South Lake Union resident and KOMO News reporter Elizabeth Dinh is asking the community for help. Not for a news story, but for her health.

Elizabeth was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy (also called Berger's disease)14 months ago. IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder in which antibodies called IgA build up in kidney tissue.

Initially Elizabeth’s kidneys were working at 20 percent function. Today, they have dropped to 13 percent.

“Over the last month, I started to feel even more tired and fatigued,” Elizabeth said. “But I thought it was part of the kidney disease.”

If her kidney function continues to decline, Elizabeth could soon be on dialysis. The reporter has been looking for a kidney among friends and family since Thanksgiving 2010, but no potential donors have worked out. Now, she is expanding her search, using Facebook and Twitter to try and find a kidney.

SEATTLE -- Seattle's infamous "Mercer Mess" is about to get even worse for the drivers who use it and the business owners who count on its traffic.

While it only stretches a half mile, the Mercer Mess already causes a lot of grief for the more than 35,000 drivers who use it every day.

"It usually takes me 10 minutes to get home and sometimes it takes 45 minutes because it bottlenecks so bad," said Erin Dodge, who works at the Guitar Center on Westlake Avenue.

Weather permitting, on Monday the traffic pattern will move a bit as the city pushes forward on its project to transform Mercer Street to a two-way thoroughfare.

That means all eastbound traffic will shift over onto newly-laid pavement and the number of lanes will be reduced from four to three.

"We've got a chance to get things right in our city and that involves change and it's right here," said Mike McQuaid of the South Lake Union Community Council.

That change, however, may be difficult for some businesses located south of Mercer.

Starting Monday, drivers will no longer be able to turn right onto Mercer from Westlake, Terry or Boren avenues, creating three dead ends.

The total cost of fixing Mercer will reach roughly $164 million. But transportation experts admit your drive to I-5 will be as congested as ever.

When the new 2-way Mercer Street opens, by the end of this year, drivers will be able to head directly from I-5 to Seattle Center without jogging over to Valley Street.

But the Seattle Times reports official forecasts predict eastbound congestion from Seattle Center to I-5 will be similar to today.

Designers say the project will improve overall traffic flow in the area.

Drivers will get a taste of the new Mercer starting Monday morning when the current eastbound lanes close and eastbound drivers will temporarily use what will become the westbound lanes.