Cojo before and after his kidney transplants
Steven Cojocaru spoke with Mary Hart recently about his kidney transplants and his difficult recovery.
Cojocaru had to undergo a second kidney transplant after the first one failed. A friend donated the kidney the first time, and mom did the second.
Cojo is promoting his new book, Glamour, Interrupted: How I Became the Best-Dressed Patient in Hollywood. It hits shelves tomorrow.
“I didn’t expect to be so candid in this book. I really didn’t. I didn’t know where I would go with this book. I know that before it started, I got very emotional and very afraid. I was also on steroids. And I was a crazy person. You cannot make lucid decisions when you are on steroids.”
Cojo says he reacted badly with the steroids, which caused him to slip into a deep depression.
“I had a huge emotional fallout. There was such a dark streak. I’m so ashamed of the way I treated my parents, the most gentle, angelic people in the world. I was like a dragon. I was spewing blood and fire. The slightest thing would set me off. And I felt guilty. There were huge guilt issues.”
He adds that he was afraid he would lose his career but support from a few celebrity friends helped ease his mind and boost his spirits.
“To get a personal phone call from [Sarah Jessica Parker] that was so heartfelt, elegant and lovely — I don’t think she realizes how much that meant…Renee Zellweger sent me a balloon. I know that sounds simple, but I can’t tell you how, in a dark moment, it put such a smile on my face.”
Cojohopes to raise awareness on organ donating so that people in need don’t have to wait years for a transplant.
“What I’ve experienced is so powerful. I’ve seen the worst, but I’ve also seen the best. … I’m not making any proclamations that I’m going to save the world. I do want to shake things up, and I want to make people aware of kidney disease.”
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I AM SO INTRESTED IN THIS BOOK AND I CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON IT..IM 22 YEARS OLD AND I AM TOO SUFFERING FROM KIDNEY DISEASE…ITS CALLED IGA RENAL DISEASE..I AM CURRENTLY ON DIALYSIS AND AWAITING ON THE LIST FOR A DONOR….I AM VERY HAPPY THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING OUT ABOUT KIDNEY DISEASE…
JENN.
I was so happy to see Cojo yesturday on TV with Dr. Phil. My husband is going in for a kidney transplant this coming Wednesday at UCLA and our lives have been so stressfull preparing and not knowing what to expect in the months, years to come. We were very fortunate that the husband of a cousin of my husband’s made the decision to donate a year ago at Christmas. After putting his life on the line twice in Iraq for our country, he know is doing it for our family so my 4 year old can a father to grow up with. I was so excited about your interview I went and bought the book for my husband. Somthing for me to read while I am at UCLA. So much I just wish I had the chance to talk about all you said on TV. But, you are sooo right about those gowns, I have been fighting those gowns for years. I went and bought my husband long shirt gowns for Christmas and had them monogramed so he had something special other than those ugly hospital gowns. I wanted to sew some for him, but made him a throw with pictures of him and my daughter instead. I can go on for ever, Between Cojo and George Lopez whom have gone through this lately, organ donation and the awareness needs to be put out in the media, public, etc. I am also excited of an article that came out on our local paper of how recipients of organ donors are being injected with stem cells from their donors and no longer reject the kidney and don’t have to take anti-rejection meds anymore. I wish we had that option. Good luck Cojo, and thank you so much for making things more hopeful and not as lonely. YHaven
Where can I purchase Cojo’s book ? In Canada
Love Him
We just interviewed Steven “Cojo” Cojocaru on our morning show, check his podcast out on our website!!!
LOVE THE C-SMACK!!!!!!!