The last time I sat down to go pee was approximately the year 2000. George W. Bush was president, the shows *Friends* and *The Sopranos* were popular, and NSYNC and Britney Spears were dominating the pop charts.

When I say I haven't peed in 17 years, I'm not exaggerating.  Not a dribble, not a drip, not a drop.  And let me stop you before you say, *"Wow you must be great on road trips!"*  because I've heard that joke probably a thousand times.

You may be wondering what it's like to not have to urinate, or maybe you can't even wrap your head around it.  To be honest, I don't really think about it anymore.  I do however, have to be very careful with the amount of fluid I drink.  I can't be going to a bar and ordering $4 dollar pitchers or going to the movies and stopping at the concession stand for the 40oz bladder buster special.

I'm sure most people don't even think about what they drink.  Their kidneys effectively and efficiently take the fluid that you drink, keeps all the electrolytes and minerals that your body needs and then discards the rest of the waste and voila, you're in the bathroom sighing with relief.  

If were to drink all the fluid I want, my poor atrophied kidneys wouldn't know what to do.  My body would start to swell, starting at my fingers, then my ankles and legs. My face would get puffy and then finally my lungs would start to fill with fluid and I would struggle to breathe.  If I took it far enough, it could be fatal and I would essentially drown.

Luckily, I have adequate dialysis to help remove any excess fluid I have on my body.  I still have to be cautious because any fluid I drink gets removed only 3 times a week.  I must restrict my fluid intake to 1 liter a day
![mcd.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQme7fyqUSQKJhceCV2A1S5AM3Z8CY3FXSHe7dbpohMD47N/mcd.jpg)
_32 ounce McDonald's soda, or just under 1 Liter of fluid_




If I were to consume this whole McDonald's 32oz soda, that would be it for fluid for me for the day. No coffee, no tea, not even a bowl of soup.  

So the next time you're guzzling down that Starbucks Trenta, skinny, iced, caramel macchiatto, whisper a little thank you to your kidneys.

L.

Links to become an organ and tissue donor:

United States
https://organdonor.gov/index.html

Canada
https://www.beadonor.ca/

United Kingdom
https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/