Test Of Will

When I was first born, I was 2 months premature, weighing in at 4lbs 7oz. with prune belly syndrome or abdominal muscular defiency syndrome and dislocated hips.I was not suppose to live pass 1 wk. When I was first born one of my kidneys was non-functioning and the size of a raison.

Also at 1, I was in a body cast for a year. At the age of 2 my second kidney malfunctioned, and immediately I was put on peritoneal dialysis. My mother hooked me up to the machine for 8 hrs at bed time.

Being on dialysis for 3 yrs, I thought I was going to recieve a kidney from my mother Joyce, but the tables of life turned, I was allergic to a muscle relaxer called atracurium and I flatlined. Didnt really understand that I was not going to get a kidney that day, but I do remember, saying to my mother, "mommy your iv is out and I started crying, I guess I knew then.

On April 28 1988, we both flew to st. louis,Mo, where I recieved a healthy kidney from my mother. That kidney lasted 15 yrs. When I was 17 yrs old I had to have a herrington rod put in, to support my spine due to scoliosis, that consisted of a 15 hr. surgery, where the anasthesialogist accidently overdosed me on morphine. At the age of 20 I was diagnosed with renal cancer, but due to my creatnine acting up, they caught it in time and removed the transplanted kidney, yes I am a cancer survivor at the age of 20 and still cancer free. I went through depression plenty of times, so I turned to marijuana to numb my depression and created a mirage of me being a person who didnt have the problems that I had that led me to this point.

I quit in 2004 and havent looked back. I was on dialysis for 5 years, and believe me it was no lovers quarrel. In 2006 I was accepted into heritage college in kansas city, mo at that time I was still on dialysis going 3 times a wk 3 hrs a day, I was going to school 4 hrs a day and 5 days a wk, at graduation I recieved perfect attendance. On june 5th 2008 (my birthday) I recieved a healthy kidney. In october 2008 I also was given the student of the year award. Recently I have been going to church of the resurrection and attending Celebrate Recovery,Alpha, and step studies. Being teased throughout my life assuming I was 9 months pregnant,being a midgit and among other situations. Now attending celebrate recovery and step studies my self esteem has improved. My mother is still alive and doing good, my kidney is still functioning and life is brighter.

A Survivor's Mountain
By: William Shireman

Technology was an infant, death certificate signed
god scribbled out my name
keep with me, trees the birds are symbols that you will
be just fine.
That's what its like standing at the side of christ
on A survivor's mountain

I have lived a life of scalpels,Flatlines and please
count to tens
To hide my stomach
The army of big shirts are my only line of defense
Scars and memories will fade when I die
But until then they are embedded in flesh
and in mind
That's what comes along with a survivor's mountain

We have lived a life of never going to lives
tears of unfairs and laughs behind our backs
All we want to do is live normal lives
your jokes are like flesh of thumb tacks

We will always be climbers on our own survivor's mountain