Transplant Superbowl Celebration

Every other person in the photo underwent kidney transplant surgery between one and five weeks ago.  Recovery did not stop the Superbowl party.  Regardless of who each person picked as their team, they are all winners.   They have been given the miracle of new life.  Transplant was now the reason to celebrate, coincidently it was Superbowl Sunday.   It's time to move on - to seem normal for a change.

A month ago, every day started with a coin toss except the odds were much worse than 50/50.  Would this be my day to endure another dialysis treatment or to be selected for a kidney?  But then it happened.  They picked heads and won.  They got the call and were given the chance to kickoff a new life.  Much like those players on each Superbowl team, they waited for years to join the ranks of the elite who were blessed to be part of this day.  Today they were matched and blessed with a life giving organ from a generous and thoughtful donor.  The outcome of this competition is clear.  All three are winners and their struggle against kidney failure is mostly over.   Now starts the lifelong battle to fight against rejection. This is not a game, it is a challenge of life or death for transplant recipients.

The rules are clear.  Your medication play clock is exactly every twelve hours.  Delay of game earns a kidney rejection penalty flag and could put you in the hospital.  Take care of your health, drink at least three liters of water daily and measure your vitals every morning.   Infractions are unforgiving. Food safety is your defensive strategy.  No undercooked meats or fish - Sushi is banned.  No unattended self-serve food like buffets where an uninformed patron might have used a hand to reach in and taste the sauce thereby contaminating the line with a potentially deadly virus.  Leftovers must be labeled and tossed after two days.  Your own offenses against illness have been compromised by life-sustaining anti-rejection medications.  Much like your linemen defend you from getting sacked by charging viruses emitted during a sneeze, your facemask is your first line of offense.  It should be worn in crowded places where unrelenting illness lurks.  Illegal touching is not permitted.  If you touch a person's hand, this must be followed-up by a dose of germ killing sanitizer before you return your hand to scratch your nose or rub your eyes.  This is how disease transmits and a fumble in this area could cause you to lose the competition.  This is not a game, it is life or death.

Players in this competition give a prayer of thanks every day.  They ask for wisdom to keep up their offense, the strength to put-up a good defense and the blessing of another disease-free day.  Because this is not a game - it is life or death.