O–100 km/h in 3.5 Seconds. But Did You Die?
WARNING: This episode includes discussion about the confronting topic of live organ donation.
Trajce, Sara, and Sara use this episode to conclude the special 6-part reflection series on kidney donation. Alan continued to sun himself in Tassie.
Part 5 of the reflection series ended on a cliffhanger before describing the acute hospital experience. There are a few things that nobody tells you about the realities of live kidney donation and this episode delves into those hidden treasures…
“Where is the organ donation speciality centre in Australia?” asks Sara.
Trajce describes the contrasts between the donee (kidney recipient) and the donor hospital ward experience, “Oh, so CJ was in the executive lounge, and you were in the back of the bus on the aluminium seats.” Sara recounts some of the confusion and complications associated with her acute post-surgical hospital ward experience. She connects these reflections with her training in and understanding of complex, dynamic systems management. CJ contextualises these ideas by highlighting the conflict between what someone expects in healthcare versus the realities of their experiences.
“But did you know that all your bits go blue? Smurf or Smurfette when blood flow returns,” laughs Sara, “These are more realities that you simply discover as a donor or donee, and did not receive education on or know to expect!” Trajce jokes, “the is the real lived experience. You experienced it and you really lived it, with chills that were multiplying…”.
Yet, aligned with the theme of this part of the series, Sara asks “But did you die?” because here she is, and CJ, able to live a life and tell the story of the miracle of kidney donation. They give thanks to the many people in the inner circle who helped them during this time. CJ appreciated, “I think I had a Gold Pass, I think I’ve done all right through all this,” while Trajce reflects, “Yeah, he was on speed dial for priority care.”