on, it’s Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Let’s not ruin that.
This isn’t saying you can’t ever call or email or text me. I love my friends and family and I know ya'll have genuine concern for me. Also, this may be the first some of ya'll are hearing about any of this so feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer all of them. I know more about transplants than some MDs. But if there’s days I can’t or don’t want to talk to people, that’s where this comes in. These past few weeks have been rough, but I am getting to accept this and move forward. I really just want to get back to feeling like Mary Katherine. Easy going, self-deprecating, fun loving, Mary Katherine.