by Angie Nelson

Created on: April 01, 2009

I remember when my life changed forever. I was nineteen years old, and it was the last week in March, on the cusp of springtime. I was sick. Every day it was something different. This was before my life changed. In the several months prior to March when I was nineteen years old, I was sick. One day it was vomiting. The next a fever. Some of the days I was fine, but that never lasted for very long. I was working as an insurance agent-not my lifelong dream. It paid the bills. I started missing work, or going home early. I couldn't concentrate. I was tired all of the time. I felt nauseous and I couldn't stop peeing. My supervisor moved me to a desk closer to the bathroom because I logged out so many times a day to go. Then one day, after this had gone on for months, my supervisor pulled me aside and said,

"Angie, if you don't go to the doctor, you are going to get fired."

I was terrified. I was making so much money, and I couldn't afford to lose my job. I had to pay rent, my car payment, and utilities. On the other hand, I did not want to go to the doctor. I was terrified. What if there was something really wrong with me? What if I had AIDS or cancer? What if I was dying? I had to go though. I called my dad, and he called his doctor, who saw me the next day. My parents went with me. I got my blood drawn. I was examined. I was sent home to wait. That afternoon, the three of us sat around the house. It was sunny. We played cards while we waited. I had to get up a lot to pee. Then finally the doctor called. I was surprised, she called personally, rather than the nurse. My dad handed me the cordless phone, and I was shaking. That was the first I had noticed, before the doctor had pointed it out during my examination. My hands had been shaking like I had Parkinson's disease, and I hadn't even noticed. My hands and feet were swollen, and I didn't notice that either. The doctor said the lab results from my blood draw showed some problems with my idney function. She decided I should see her doctor. I was going to see the doctor's doctor. That couldn't be good. My appointment was the next day. Thursday.

I got up the next day, dressed casually in sweats and a jacket. It was still chilly. I sat across the room from my parents waiting to get more blood drawn. Then we proceded upstairs to wait for the doctor. I told them to wait outside. I was called back by his nurse, and we went straight to his office. No exam. No need. His office had wood panelling. Stacks of books. A big

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