See that on the right? Say hello to my little friend.

According to statistics, around 1 in 500 have one of these – it’s called a Horseshoe Kidney. So by rights, at least one of my Facebook friends should have one.  Hey there, fellow horseshoe, are you out there?

I’m often told I seem to have a lot of luck. Well, that depends on whether you believe in luck or not. But if there is such a thing, maybe it comes from this little mutation. Because that’s what it is – a mutation that happens in the womb. Apparently I’ve had it all my life, but I only found out about it a while ago after many years of kidney bugs.

So I’m a mutant. Can I be in X-Men now please? Or Avengers?

A few weeks ago I got to see it on a CT scan for the first time. It’s pretty funky to look at. My consultant had a Big Bang Theory level of excitement about it – much the same as the radiographer who first spotted it. “I’ve only ever seen one in text books!” she shrieked. I was glad to be of service. 🙂

But the downside is that it can be a pain in the – well – kidney.  I certainly need to learn to manage it better, as it can be a pesky little beast if I don’t sleep enough, drink enough water or experience stress. So basically, it’s a pesky little beast a lot of the time. In fact, as I write this, I’m lamenting the time I’ve lost lately through sleeping it off.

But I still kind of love it, my horseshoe kidney. It makes me a little more unique and, who knows, just maybe it’s my hidden superpower.

Just… no capes, ok?

#kidneys #raisingawareness