…Throughout the donor testing—blood draws, X-rays, a stress cardiogram, CT angiography, lung function test, and more—the nurse coordinator was just a phone call away. She offered gentle encouragement, useful tips (like lidocaine to numb my arm for blood draws), and, thankfully, a sense of humor.  

 

After each test I’d call her nervously to see if I’d passed. How would I really feel if I were disqualified? Would I secretly be relieved? To my surprise, I realized I’d be crushed.

 

So when the psychologist asked if I was sure I wanted to do this, I laughed. “Trust me,” I said. “You can skip to the next question.”