Kidney For Dina

I am experiencing a temporary setback, spending a week at the OSU Medical Center, but the show must go on, so we are having a Counterpoint make-up class in my hospital room. Nurses were both very amused and helpful accommodating us.
I have the best students, who are also great human beings.

A pure happiness...

Sister, sister. Still kicking.

To all my dear friends, students, and well-wishers:
I wanted to touch base with you regarding what has been going on with me and my kidney situation.
While I am feeling very tired all the time, I am still functional, so I am able to teach, grade papers and exams (you wish I could not, I know😊) and have some fun outside of work and rest. But not too much, because my energy pool is quite limited.
I have had two amazing people coming forward as prospective donors, but doctors rejected their candidacies due to potential harm to their own health. I am so grateful to have these friends in my life, and to the OSU transplant team for being so thorough in making sure that helping me does not negatively affect my donor’s health.
Having a living donor is the best possible scenario for a person with the kidney failure, but it is not the only option. If there won’t be a living donor, I will get a cadaver kidney, and quite possibly, it could be a great kidney. If I get sicker before I find a kidney, I can be on dialysis, which will make me feel much better, but then it will become a serious time commitment until I get a new kidney. But either way, I will eventually get better, get my energy back, and be able to do everything I want to accomplish, discover, and experience.
Thank you for all you love and support. I need it, and I hear and feel it coming from everyone.
And, if I may quote the Terminator, “I’ll be baaack.”

Yesterday, Dina had a pre-transplant work up done at the OSU Wexner Medical Center. ❤

My big sister needs a kidney. That’s a second time around for her. She received her first kidney transplant at age 28 but it’s failing now.
Dina was first diagnosed at the age of 23. We lived in St. Petersburg then and she was studying composition at Rimsky Korsakov Conservatory of Music. She loved her school, her friends, her life-it was a very exiting time for her. We shared a room and I guess I got to be a part of her fabulous life (that’s how it seemed to me!)
And then, one day everything has changed. She started feeling very sick and soon was diagnosed with autoimmune condition Glomerulonephritis. Her both kidneys were failing rapidly. Everything just stopped at that point. She could no longer continue her studies either.
We were incredibly lucky to be able to come to the United States so Dina could get a Kidney Transplant. It took two years of paperwork for immigration, but we made it here.
My Dad’s kidney gave Dina 23 years of very active life where she was able to finish her degree in music, receive a PHD from The Ohio State University, and land an amazing job as Professor of Music at Capital University here in Columbus.
Dina loves life! She is an amazing travel companion, she loves art, history, good book, and of course, her main passion-music.
On one of her adventures to Europe, she traveled to Paris for a music conference. I’ve decided to surprise my sister and flew there the next day. We had an incredible fun together and I met these people who were professionally bonded with her. I saw how much respect they showed for her work. It made me super proud to be there with her!
I know she will fight her kidney battle again. She is the strongest woman I know. She will be healthy and strong again and will travel for her work or pleasure.
One day, she’ll hear the knock on her hotel room door somewhere in Paris and someone (me) will say with a fake French accent: "Service d’etage, Madam”…I love you, Sis!