… So said this lovely nurse in Scotland.

Ain’t it something how this nurse — who’s already given so much of her time to sick people — didn’t burn out, didn’t become hardened, but became even more compassionate? She had to fight off those friends of hers who wanted to stop her. And what a wonderful gift she’s given to a retired carpenter who grew up in the shadow of PKD, and had no one to turn to. (Quite often, people with PKD have a hard time finding a donor, because their relatives — the most obvious potential donors — are carrying the cysts, too.)

Happy holidays, Nurse Ryder, you renal gal, you!

— Kenny

One of the most renal people of our time, or any time, is Ayaan Hirsi Ali. The guy who killed filmmaker Theo Van Gogh planted a note on Van Gogh’s body that said Hirsi Ali was next. And death threats continue to come in from all over — all to stop her from speaking her mind.

The Dutch government encouraged Ms. Hirsi Ali to run for parliament, promising her a security detail if she did so. Now they’ve announced they plan to stop paying for it. Amsterdam is a great town for a giant kidney — they tolerate everyone. But this stance dims my enthusiasm for the Netherlands.

Filling the void, the great writer Sam Harris has started a fund to pay for Ms. Hirsi Ali’s security. My manager, Bill, who had the honor of shaking Ms. Hirsi Ali’s hand after a debate at the New York Public Library, is contributing ten bucks a month, and wishes he could give more. If you care about the status of women in the Muslim world (i.e., the entire world), or just don’t think people should be told to shut up under threat of death, then please help Ms. Hirsi Ali stay alive.

The cysts that pop out of my cherry-colored skin are important, of course. But so is the life of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. — Kenny

Nobody ever promised that PKD makes people nice, healthy and stable. Some are, some aren’t. But those who have kidneys with cysts like mine would do well to be more careful than this guy. As I’m sure he’d be the first to admit. He seems to have had a lot of pain in his life. — Kenny

Two of my cyst-carrying brothers got an assist from a cystless brother last Tuesday, and I couldn’t be happier. This great guy got the new kidney he needed, which makes him, his wife, their sons, and my two oversized kidney brothers all very, very happy.

I can’t think of a better first post. Live renally, everyone!

— Kenny