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It's Like a 'Grey's Anatomy' Episode! (Part 1)

This is my (true) story of a disease that makes me feel like I'm in a tv show.

By stephanie wolfePublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Hello everyone! I have a certain disease that feels like makes me feel like I'm a movie or a tv show!

To start this off we are going to have to go all the way back to early March of this year. I have been dealing with depression for a long while. My depression had started in middle school and it started because I was bullied. I had been scratching myself on my arms and legs and have been hiding it pretty well until my dad discovered them. We were roughhousing and I pulled my sleeves up on my sweater without thinking. We talked about it and had told my mother to take me to the doctor to get medicine to help me. So that's what we did; she asked me lots of questions and even took my blood to make sure nothing in my blood was causing my depression.

Well it was all going great I had gotten some medicine and I was back to being my happy self and I had lots more fun. I was laughing and making jokes and all around I was much more happy with myself and with life. That is until my mother got a call from the doctor regarding the results of my blood test. I was staying at my dad's that weekend and we were watching some horror movie. It was about 9 when my mother called saying we need to get to a hospital ASAP. Of course, we were confused on why but she told us that the results had come back saying I have kidney failure. We got off the phone and we all went to a children's hospital.

We signed into the ER and we sat and waited for them to take me back and get checked out. I was panicking and I was getting worried. My dad told me not to worry or get worked up because I haven't been showing signs and I was pretty young (I'm 18) so it was most likely just a mix-up and it will be ok. It felt like an hour before they were able to get to me. They took me back and checked my blood pressure, many times, and took blood. They took me to an examining room and asked me a few questions about any signs of possible kidney failure. At about midnight the doctor came back and indeed confirmed that I had kidney failure and that we found this out just in time because my creatinine level is at a 4. That means if I waited any longer I would be at the worst (stage 5) and would imminently be put on dialysis. I started to tear up when I heard this because I was so scared. They had kept me overnight to do follow up tests.

I have never been more scared. I didn't know what to do or think I felt like I was in shock. I never thought anything like this would happen to me. What I thought would just be an overnight thing turned out to be a whole week thing.

It was spring break time at school and while everyone was out having fun and laughing I was in the hospital being kept up all night by nurses coming and going. All night nurses came into my room and pricked my finger and took blood. By the end of the week, all my fingers had band-aids on them.

I was there during Easter and my little brother's birthday. I felt so bad for missing out on it. I really wanted to be there and see him have fun and open his presents.

Although I missed a lot I had lots of visitors that caught me up, my little brother even came to visit me. It made me feel good to know he came to visit. I had much love and still do. I have many supporters including friends and family.

After the week was up I was able to go home. After all this, I still have to go in for labs every month, where they will take my blood to make sure my levels are good.

Now I do have some eating habits that I have to change. For example my cheese consumption. I actually have to limit the amount of dairy I eat to keep my phosphorus down. I also need to limit my meat, but that's alright since I am a vegetarian. Other than that I am good to go on food.

I now have 3 possible living donors! I'm very excited about it, I'm really hoping that I will match one of them. If not, I will be put on the deceased donor list, which is fine but I may have to wake up at 3 in the morning to go to the hospital; in other words, it's more unpredictable that way.

Good news is I recently meet up with the surgeon and I have been approved for surgery and all I need to do now is get a donor! :)

Wish me luck!

health
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