The FBI is celebrating its 100th anniversary this summer, and The Washington Times printed a long article detailing some of the fantastic work done by my collegues. They also included my kidney story which sticks out like a turd in the punchbowl in comparison to the other stories in the article.
It's a nice piece, but I'm far from "unsung".
The complete article can be found at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/25/extraordinary-work-of-unsung-heroes/
Here's my section:
'Extraordinary' work of unsung heroes
by Jerry Seper and Jennifer Haberkorn, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Friday, July 25, 2008
FBI special agents, working under the motto of "Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity," often are called on to do heroic deeds quietly and with little or no fanfare.
These unsung heroes routinely put themselves in harm's way, making split-second decisions to save lives or complete missions.
Many of the heroic efforts of the bureau's more than 12,500 agents go unnoticed...
Hot-line volunteer
Chicago-based FBI Special Agent Tom Simon doesn't think of himself as a hero. Married, the father of two young children and a crisis hot-line volunteer, he just wanted to do something for someone, so he donated his kidney to a young woman he had never met.
It was, he figured, a perfect match: Brenda Lagrimas was young, looking to start a family and in law enforcement. He got her name from donor Web site MatchingDonors.com and figured it would be a good way to show others that donating a kidney was not that difficult or dangerous.
An FBI agent for a dozen years, Mr. Simon - who investigates major financial and white-collar crimes - underwent laparoscopic surgery in April 2007 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and within a couple of weeks was back on the job.
Six months after the surgery, Mr. Simon wrote to the Kidney Chronicles Web site, saying: "I donated a kidney to a woman named Brenda Lagrimas whom I had never met before embarking on my quest to donate a kidney to a stranger.
"Because of my job as an FBI Special Agent and the odd way that Brenda and I met, we ended up getting a lot of international publicity which led to an increased awareness of living organ donations which, in turn, led others to step forward and donate to strangers.
"Living with one kidney is no different at all from living with two. I'm not lopsided or fatigued or in pain," he said. "Brenda's recovery was slower, which is totally normal. From the moment of the transplant, her new kidney worked perfectly and her kidney-related health problems disappeared. We speak regularly and our families have all met. She went from being a stranger to an organ recipient to a great friend and for that, I am thankful."
8 comments:
Thanks for being someone's hero.
Hey Tom. My name is Melissa Swanson. I contacted you a while back about going through the donation process. On August 5th, 2008, I donated to what was a stranger and is now a friend. I couldn't find your email address. I wanted to ask you something. Did you ever have trouble with extreme fatigue after the donation? I know I'm only at 50% function right now, but I can barely get up. Is that normal?
Melissa
Melissa,
Congrats on your donation. I'm glad it went well.
I, too, was overcome with sleepiness for about three months following the surgery. The body takes a lot of energy to heal itself internally and get the remaining kidney up to speed. Totally normal. Totally natural. Get your sleep, Melissa. You'll feel back to normal around Halloween.
I hope it was worth it.
Well done.
- Tom
I wanted to let you know that it was definitely worth it! I've struggled with things like fatigue and dehydration, but that's b/c I've been moving for almost 2 weeks. It was really too soon after the surgery. So, anyone that reads this, "Your body needs rest!"
I wouldn't take it back for the world. The recipient is doing wonderful and is now able to play with his children and do things like play catch and video games; things he couldn't do before.
Melissa
Hi Tom. I just found your site. I donated my kidney on June 10th to a good friend. My wife and kids were totally supportive.
We were "ABO incompatible" which means that our blood types do not match. I didn't even realise that it was possible to donate with incompatible blood types and had made the offer because I thought we were compatible. Turns out we're one of only 30 or so ABO incompatible transplants in the UK so far.
After three months the tiredness has mostly gone (Melissa, Tom is absolutely right about needing to give it three months). My recipient is doing wonderfully and his creatinine level is now less than mine. I still feel very emotional when I see Paul but like you don't feel heroic, just good about myself.
Well said, Leslie. I hope all remains well for you and your recipient.
Tom,
I am planning on donating my kidney to my husband. We are a match and everyting is going as scheduled. My concern, is that I am not getting any support from family, friends or co-workers. Infact the comments are very negative. I want to do this for my husband but wish I had support. Also I am raising my 6 year old grandson. The comments I have been getting is that I should be thinking of him. Please advise.
Terri,
My friend Virginia wrote an article about the "unsupportive friends" phenomenon:
http://www.dynamist.com/articles-speeches/opeds/kidney.html
I addressed my friends and family in a mass email that was reprinted at:
http://www.kidneychronicles.com/2007/04/im-donating-kidney-to-stranger-on-april.html
It seemed to do the trick, but it sounds like your loved-ones are starting from a less-reasonable position.
My only suggestion is to argue from the facts. Discuss the risks with you doctor. He will likely tell you that the biggest danger of a kidney donation surgery is the general anesthesia. Getting put to sleep for a surgery has a 5 in 10,000 (i.e. very low) risk of death. That's whether you're getting your tonsils out, breast implants, or a kidney donation. If you've had surgery before and were put to sleep, my guess is your body will react about the same this time. Again, talk to your doctor.
The actual kidney removal surgery is regarded as a routine procedure. Get comfortable with your doctor and the hospital to establish that they've done this before and are regarded as experts.
The argument that somehow your life will be diminished by having one kidney is pure nonsense. You only need one kidney. The other one takes up the slack. And if your one kidney goes bad later in life, you go to the front of the line for a kidney transplant yourself.
I don't ever want to be in a position of talking anyone into a kidney donation. I would highly encourage you to get the facts from your doctor and share those facts with the folks around you who misunderstand what the procedure is all about. Beyond that, you need to go with your heart.
Good luck.
- Tom Simon
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