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wanted dead or alive (kidney)

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When met with people in awe that I was able to donate a kidney to Robert, I have joked on more than one occasion that instead of the popular pickup line of the 1970s, “Hey Girl, what’s your sign?” Robert’s was “Hey Girl, what’s your blood type?”— implying that our match wasn’t entirely random, that Robert only dated women who were potential donors.

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biased research

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I am a woman of my word. At least I try to be. Ten years ago, when I said to Robert, my boyfriend at the time, “We should try to see if I can give you a kidney,” as we sat in a clinic exam room for his transplant evaluation appointment, I wasn’t just talking.

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big black boy

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My son, Avery, is the color of caramel. He is 15 years old, stands nearly 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs almost 200 pounds. He is a Big. Black. Boy. Because Avery is a big black boy, when we moved a couple of years ago, one of my first tasks was to parade him around our new neighborhood. Smile and wave, I told him, so they know you belong here.

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He's just not that into you

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I remember watching Greg Behrendt on Oprah and then the movie version of his book “He’s Just Not That Into You” with great interest. As a woman, the message resonated with me. I’ve made many if not most if not all the mistakes Behrendt points out that most women tend to make in search of “the one”.