Donor

Exciting News...We have a donor!!!!!!!  Chris and I received a phone call last Friday night with the news.  The phone call came in as I was about to head out for a ladies night.  The nurse was happy to make the call so we didn't have to wait a whole weekend.  She said " I have really great news..but also you will be put in a hard position."  All the donors came back a great match...not one better then the other!  At that moment I understood what she meant about that hard position we would be put in.  Immediately my mind started to race..How do we pick??  After chatting with the nurse for a bit she helped guide me on how to make the decision.  She did say everyone was equally a great match..so we really couldn't go wrong.  After we got off the phone we or I should say I decided we would not tell anyone until we had figure out what we were going to do.  Not even our family!  A long weekend confiding in each other...then turning to some important people in my life for guidance a decision was made.
Monday morning I was on the phone contacting all the donors to tell them the results and that we were excited to move forward.  Asking some potential donors to be willing to be a back up.  Everyone was happy to hear the news!  We did not expect to have all donors be a match...that was bitter sweet!  We had our work cut out for us.
What next...our donor has began the process of being cleared for transplant.  There are a few steps to get to cleared for surgery.  First starting with a phone interview from the transplant team...That was passed!!  This is just a few questions of health and medical history.  Next step is an appointment with the donors primary care doctor.  An intense physical with full set of labs and a couple days of certain repeat labs.  There will also be an appointment in Boston with the team for cat scan and x-rays I believe.  This will all be followed with meetings with the doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital.  They are the team that has the final say if a donor is cleared.  The Brigham is where the donors surgery is held for the donor.  At any point are donor could be told they can't move forward and we may have to start again...but I am feeling hopeful this will all work out!
We are truly grateful to the handful of amazing people that stepped forward for Mark.  Some who are near and dear to us and others that were perfect strangers.  At a time like this so many people have step forward to help in every aspect....we feel so blessed.  It makes you feel like the world in not such a bad place this day in age!