Page 28 - More than a match

More Than a Match

not). Iodine-containing dye was injected into my vein through the
tube which was still in place in my arm and the CT scanner took

lots of pictures of my kidneys. The whole procedure took around
30 minutes and was painless, although I felt a bit sick afterwards.

Chest X-Ray:
This was done to see whether my heart was healthy, on the correct
(left) side of my chest and was of normal size. It also checked for
any signs of lung disease such as emphysema, tuberculosis or any
other abnormalities.

Abdominal X-Ray:
The x-ray took a picture of my ureters and bladder to look for
any abnormalities such as kidney or bladder stones.
I had no side effects or pain from the tests but I was shattered by
the end of the day; this was a combination of the tests and traipsing
around the different departments (Guy’s Hospital is huge).

MEETING WITH THE CONSULTANT KIDNEY SPECIALIST
Two weeks after the medical tests I met with the consultant
kidney specialist for a review of the results. During the meeting I
was asked general questions about my health and fitness, and my
weight and blood pressure were checked. I felt quite anxious as it
had been a nerve-racking experience waiting for the results. Good
news! I have two kidneys connected to the correct number of veins
and arteries, which is a priority for the transplant.
My consultant explained that the tests revealed I had high

cholesterol (the cause of which was genetic). This would not stop

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